Game 358
Maple Leafs 3, Canadiens 2
Thursday, October 25, 1956
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Toronto Maple Leafs came from behind with two goals in the third period here tonight to defeat the Montréal Canadiens 3-2, and thus maintained their undefeated record in games away from home this season.
It was the Leafs’ first win in the Montréal Forum in two years, and their second in six games this year. Both wins have been recorded on the road. In four games away from home to date, the Leafs have won two and tied two.
Dick Duff scored the winning goal shortly after the halfway mark of the third period on a clever play engineered by George Armstrong. Barry Cullen, with his first goal of the season, had tied the score for the Leafs six minutes earlier.
Defenceman Hugh Bolton will be lost to the Leafs for several weeks as a result of a freakish accident in the first period. He fractured his left leg, just above the ankle, after tumbling into the boards trying to smother a shot from Jean Béliveau.
With Marc Réaume already out with a heel bruise, the Leafs have only three defencemen left, and will probably recall either Al MacNeil or Bobby Baun from Rochester for Saturday’s game in Toronto with the Chicago Black Hawks.
The Canadiens, also hard hit by injuries, led all the way until the third period, when they ran out of gas. The Leafs took over play completely in the final 20 minutes, outskated the Canadiens, and checked them ferociously.
Dickie Moore gave the Canadiens the lead in the first period, but Armstrong came right back to tie it for the Leafs. Béliveau scored the Canadiens’ second goal in the second period. Then the Leafs took over.
Armstrong played an outstanding game for the Leafs, but he was only one of several. This was probably the Leafs’ finest team effort of the season. Rudy Migay, Ron Stewart, Duff, Ted Sloan, Jimmy Thomson, Tim Horton and Jimmy Morrison were particularly noticeable throughout the entire game.
Stewart dropped back on defence after Bolton’s injury, and as far as the Canadiens were concerned, gave the impression that he had been playing in that position all along.
Defenceman Doug Harvey, with his blocking and end-to-end rushing, played a tremendous game for the Canadiens. He barged through the entire Leaf team late in the third period and hammered a screen shot, which bounced off the left post.
Ed Chadwick, although not overworked, played an alert game for the Leafs. Late in the final period, he made a brilliant save on Moore. Moore, the Canadiens’ best forward in this game, lashed the puck from about 20 feet out, but Chadwick caught it.
The Canadiens scored both their goals with their famed power play. Moore scored the first with Gerry James off. Chadwick partially stopped the shot, but the puck barely skidded across the goal line.
Armstrong got that one back for the Leafs, booming in a low shot from the right point. The puck hit the inside of the far post and ricocheted in.
A rush by Harvey was responsible for the Canadiens’ second period goal. He left a drop pass for Moore, who triggered a quick shot. Béliveau, in front of the goal, steered it in.
Barry Cullen tied the score early in the third, scooping in a backhand shot on Stewart’s rebound. Armstrong made the play for the winner, carrying from his own zone all the way. He went around Jean-Guy Talbot with a beautiful feint, passed in front of Tom Johnson to Duff, and the latter rapped in a 15-footer.
NOTES: Bolton remained in hospital here when the Leafs left for Toronto. He may return home tomorrow…Jacques Plante returned to the Montréal nets for this game, after a one game absence with a bronchial condition…Bernie Geoffrion’s injured elbow kept him out of tonight’s game. Maurice Richard replaced him on the line with Béliveau and Bert Olmstead…The Boston Bruins, who play here Saturday night, were spectators at tonight’s game. Most of them were impressed by the Leafs’ skating…Montréal observers said it was the fastest skating Leaf team they had seen in years.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, October 26, 1956
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 01:44 – Duff, slashing
MTL PEN – 07:33 – Moore, hooking
TOR PEN – 09:24 – Armstrong, high sticking
TOR PEN – 11:37 – James, tripping
MTL PP GOAL – 13:25 – Moore (Béliveau, M. Richard)
TOR GOAL – 14:06 – Armstrong (Thomson)
TOR PEN – 18:55 – Armstrong, slashing
MTL PEN – 18:55 – Talbot, high sticking
MTL PEN – 19:14 – Turner, cross checking
2nd Period
MTL PEN – 02:25 – Talbot, tripping
MTL PEN – 05:07 – Béliveau, roughing
TOR PEN – 05:07 – Horton, roughing
MTL PEN – 07:42 – Turner, high sticking
TOR PEN – 07:42 – Pulford, high sticking
TOR PEN – 10:28 – Duff, holding
MTL PP GOAL – 11:26 – Béliveau (Moore, Harvey)
MTL PEN – 14:43 – Béliveau, elbowing
TOR PEN – 18:52 – James, elbowing
3rd Period
TOR GOAL – 04:06 – Ba. Cullen (Stewart, Sloan)
TOR GOAL – 10:21 – Duff (Armstrong, Thomson)
GOALTENDERS
TOR – Chadwick (W, 19-21)
MTL – Plante (L, 24-27)
SHOTS ON GOAL
TOR – 7+7+13 = 27
MTL – 6+9+6 = 21
ROSTERS
TOR – Goaltenders: Ed Chadwick. Defence: Hugh Bolton, Tim Horton, Jim Morrison, Jimmy Thomson (C). Forwards: Gary Aldcorn, George Armstrong, Barry Cullen, Brian Cullen, Dick Duff, Billy Harris, Gerry James, Rudy Migay, Bob Pulford, Tod Sloan, Sid Smith, Ron Stewart.
MTL – Goaltenders: Jacques Plante. Defence: Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Dollard Saint-Laurent, Jean-Guy Talbot, Bob Turner. Forwards: Jean Béliveau, Floyd Curry, Jack LeClair, Don Marshall, Dickie Moore, Bert Olmstead, Claude Provost, Maurice Richard (C), Guy Rousseau.
TEAM RECORDS
TOR – 2-1-3 (.583)
MTL – 2-3-1 (.417)
ATTENDANCE
14,108
Two Solitudes 