Game 237
Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 0
Thursday, November 6, 1947
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Montréal Canadiens shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-0 here tonight, in a bitterly fought contest that was marked by a wild outbreak of fisticuffs late in the final period.
Tempers that were kept on razor edge throughout the game, partially due to a rash of doubtful minor penalties, hit the boiling point with less than two minutes to play. As a result, four players, two from each team, were penalized and sent to their dressing rooms.
Chief participants in the brawl were Kenny Reardon and Vic Lynn, who shed gloves and slugged at each other for several punches. Each received a major penalty, while Bill Barilko and Billy Reay got two minutes each. But at times, far more than the four chief offenders were embroiled, with a flailing mass of hockey humanity piled high on the ice at one stage of the game.
It was an exciting contest with plenty of thrills for the 11,246 customers, but from a hockey standpoint, had little to recommend it. Referee Bill Chadwick handed out 19 penalties in all. His penance tally included two majors, a 10 minute misconduct to Jock Locas for using foul language on the bench, and 16 minors. Toronto’s Gus Mortson was the principal victim of Chadwick’s sharp thumb, receiving four minors.
The Canadiens led 1-0 at the end of the first period, and picked up two more goals in the middle session.
The game marked the Toronto debut of ex-Hawks Max Bentley and Cy Thomas. Bentley, looking as though he were a little tired throughout, worked at centre with Joe Klukay on one wing, and Thomas and Don Metz alternating on the other. The performance of Bentley can by no means be judged by tonight’s game, as he went into the contest after two overnight train rides from Chicago and Toronto.
It also marked the Leafs’ third defeat on the road. They have yet to win a game away from home this season. The chief cause of Toronto’s defeat was over-anxiety in enemy territory. In the second period alone, the Leafs’ would-be sharpshooters missed the net completely eight times. Shots on goal were fairly even, the Canadiens testing Turk Broda 31 times to 29 shots blasted by the Leafs at Bill Durnan.
Jimmy Thomson was serving a penalty when Lach scored the first goal on a Canadien power play. In the second period, Bobby Carse, Johnny Quilty and Floyd Curry combined on a passing play to make it 2-0. Lach got his second goal of the night late in the second when he took the puck off Klukay’s stick directly in front of Broda. Richard was given an assist.
That ended the scoring, but not the rough stuff. The Canadiens continued to spend a lot of time in a futile attempt to soften up Bill Ezinicki. The Toronto winger took them all on singly, two at a time, and on one occasion was mixed up in a melee with four of the enemy. He hit Richard so hard once that the Rocket crashed into the door to the Leafs bench, knocking it off the hinges.
Ezinicki was booed every time he appeared, and when he went off to receive first aid treatment for a cut face, the fans really showed their displeasure. Floyd Curry was momentarily stunned when hit by Bill Barilko in the third period, but managed to come back.
The first period produced some exciting action, despite a steady flow of sinners to the penance bench during the initial eight minutes of play. A busy referee, Bill Chadwick, thumbed the first offenders, Harry Watson and Elmer Lach, at 00:11, and then managed to keep the penalty timekeepers busy with aggressors banished at almost 60 second intervals until after the eight minute mark. Ten minors were assessed in the first session, six to the Canadiens. The game did not end until 10 minutes to 11.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, November 7, 1947
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PEN – 00:14 – Lach, high sticking
TOR PEN – 00:14 – Watson, high sticking
TOR PEN – 01:39 – Lynn, holding
MTL PEN – 02:58 – Harmon, cross checking
MTL PEN – 04:27 – Reardon, charging
TOR PEN – 06:39 – Thomson, holding
MTL PP GOAL – 07:54 – Lach (Richard)
MTL PEN – 08:05 – Richard, high sticking
MTL PEN – 15:35 – Reardon, high sticking
MTL PEN – 15:35 – Richard, high sticking
TOR PEN – 15:35 – Mortson, high sticking
2nd Period
MTL GOAL – 03:49 – Carse (Quilty, Curry)
TOR PEN – 04:16 – Mortson, interference
MTL PEN – 10:13 – Lach, tripping
MTL GOAL – 16:17 – Lach (Richard)
TOR PEN – 17:04 – Mortson, interference
3rd Period
MTL PEN – 11:31 – Locas, misconduct
TOR PEN – 12:33 – Mortson, interference
MTL PEN – 20:00 – Reardon, fighting major
TOR PEN – 20:00 – Lynn, fighting major
MTL PEN – 20:00 – Reay, high sticking
TOR PEN – 20:00 – Barilko, high sticking
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Durnan (W + SO, 29-29)
TOR – Broda (L, 28-31)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Bill Durnan. Defence: Butch Bouchard, Glen Harmon, Doug Harvey, Roger Leger, Ken Reardon. Forwards: Toe Blake (C), Bob Carse, Floyd Curry, Elmer Lach, Jacques Locas, Jimmy Peters, John Quilty, Billy Reay, Maurice Richard, Rip Riopelle.
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Bill Barilko, Garth Boesch, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson. Forwards: Syl Apps (C), Max Bentley, Bill Ezinicki, Ted Kennedy, Joe Klukay, Vic Lynn, Howie Meeker, Don Metz, Nick Metz, Cy Thomas, Harry Watson.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 5-3-0 (.625)
TOR – 3-3-2 (.500)
ATTENDANCE
11,300
Two Solitudes 