Game 477
Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 3
Thursday, January 14, 1965
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Toronto Maple Leafs took the lead four times last night as they persevered for their first victory of the season at the Forum, 5-3 over the slumping Montréal Canadiens. The Leafs were outshot 43-27.
Bob Pulford scored two goals and rookie Peter Stemkowski a goal and two assists as the Leafs extended their undefeated streak to seven games, five wins and two ties. They are now one point behind the second-place Canadiens and three in arrears of the National Hockey League leading Chicago Black Hawks.
The Canadiens have three games in hand on Toronto, the Hawks one.
The Canadiens, in losing their third consecutive game, all at home, had the advantage of being well rested. They last played here Saturday night. For the Leafs the game was their fourth in six nights.
Johnny Bower again came up with all the big saves. One goal by Claude Provost may have been deflected.
Provost scored twice for Montréal, the 14th and 15th goals this season for the all-star right winger. John Ferguson’s goal after 38 seconds of the second period ended Bower’s goalless run at 144 minutes and eight seconds and was the third against him in 252 minutes and 11 seconds.
Bower was particularly sharp in the first period when the Habs had 17 shots, at least seven of them dangerous scoring opportunities, but it was Pulford who scored his 13th goal, the fifth with the Leafs shorthanded. Allen Stanley was serving an elbowing penalty.
Jim Pappin (2-1) and Stanley (3-2) gave the Leafs leads in the middle period before two goals within 11 seconds midway through the final 20 minutes clinched the win. Pulford shot the winner, with Stemkowski adding the insurance goal.
Habs goalie Charlie Hodge, who rarely has an off night against the Leafs, did this on occasion. The Leafs had only five shots in the second period, but scored on two of them, and after Toronto made it 5-3, the crowd of 14,866 grew somewhat derisive, loudly saluting his next save.
The little guy who led the Vézina Trophy race after 35 games has allowed 18 goals in the Canadiens’ three defeats.
While there was sufficient body checking to force heads-up skating, most of the hitting was by the Leafs, the physical play was more nasty than muscular and there were two high sticking and fistic outbreaks.
Referee Art Skov, who imposed 17 minor penalties, 10 to the Leafs, settled each with double minors. Pappin and Claude Larose tangled at 12:30 of the middle period, Pulford and Ferguson early in the third. Ron Stewart and Larose also got into that one with a brief wrestling match.
Carl Brewer broke away from Bobby Rousseau to start the first scoring sequence. His shot was wide, but Tim Horton fielded the rebound and Pulford shot the puck into the net.
Three goals in one minute and 37 seconds produced a 2-2 tie early in the second. Ferguson tipped in Rousseau’s passout with Dickie Moore off for interference. Then Pappin took Stemkowski’s pass and lashed a long slapshot into the short side.
Bower was caught out of his net when Provost fired his first.
Stanley kept the puck in the Canadiens zone, then threaded a screened shot through several pairs of legs for the Leafs’ third lead, at 9:47, and Provost tied it again with a 25-foot backhander.
The Leafs had several whacks at the puck before Pulford got the winning goal at 9:20 and Stemkowski sank Pappin’s rebound on a pass from Red Kelly at 9:31. Kelly had two assists.
NOTES: Dickie Moore again played regularly, and showed his best speed of the season in the first period. Don McKenney appeared briefly. Eddie Shack and Billy Harris did not play…Stemkowski has produced a goal and five assists in six games, plus some resolute checking.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, January 15, 1965
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PEN – 01:50 – Harper, elbowing
TOR PEN – 07:57 – Stanley, interference
TOR SH GOAL – 08:11 – Pulford (Horton, Brewer)
TOR PEN – 15:01 – Stemkowski, hooking
2nd Period
TOR PEN – 00:18 – Moore, interference
MTL PP GOAL – 00:38 – Ferguson (Rousseau, Backstrom)
TOR GOAL – 01:11 – Pappin (Stemkowski, Stanley)
MTL GOAL – 02:15 – Provost (Talbot, Richard)
TOR GOAL – 09:47 – Stanley (Stemkowski, Kelly)
TOR PEN – 12:30 – Pappin, high sticking / roughing double minor
MTL PEN – 12:30 – Larose, high sticking / roughing double minor
MTL GOAL – 13:13 – Provost (Richard)
TOR PEN – 16:56 – Douglas, high sticking
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 01:52 – Pulford, high sticking / roughing double minor
MTL PEN – 01:52 – Ferguson, high sticking / roughing double minor
TOR PEN – 01:52 – Stewart, roughing
MTL PEN – 01:52 – Larose, roughing
TOR GOAL – 09:20 – Pulford (Stewart, Baun)
TOR GOAL – 09:31 – Stemkowski (Pappin, Kelly)
TOR PEN – 12:39 – Mahovlich, high sticking
MTL PEN – 12:39 – Harris, elbowing
GOALTENDERS
TOR – Bower (W, 40-43)
MTL – Hodge (L, 22-27)
SHOTS ON GOAL
TOR – 10+5+12 = 27
MTL – 17+11+15 = 43
ROSTERS
TOR – Goaltenders: Johnny Bower. Defence: Bobby Baun, Carl Brewer, Kent Douglas, Tim Horton, Red Kelly, Allan Stanley. Forwards: Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich, Don McKenney, Dickie Moore, Jim Pappin, Bob Pulford, Pete Stemkowski, Ron Stewart.
MTL – Goaltenders: Charlie Hodge. Defence: Terry Harper, Ted Harris, Jacques Laperrière, Jim Roberts, Jean-Guy Talbot, J.C. Tremblay. Forwards: Ralph Backstrom, Dave Balon, Yvan Cournoyer, Dick Duff, John Ferguson, Claude Larose, Keith McCreary, Claude Provost, Henri Richard, Bobby Rousseau.
TEAM RECORDS
TOR – 17-13-10 (.550)
MTL – 19-11-7 (.608)
ATTENDANCE
14,866
Two Solitudes 