Game 169
Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 2
Saturday, November 16, 1940
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Harvesting two goals in the first period, one in the second and another in the third, before getting a single reply from the opposition, the Toronto Leafs hauled themselves into first place in the early 1940-41 National Hockey League derby here Saturday night.
They routed the Montréal Canadiens 4-2 for their third successive win of the season, and the second in three days at the expense of a rookie-studded Montréal lineup.
Some netminding hijinks by Walter Broda and rookie Bert Gardiner, and a third period penalty box scuffle between Red Goupille and Gus Marker, highlighted a game that saw coach Dick Irvin’s youthful aggregation well beaten most of the route.
Three members of the Toronto cast selected the occasion to deliver their first scoring contributions of the 1940-41 campaign. Sweeney Schriner broke into the goal column early in the first period after a play with Jack Church and Bill Taylor. Later in the same stretch, Walter Stanowski deviated from his customary end-to-end dashing and goalmouth passing tricks to finish a play for himself with a backhand delivery that fooled Gardiner completely.
Late in the second period, while the scrappy Goupille was parked in the penalty box, Lex Chisholm climaxed a five man Toronto raid with his first goal of the winter.
The third period was 14:15 minutes old when Drillon and Apps established a puck-passing partnership that ended with a goal for Sylvanus. Gardiner tried to keep pace with the combination thrust of the Leaf snipers, but he outfoxed only himself. Bert shifted from one side of his cage to the other, figuring on a shot for the long side. He moved too soon. The puck dribbled into the spot he had vacated.
Montréal’s most dangerous forward line against the Leafs was Jack Adams, Elmer Lach and Tony Demers. And both goals fell to members of this firing section. Adams got the first when his passout from the Toronto end of the rink caromed off Broda’s skate and into the cage. Less than a minute later, Lach skipped goalward in a ice-plunging effort that took both the puck and Broda into the rigging. Adams set up the pass for this mighty charge.
Goupille and Marker were chased to the penalty box late in the third period. Heated words were exchanged as Marker reached the cooler. Goupille, still on the ice, swung punches at the Leaf veteran. Referee King Clancy separated the gladiators.
Schriner’s opening goal of the game was the culmination of a play started by Billy Taylor. Steered toward a corner in the Montréal end, Taylor slid the puck back to Church, who had moved in from right wing. Church whisked a pass in front of the nets to Schriner, who took deliberate aim and fooled Gardiner neatly from close quarters.
The Leafs came through with some key defensive displays while shorthanded. The best stand was recorded early in the third period when Nick Metz, Chisholm and Church made a fine job of wrecking the power attack of the visitors, who had only two shots on Broda.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, November 18, 1940
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR GOAL – 08:53 – Schriner (Taylor, Church)
TOR GOAL – 09:10 – Stanowski
TOR PEN – Church, Kampman, Marker, D. Metz
MTL PENS – Getliffe, Goupille, Quilty, Singbush
2nd Period
TOR PP GOAL – 18:10 – Chisholm (Apps, Drillon)
TOR PENS – Kampman, Marker
MTL PENS – Goupille, Singbush
3rd Period
MTL GOAL – 00:27 – Adams
MTL GOAL – 01:52 – Lach (Adams)
TOR GOAL – 14:36 – Apps (Drillon)
MTL PEN – Goupille
GOALTENDERS
TOR – Broda (W)
MTL – Gardiner (L)
ROSTERS
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Jack Church, Reg Hamilton, Bingo Kampman, Wally Stanowski. Forwards: Syl Apps (C), Lex Chisholm, Gordie Drillon, Hank Goldup, Pete Langelle, Gus Marker, Don Metz, Nick Metz, Sweeney Schriner, Billy Taylor.
MTL – Goaltenders: Bert Gardiner. Defence: Red Goupille, Ken Reardon, Alex Singbush. Forwards: John Adams, Joe Benoit, Toe Blake (C), Murph Chamberlain, Tony Demers, Ray Getliffe, Tony Graboski, Elmer Lach, John Quilty, Charlie Sands, Lou Trudel.
TEAM RECORDS
TOR – 3-1-0 (.750)
MTL – 0-3-1 (.125)
Two Solitudes 