Playoff Game 48
Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 2
Stanley Cup Semifinals, Game 1
Thursday, April 1, 1965
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
The Montréal Canadiens outrode the storm of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ roughhouse tactics to win the opening game of their Stanley Cup semifinal, 3-2, here last night.
The second game of the best-of-seven series will be played here Saturday.
If referee Vern Buffey had pocketed the puck for the first 30 minutes, the Leafs would never have missed it and they would have been better off on the scoreboard. The Canadiens scored twice in the first period and two of their three goals were scored with the Leafs shorthanded.
Henri Richard opened the scoring with Tim Horton serving a major penalty for high sticking. Ralph Backstrom made it 2-0. Bobby Rousseau scored the winning goal after the Leafs scored twice in the third period and again Horton was in the penalty box.
Dick Moore and Carl Brewer scored for Toronto. Moore, the former Canadien, was one of the more belligerent and capable Leafs, scoring on a backhand flip after stickhandling from behind the Montréal net. Brewer skated through the Montréal team to fire a long low shot from just inside the blueline.
But the story of the game was in the rough-house tactics. As predicted, the Leafs elected to throw their weight around.
By the first intermission play had deteriorated into something akin to a tong war. Defenceman Kent Douglas had been banished from the game for intent to injure Dave Balon, who was momentarily stunned. Defenceman Terry Harper was out of action with a concussion. Harper was hurt when caught by Frank Mahovlich with his head down while trying to clear the puck behind the Montréal net.
Douglas was the first player to be banished from a playoff game since Maurice Richard injured Bill Ezinicki in the 1947 playoffs. Douglas received an automatic fine and could receive additional fines and suspension when his case is reviewed today by league president Clarence Campbell.
Douglas and Balon clashed with swinging sticks after Richard’s goal, which deflected into the net off the Toronto defenceman’s skate. Douglas clubbed Balon over the head.
Had not Douglas lost his head, Balon, who recovered quickly, would have received the only penalty as the referee apparently did not see Douglas’ first slash, which was in retaliation for a Balon jab.
Four separate flights delayed the game for almost a quarter of an hour in the second period. Players paired off after a shoving bee when Backstrom was called for boarding.
John Ferguson and Bobby Baun tangled near the Toronto goal; Jim Roberts wrestled Peter Stemkowski to the ice; Claude Larose removed Ron Ellis’ helmet and Frank Mahovlich exchanged blows with Ted Harris.
There was further delay as the referee dictated the list of penalties to the penalty timekeeper. It as first appeared that Backstrom had escaped, but he eventually turned up in an already well-filled box.
Mahovlich, Stemkowski and Harris received majors for fighting, Roberts and misconduct, and Baun, Ferguson and Backstrom got minors.
Buffey, who had a very challenging evening, imposed 24 penalties, totaling 80 minutes. The Leafs served nine minors, three majors and a match misconduct for 43 minutes with the Canadiens’ 11 minors, one major and a misconduct adding up to 27 minutes.
Douglas’ penalty counts 10 minutes in the record with substitution permitted after five minutes. This was a particularly costly penalty to the Leafs as it upset their game plan which called for Tim Horton to play right wing with Red Kelly and Dickie Moore.
With Douglas out, Horton went back to defence. Ron Stewart replaced Horton but the line was not nearly as effective. Andy Bathgate replaced Stewart in the third period and took part in the play that set Moore up for his own goal. Bob Pulford was dressed but did not play.
The Leafs settled down to hockey late in the second period – and almost pulled it out. They came close without Pulford, virtually without Douglas and at full strength for less than five minutes of the first period.
In the last half, they came up with a solid forechecking performance led by their outstanding skater, Dave Keon. Brewer, Baun, Horton and Don McKenney were also prominent.
And of course, Johnny Bower.
The amazing antique was brilliant in making 35 saves.
His best stop robbed Jean Béliveau, who shot Dick Duff’s rebound into an open net – and didn’t score because Bower had somehow split across the goalmouth to get a pad to the puck.
He also thwarted Rousseau, Roberts and Yvan Cournoyer twice of point blank or screened shots.
Charlie Hodge had much less work and less pressure. He stopped 24.
The Leafs were outshot 27-11 in the first two periods.
Moore, who had been busy retaliating for grievances by his former mates, suddenly broke from the Leafs zone on his scoring play. He took the puck behind the Montréal goal, passed to Red Kelly who missed the shot, then after a goalmouth scramble reclaimed it and tossed in a backhander.
Brewer’s goal, 2½ minutes later, was a solo masterpiece, lashed to the top corner from just inside the blueline.
The Leafs had a two-man advantage for the last 43 seconds with the Canadiens’ Jacques Laperrière in the penalty box and Bower on the bench for a sixth attacker, but they got only one shot on goal.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, April 2, 1965
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR PEN – 00:04 – Moore, charging
TOR PEN – 02:30 – team, too many men on the ice
MTL PEN – 04:39 – Laperrière, charging
MTL PEN – 06:09 – Harris, high sticking
TOR PEN – 06:09 – Horton, high sticking major
MTL PP GOAL – 11:02 – Richard (Tremblay, Larose)
TOR PEN – 11:02 – Douglas, match penalty
MTL PEN – 11:02 – Balon, high sticking
MTL PEN – 14:30 – Talbot, holding
MTL SH GOAL – 14:34 – Backstrom
TOR PEN – 18:00 – Moore, high sticking
MTL PEN – 18:00 – Béliveau, high sticking
MTL PEN – 19:30 – Laperrière, charging
2nd Period
MTL PEN – 01:52 – Harris, holding
TOR PEN – 06:16 – Moore, hooking
MTL PEN – 09:10 – Harris, fighting major
TOR PEN – 09:10 – Stemkowski, fighting major
MTL PEN – 09:10 – Roberts, misconduct
TOR PEN – 09:10 – Mahovlich, fighting major
MTL PEN – 09:10 – Backstrom, boarding
TOR PEN – 09:10 – Baun, roughing
MTL PEN – 09:10 – Ferguson, roughing
TOR PEN – 16:03 – Shack, tripping
MTL PEN – 16:03 – Laperrière, tripping
TOR PEN – 16:59 – Stanley, holding
TOR PEN – 17:43 – Baun, charging
3rd Period
TOR GOAL – 08:04 – Moore (Brewer, Kelly)
TOR GOAL – 10:46 – Brewer
TOR PEN – 11:57 – Horton, tripping
MTL PP GOAL – 12:29 – Rousseau (Béliveau, Provost)
MTL PEN – 19:17 – Laperrière, charging
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Hodge (W, 24-26)
TOR – Bower (L, 35-38)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 15+12+11 = 38
TOR – 5+7+15 = 26
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Charlie Hodge, Gump Worsley. Defence: Terry Harper, Ted Harris, Jacques Laperrière, Jim Roberts, Jean-Guy Talbot, J.C. Tremblay. Forwards: Ralph Backstrom, Dave Balon, Jean Béliveau (C), Yvan Cournoyer, Dick Duff, John Ferguson, Claude Larose, Claude Provost, Henri Richard, Bobby Rousseau.
TOR – Goaltenders: Johnny Bower, Terry Sawchuk. Defence: Bobby Baun, Carl Brewer, Kent Douglas, Tim Horton, Red Kelly, Allan Stanley. Forwards: George Armstrong (C), Andy Bathgate, Ron Ellis, Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich, Don McKenney, Dickie Moore, Bob Pulford, Eddie Shack, Pete Stemkowski, Ron Stewart.
ATTENDANCE
14,009
Two Solitudes 