Game 182
Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 2
Thursday, March 5, 1942
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Those Reardon-ized Montréal Canadiens, outplayed but not out-gamed for the better part of two periods, struck with unexpected fury to bowl over the Toronto Leafs in electrifying manner at Maple Leaf Gardens last night by a 5-2 count.
Although they carried a 2-1 lead into the third period, the scrappiest and smoothest passing Montréal club to show on Toronto ice in several seasons hadn’t begun to fashion an important National Hockey League victory. They bagged three quick third period goals to pick up the spoils.
An acrobatic show by Paul Bibeault in the Montréal basket was all that stood between the Leafs and a substantial scoring count in the first and second periods.
In a stretch of three minutes in the late stages of the third period, Getliffe, Benoit and Terry Reardon harvested well defined goals to ring up the first Montréal Canadiens’ victory on Toronto ice since December 3, 1938.
In thirteen games at the Gardens since that date, the Canadiens had managed to salvage only one tie to go with twelve defeats.
It was an important decision for the Canadiens in their keen stretch battle with the Americans, who stayed on even terms with them by downing the Chicago Black Hawks. But the Canadiens still have one game more than the Brooklyn boys on their sked.
Five Montréalers stood out in the battling victory finish against the Leafs. They were Bibeault, Ken Reardon, Terry Reardon, Toe Blake and Joe Benoit.
In the first period alone, Bibeault kicked out 21 shots, and 26 more in the other two periods. Ken Reardon supplied the spark in the most aggressive defence display coach Dick Irvin has watched over this winter. Up forward the line of Terry Reardon, Blake and Benoit was consistently more dangerous than any other trio on the ice. The combination accounted for four of the five goals.
Jim Haggerty, a one-time St. Michael’s College junior, was given his professional baptism and stood up well under the ordeal, although not used extensively.
The 10,724 customers were so busy watching Bibeault doing his toe dance, Ken Reardon emulating Tony Golab on football plunges, and the Reardon-Benoit-Blake partners carrying the brunt of the Montréal attack, they hadn’t much time for newcomers.
Coach Hap Day shook up all three forward lines during the evening, in an effort to pick up some of the apparent slack in the club’s attacking system. He benched Billy Taylor in the third period, and used Nick Metz as centre for Schriner and Carr. Bob Davidson kept company with Apps and Drillon. Earlier in the game, Bob had alternated with Johnny McCreedy at right wing for Langelle and Goldup.
The standout performer of the Toronto forwards was lanky Hank Goldup. Seldom has the big fellow shown so much aggressiveness, and so much effectiveness. He dug in so hard that he frequently wound up on the seat of his pants after charging into and around the heavyweight Montréal defencemen. Apps played well – but then you always count on that from the Leaf leader – but it was Goldup’s drive that was most impressive.
The winning charge of the Canadiens wasn’t improved by referee Norm Lamport’s authoritative thumb. He chased six Montréalers to the penalty box, and two Leafs.
Turk Broda apparently was hypnotized by Bibeault’s bouncing ball antics in the Montréal nets, for the Toronto goalie struck out on Joe Benoit’s ice skidding shot early in the second period. It was the first score of the night. Turk paid the penalty for carelessness on the skimmer. He attempted to guide the slow shot clear with his stick, but the puck kept right on travelling through his feet and into the cage.
While Red Heron was serving a cheap penalty for hooking, Syl Apps consolidated Toronto’s ganging attack for the tying goal. Davidson and Nick Metz collaborated.
The Canadiens, outplayed until this stage in the contest and hanging on chiefly through Bibeault’s fine work, picked up a 2-1 lead just before the end of the period as a result of a neat passing bout between Terry Reardon and Benoit. Terry tipped in the last pass. By way of celebrating his brother’s goal, Ken Reardon went bouncing down the rink on the last rush of the period and executed a football charge that staggered both Bucko McDonald and Bob Goldham.
Drillon beat Bibeault with a shoulder high shot from right wing early in the third period off Goldham’s pass to tie the score again. It stayed that way until Ray Getliffe sifted in from left wing to sneak a short side shot past Broda. Then Benoit punched home a play set up by the hard working Toe Blake while the Leafs were shorthanded. Terry Reardon fired the parting victory shot, sinking a pass from Benoit. The three goals were spaced just three minutes and four seconds apart.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, March 6, 1942
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PENS – Bouchard, K. Reardon
2nd Period
MTL GOAL – 01:14 – Benoit
TOR PP GOAL – 04:54 – Apps (Davidson, Metz)
MTL GOAL – 12:33 – T. Reardon (Benoit)
MTL PENS – Heron, Goupille, K. Reardon
TOR PEN – McCreedy
3rd Period
MTL GOAL – 01:23 – T. Reardon (Benoit)
MTL PP GOAL – 01:40 – Benoit (Blake)
TOR GOAL – 02:41 – Drillon (Goldham)
MTL GOAL – 08:33 – Getliffe
MTL PEN – Benoit
TOR PEN – Davidson
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Bibeault (W)
TOR – Broda (L)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Paul Bibeault. Defence: Butch Bouchard, Red Goupille, Jack Portland, Ken Reardon. Forwards: Joe Benoit, Toe Blake (C), Bunny Dame, Ray Getliffe, Jim Haggarty, Gerry Heffernan, Red Heron, John Quilty, Terry Reardon, Charlie Sands.
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Ernie Dickens, Bob Goldham, Bucko McDonald, Wally Stanowski. Forwards: Syl Apps (C), Lorne Carr, Bob Davidson, Gordie Drillon, Hank Goldup, Pete Langelle, John McCreedy, Nick Metz, Sweeney Schriner, Billy Taylor.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 15-26-3 (.375)
TOR – 25-15-3 (.616)
ATTENDANCE
10,724
Two Solitudes 