Game 175
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3
Thursday, March 6, 1941
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Rookie goalie Paul Bibeault, signed from the amateur ranks just a few hours earlier, made his first National Hockey League start a winning one here tonight, as the sixth place Canadiens fought to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs before a crowd of 9,533.
A goal by centre Johnny Quilty early in the final period broke a 3-3 deadlock to give the Canadiens their first victory in eight meetings against the Leafs, who missed a chance to pull into a first place tie with the idle Boston Bruins. In the first seven clashes of the clubs, Toronto won six and the other was a draw.
The Canadiens had pulled into the draw on a second period goal by winger Joe Benoit, after Toronto took a 3 to 2 lead in an action packed first period. The other Montréal tallies went to Ray Getliffe and Charlie Sands, while Red Heron, Bob Davidson and Dave Schriner all counted for the Leafs in the initial session.
The product of Montréal junior hockey, Bibeault was a little nervous in the first frame, but turned in a brilliant performance to keep the Leafs scoreless in the last two sessions. He was signed earlier today from the amateur Canadiens of the Québec Senior Hockey League to replace goalie Bert Gardiner, bothered by a stubborn knee injury in the last few matches.
Both the tying and winning Canadien goals came while Toronto was a man short. Heron was serving a penalty in the second frame when Benoit took passes from Toe Blake and Quilty to score from a scramble in front of the net, and the same three combined for the winning marker, with Quilty the marksman, while Reg Hamilton was off early in the last frame.
The Leafs had their best chance to win the match late in the second period when, with the count tied at 3-3, the Canadiens were put two men short by successive penalties to two defencemen, Kenny Reardon and Red Goupille. The Habitants held out brilliantly, however, until the pressure was eased by a Toronto penalty for playing seven men.
The second of the Montréal penalties who had been followed by a storm of protest from the Montréal fans, who showered the ice with rubbers, programs and anything at hand. Gord Drillon, the Toronto winger, picked out a pair of rubbers and, after measuring them against his skates for size, handed them to a teammate on the bench to hold.
The Leafs took their early lead in a wide open initial session on successive counters by Heron and Davidson, before Getliffe bagged Montréal’s first goal at 10:49.
Schriner made it 3 to 1, but Sands paved the way for the Montréal victory by taking passes from Getliffe and Chamberlain to score the Habitants’ second tally late in the first session.
Early in the first frame, Elmer Lach, the Canadiens’ centre, suffered a skate cut in the left thigh that required nine stitches. It was estimated in the dressing room that he would be out of action for at least a week.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, March 7, 1941
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR GOAL – 03:21 – Heron (N. Metz)
TOR PP GOAL – 06:57 – Davidson (N. Metz, Drillon)
MTL GOAL – 10:49 – Getliffe (Chamberlain, Sands)
TOR GOAL – 16:25 – Schriner (D. Metz, Taylor)
MTL GOAL – 18:42 – Sands (Chamberlain, Getliffe)
MTL PEN – Goupille
TOR PEN – McDonald
2nd Period
MTL PP GOAL – 12:06 – Benoit (Blake, Quilty)
MTL PENS – Chamberlain, Goupille, Reardon
TOR PENS – Heron, Stanowski
3rd Period
MTL PP GOAL – 02:51 – Quilty (Blake, Benoit)
TOR PENS – Hamilton (2)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Bibeault (W)
TOR – Broda (L)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Paul Bibeault. Defence: Red Goupille, Jack Portland, Ken Reardon. Forwards: John Adams, Joe Benoit, Toe Blake (C), Murph Chamberlain, Tony Demers, Ray Getliffe, Tony Graboski, Elmer Lach, Jim O’Neil, John Quilty, Charlie Sands.
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Reg Hamilton, Bingo Kampman, Bucko McDonald, Wally Stanowski. Forwards: Bob Davidson, Gordie Drillon, Red Heron, Pete Langelle, Norm Mann, Gus Marker, Don Metz, Nick Metz, Sweeney Schriner, Billy Taylor.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 15-24-6 (.400)
TOR – 25-12-6 (.651)
ATTENDANCE
9,533
Two Solitudes 