Game 365
Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 1
Thursday, January 10, 1957
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Don Marshall scored with six seconds of playing time remaining here tonight, to give the Montréal Canadiens a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, in a turbulent National Hockey League game that threatened to overflow with nastiness in the final few minutes.
The Leafs had fought back to tie the score about a minute earlier on Dick Duff’s goal, while Maurice Richard was sitting in the penalty box. Then the crowd of 13,736, goaded by Richard’s histrionics, erupted characteristically, and for a few hectic minutes, it looked like Chapter II of the notorious tear gas rebellion here two years ago.
After Duff’s goal, Richard charged from the penalty box, shoved Udvari a couple of times, and waved his stick menacingly at the official.
Udvari, naturally, gave Richard a misconduct penalty, and Richard became even more enraged. Doug Harvey grabbed him and prevented him from molesting Udvari further. Richard finally skated to the gate, smashed his stick in rage, and hurled the fragments into the crowd.
Paper, rubbers and an assortment of other objects not tied down came cascading over the boards, and several fans tried to leap the boards to get at the referee. Other excitable fans gathered in front of NHL President Clarence Campbell’s box seat and gave him the Gallic version of the Bronx cheer.
Campbell sat stoically through the jeering. He remained seated for several minutes after the game when a police escort convoyed him out of the rink.
Police also guarded the exit when Udvari departed after the game. A couple of fans tried to hurdle the police guard, but they were repelled. Udvari was pushed several times, and programs and other objects bounced off his anatomy.
Until the third period, there was no suggestion of such a riotous ending. The casual behaviour of both teams failed to elicit any enthusiasm from the fans, and a great deal of the time they kept stomping for action.
The win moved the Canadiens into first place alone for the first time this season, and they achieved it without their scoring ace, Jean Béliveau.
He sat this one out with a bruised hip and Bronco Horvath, from Rochester, replaced him on a line with Bernie Geoffrion and Bert Olmstead.
After a goalless first period, Maurice Richard fired his 16th of the season on a Montréal power play. He picked the open side of the net from about 25 feet out after picking up Geoffrion’s pass.
The Leafs, whose play was much more spirited in the final period, didn’t get the tying goal until 18L37 of the third period. Goalkeeper Ed Chadwick, who played in magnificent fashion for the Leafs, was benched with two minutes remaining, and the Leafs sent six players into the Montréal zone. Then several seconds later, Richard was penalized for high sticking.
After several near misses, Ted Kennedy won a faceoff, slid the puck back to Duff, and he whipped a backhander past the disgusted Jacques Plante. Then Richard came storming out of the box.
The Canadiens, however, weren’t too disheartened by the turn of events. They came right back into the Leaf zone, Geoffrion trapped the puck behind the Leaf net, shot it ahead to Bert Olmstead, and he tossed a lateral to Marshall at the other side of the net. Marshall flipped the puck in the open side before Chadwick could move.
The Forum roof almost sailed away following that goal, and another several tons of paper covered the ice. You could hardly see the ice for programs.
The Canadiens have lost only three of their last 21 games, and have won five and tied one in their last six. They’re back on top and, one would have to assume, back to stay.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, January 11, 1957
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 06:23 – James, hooking
MTL PEN – 09:27 – Pronovost, high sticking major
TOR PEN – 15:15 – Nykoluk, tripping
2nd Period
TOR PEN – 06:04 – James, roughing
MTL PEN – 06:04 – Pronovost, roughing
TOR PEN – 09:05 – Nykoluk, delay of game
TOR PEN – 16:51 – Armstrong, slashing + misconduct
MTL PP GOAL – 17:12 – M. Richard (Geoffrion)
TOR PEN – 18:32 – Nykoluk, roughing / elbowing double minor
MTL PEN – 18:32 – Talbot, roughing / high sticking double minor
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 05:51 – Duff, slashing
MTL PEN – 09:36 – Talbot, delay of game
TOR PEN – 12:35 – James, charging
MTL PEN – 18:14 – M. Richard, high sticking + misconduct
TOR PP GOAL – 18:37 – Duff (Kennedy)
MTL GOAL – 19:54 – Marshall (Geoffrion, Olmstead)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Plante (W, 26-27)
TOR – Chadwick (L, 33-35)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 10+12+13 = 35
TOR – 6+8+13 = 27
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Jacques Plante. Defence: Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Dollard Saint-Laurent, Jean-Guy Talbot, Bob Turner. Forwards: Floyd Curry, Bernie Geoffrion, Bronco Horvath, Jack LeClair, Don Marshall, Dickie Moore, Bert Olmstead, André Pronovost, Claude Provost, Henri Richard, Maurice Richard (C).
TOR – Goaltenders: Ed Chadwick. Defence: Tim Horton, Al MacNeil, Jim Morrison, Marc Réaume, Jimmy Thomson. Forwards: George Armstrong, Dick Duff, Gerry James, Ted Kennedy (C), Rudy Migay, Mike Nykoluk, Bob Pulford, Sid Smith, Ron Stewart.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 22-12-6 (.625)
TOR – 13-20-7 (.413)
ATTENDANCE
13,736
Two Solitudes 