Game 224
Canadiens 1, Maple Leafs 1
Friday, November 1, 1946
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montréal Canadiens fought to a 1-1 tie here tonight in a thrilling, bone cracking struggle.
The Habitants tried to knock the Leafs out of the rink by bodily contact, and the equally willing to mix it Blue and White squad didn’t step back one inch. The gruelling game left the Leafs undefeated with three wins and three ties, but proved costly, as big Bob Goldham was carried off the ice in the third period with a serious leg injury.
Turk Broda, who played a brilliant game in the Toronto net, was robbed of a shutout midway through the final period when the Canadiens scored on a freak play, the puck slowly dribbling into the net off the skate of Wally Stanowski. The latter was making his first appearance in three games.
The liberal Montréal scorekeeper gave George Allen credit for the score, and also handed out assists to Billy Reay and Maurice Richard.
The lone Toronto tally was made by little Gus Bodnar in the exciting first session, the mighty midget scoring on a pass from Gaye Stewart when the Canadiens were shorthanded.
Frank Selke threatened to have an Yvon Robert out there tonight, and he had a couple in the persons of Kenny Reardon and Kenny Mosdell.
It was a question who collided with Goldham in the Toronto zone soon after the third period started. The rugged Toronto rearguard was later reported to be suffering a wrenched left knee.
Reardon played it rough all through, and took Vic Lynn on time and again as his particular victim. Reardon must have had a few wrestling lessons from promoter Eddie Quinn during the past week.
Kenny Mosdell tried a stranglehold on Bill Ezinicki below the press box, but the mat action apparently missed the eye of referee King Clancy.
Sticks were carried high from the opening whistle. It looked as though Selke’s satellites wanted to prove to their rabid supporters that they, too, had plenty of fight. It was a busy first period for referee King Clancy, who handed out seven penalties, five to Toronto, including a major to Garth Boesch, and three to Montréal. Twice during the opening 20 minutes the Leafs were two men short, but the Canadiens could do nothing about it, mainly due to the amazing work of Nick Metz and two rookie rearguards, Jimmie Thomson and Gus Mortson.
Wally Stanowski made his first appearance in three games, working with Goldham back of the blue line when Boesch was serving his major. Boesch and Maurice Richard tangled in the Toronto end of the rink soon after the game started, and both went down with fists flying. Both teams rushed into the fray, but Clancy warned them off, and then folded his arms and stood back until the combatants tired of it.
When the struggle was over, Clancy handed out a five minute penalty to Boesch, and only two to Richard, although the latter got in a few punches at the Toronto player’s face. A minute later, Joe Klukay bumped into George Allen as he came off the Toronto bench, and was immediately thumbed to the sinners’ seat, leaving Toronto with only four men on the ice.
It was not a good game from the standpoint of hockey perfection, but there was so much rough action and excitement that the more than 12,000 fans were kept in a continuous uproar.
The Canadiens did everything but score, their powerful Punch Line of Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach pressing the attack.
The rough work continued as the minutes ticked away, the players more interested in the man than the puck. Joe Benoit was chased. When he came back, Lach went off for charging Harry Watson.
The Leafs put on a power play, and the Flying Forts clicked, Gus Bodnar scoring on a pass from Gaye Stewart.
Clancy chased Lynn for interfering with Benoit. While Lynn was off, he was joined by Goldham, charged with slashing Richard. The Canadiens pressed, and Broda made three great stops. Nick Metz, Jimmy Thomson and Gus Mortson held off the Habitants’ five man attack.
Action in the scoreless second period remained vigorous, although the pace slowed up slightly. Clancy seemed a little more lenient about the fighting. On two occasions, wrestling bouts went unpenalized. Only three penalties were handed out in the second period, two to Montréal and one to Toronto.
The Canadiens tried hard to get the equalizer in the final 20 minutes. They succeeded at 10:05, but it was a heartbreaker for Broda, who deserved a better fate. Again and again, the Canadiens were in on the Leafs defence, but kept away by Mortson and Thomson.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, November 2, 1946
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PEN – 02:12 – Richard
TOR PEN – 02:12 – Boesch, major
TOR PEN – 06:31 – Klukay
MTL PEN – 10:27 – Benoit
MTL PEN – 13:29 – Lach
TOR PP GOAL – 14:38 – Bodnar (Stewart)
TOR PEN – 16:59 – Lynn
TOR PEN – 17:32 – Goldham
2nd Period
MTL PEN – 03:33 – Fillion
MTL PEN – 06:02 – Reardon
TOR PEN – 06:02 – Goldham
3rd Period
MTL GOAL – 10:05 – Allen (Reay, Richard)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Durnan (T)
TOR – Broda (T)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Bill Durnan. Defence: Butch Bouchard, Frank Eddolls, Glen Harmon, Ken Reardon. Forwards: George Allen, Joe Benoit, Toe Blake (C), Bob Fillion, Elmer Lach, Leo Lamoureux, Kenny Mosdell, Jimmy Peters, Billy Reay, Maurice Richard.
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Garth Boesch, Bob Goldham, Gus Mortson, Wally Stanowski, Jimmy Thomson. Forwards: Gus Bodnar, Bill Ezinicki, Ted Kennedy, Joe Klukay, Vic Lynn, Howie Meeker, Nick Metz, Bud Poile, Gaye Stewart, Harry Watson.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 2-2-2 (.500)
TOR – 3-0-3 (.750)
Two Solitudes 