Game 248
Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 0
Thursday, October 21, 1948
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Displaying the speed, fight and strength that carried them to multiple championships in the war years, the Montréal Canadiens overwhelmed the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-0 tonight.
The victory gave the Canadiens the lead in the young National Hockey League season with five points of a possible six in three games. They previously tied New York 1-1, and swamped Chicago 8-3. The Leafs have yet to win, losing their other start to Boston, 4-1 at home.
Although the Canadiens outplayed the Leafs most of the way, it was a hard fought contest, with the usual high sticking, elbowing and general shoving around hat has featured most ice battles between the two bitter inter-provincial rivals down through the winters.
Violence threatened to break out on numerous occasions, and did reach fisticuffs in the dying minutes with Leaf Bill Barilko and Canadien Murph Chamberlain banished to their dressing rooms with major penalties.
The fight started in front of the Canadiens bench, but ended up in the corner near the Toronto net. Chamberlain poked Barilko with the blade of his stick, which brought a roar from the crowd. Barilko, momentarily winded, skated after Chamberlain and cross checked him hard. They dropped their sticks and started swinging, with other players from both sides crowding around the principals, but not doing much fighting.
Barilko drew a minor for cross checking, while both received majors for fighting. As there was less than three minutes left to play in the game, referee Bill Chadwick hustled them to the showers.
The Canadiens presented a power packed team that was paced offensively by the line of Billy Reay, Norman Dussault and Joe Carveth. They were responsible for the three goals the Canadiens scored in the second period, each member of the line beating Broda once.
Elmer Lach opened the Canadiens scoring early in the first period when Bill Ezinicki was sitting out an interference penalty. Glen Harmon notched the fifth goal in the third session when the Leafs had a man advantage. Kenny Mosdell broke up a Toronto ganging attack, and shot the puck up to Harmon in the clear.
The game opened at a fast clip, and the sellout crowd of 11,203 was presented with some thrilling hockey. Then the Leafs’ lack of of strength in depth started to show. Ted Kennedy aggravated a charley horse late in the first period and, although he returned to play after receiving first aid, was not very effective.
For the Leafs, it was Turk Broda all the way. Despite the five goals he let in, he played very well, time and again turning aside dangerous Montréal rushes with spectacular leg and body work. He handled 28 shots, while his opposite number, Bill Durnan, had a soft time. He was called upon to handle only 13 chances.
In the second period, Durnan spent the first 10 minutes leaning against his net, with the play constantly in the Toronto zone. There were 13 penalties, including two majors. Toronto drew six minors to five for Montréal, with a major to each team.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, October 22, 1948
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 00:48 – Ezinicki, interference
MTL PP GOAL – 02:34 – Lach (Robertson)
MTL PEN – 02:53 – Lach, holding
MTL PEN – 10:53 – Chamberlain, high sticking
TOR PEN – 13:08 – Kennedy, elbowing
2nd Period
MTL GOAL – 01:12 – Dussault (Reay)
MTL GOAL – 06:28 – Carveth (Reay, Harvey)
TOR PEN – 06:48 – Boesch, interference
MTL PEN – 12:55 – Robertson, tripping
MTL PEN – 13:41 – Chamberlain, roughing
TOR PEN – 13:41 – Ezinicki, roughing
MTL GOAL – 18:40 – Reay (Dussault)
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 03:11 – Mortson, tripping
MTL PEN – 13:15 – Chamberlain, interference
MTL SH GOAL – 14:51 – Harmon (Mosdell)
MTL PEN – 17:30 – Chamberlain, fighting major
TOR PEN – 17:30 – Barilko, cross checking + fighting major
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Durnan (W + SO, 13-13)
TOR – Broda (L, 23-28)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Bill Durnan. Defence: Butch Bouchard (C), Glen Harmon, Doug Harvey, Ken Reardon. Forwards: Joe Carveth, Murph Chamberlain, Eddie Dorohoy, Norm Dussault, Bob Fillion, Elmer Lach, Kenny Mosdell, Billy Reay, Maurice Richard, George Robertson.
TOR – Goaltenders: Turk Broda. Defence: Bill Barilko, Garth Boesch, Bob Dawes, Frank Mathers, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson. Forwards: Max Bentley, Les Costello, Bill Ezinicki, Ted Kennedy (C), Joe Klukay, Vic Lynn, Fleming MacKell, Howie Meeker, Harry Watson.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 2-0-1 (.833)
TOR – 0-2-0 (.000)
Two Solitudes 