Game 381
Canadiens 2, Maple Leafs 0
Wednesday, January 22, 1958
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Dickie Moore and Jean Béliveau, two of Montréal’s cloud skimming Canadiens, broke up a goalless rip-snorter of a game at the Gardens last night. Their spectacular productions, little more than three minutes apart late in the period, downed the Maple Leafs 2-0.
Altogether, it was a speed filled, exciting opus that served to point up the value of fine goaltending. Both Toronto’s Ed Chadwick and the nomadic Jacques Plante were superb, with Chadwick especially performing beyond the call of duty. He was busier than Plante, mainly because the Leafs’ defensive measures were looser than the Flying Frenchmen, who outshot the hard-trying Toronto kids 28-20.
Before 13,734, the game also served to prove the National Hockey League brass is determined to abide by its recent edict against a yak-yak assault on ice officials by the players. To the detriment of their wallet, three verbal gladiators were nicked for $125 – and the Leafs’ George Armstrong will pay $75 of it.
Bert Olmstead of the Habitants was the first to suffer. He protested a minor penalty against him in the opening period for being offside twice in succession on an attempted faceoff (yep, it’s in the book). For talking against the decision, he was slapped with a 10 minute misconduct and an automatic $25 fine.
Midway through the game, just after a 10 minute delay occasioned when Jacques Plante was struck in the groin by Ron Stewart’s shot, “Boom Boom” Geoffrion yelled at referee Frank Udvari. A 10 minute misconduct was tacked on.
In the heat of battle, four minutes later, Captain Armstrong lost his financial sense. Booked for hooking, he took exception with Udvari. Boom – a 10 minute misconduct. In the penalty box, “The Big Chief” continued his oral scalping. Bang – he was out of further action with a game misconduct that calls for a $50 fine, and a report to the league president for possible further action.
“I didn’t swear at him,” said Armstrong. “I just told him what I thought of his refereeing.”
Incensed at the officiating, too, were bossman Staff Smythe and coach Billy Reay of the Leafs. They figured there should have been no first goal.
“Just before the goal in the Montréal end, Harvey (Doug) should have been penalized for interference on Balfour (Earl). Balfour, brought up from the American League’s Rochester Americans for this one!,” said Reay.
In any event, Moore, a Leaf-killer all season, grabbed a pass from Henri Richard, rounded defenceman Bobby Baun, and fired a low sizzler past Chadwick. It was a brilliant effort by the one-two leaders in the point-getting race. It also marked the diminutive Moore’s 25th goal, and nine of those have been against the Leafs.
While that goal, at 14:04, was a Leaf-ian heartbreaker, Béliveau made certain at 17:21 on a breakaway with Geoffrion. With the Leafs pressing in the Montréal end, defenceman Dollard Saint-Laurent grabbed the puck and sent Béliveau in the clear. Flanked by Geoffrion, he skated right in on Chadwick and pushed the puck into the short side of the cage.
It was the big guy’s 14th of the term, and his 150th in the NHL. He pocketed the puck.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, January 23, 1958
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 07:47 – Armstrong, cross checking
MTL GOAL – 14:04 – Moore (Richard, Bonin)
MTL PEN – 14:11 – Harvey, holding
MTL PEN – 15:55 – Olmstead, delay of game
MTL PEN – 17:46 – Olmstead, misconduct
TOR PEN – 18:25 – Duff, cross checking
2nd Period
MTL PEN – 04:45 – Provost, tripping
MTL PEN – 08:45 – Richard, roughing
TOR PEN – 08:45 – Armstrong, roughing
MTL PEN – 10:02 – Geoffrion, hooking + misconduct
TOR PEN – 14:07 – Armstrong, hooking + misconduct + game misconduct
MTL PEN – 17:49 – Talbot, hooking
3rd Period
MTL PEN – 03:31 – Béliveau, holding
MTL PEN – 10:22 – Talbot, tripping
MTL GOAL – 17:21 – Béliveau (Saint-Laurent)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Plante (W + SO, 21-21)
TOR – Chadwick (L, 26-28)
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Jacques Plante. Defence: Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Dollard Saint-Laurent, Jean-Guy Talbot, Bob Turner. Forwards: Jean Béliveau, Marcel Bonin, Floyd Curry, Bernie Geoffrion, Phil Goyette, Don Marshall, Dickie Moore, Bert Olmstead, André Pronovost, Claude Provost, Henri Richard.
TOR – Goaltenders: Ed Chadwick. Defence: Bobby Baun, Tim Horton, Jim Morrison, Marc Réaume. Forwards: Gary Aldcorn, George Armstrong (C), Earl Balfour, Barry Cullen, Brian Cullen, Dick Duff, Billy Harris, Paul Masnick, Frank Mahovlich, Bob Pulford, Ron Stewart.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 30-10-5 (.722)
TOR – 15-21-9 (.433)
ATTENDANCE
13,734
Two Solitudes 