Game 502
Canadiens 6, Maple Leafs 3
Wednesday, December 7, 1966
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Eddie Shack was knocked unconscious, with a deep gash over his right eye, as the Montréal Canadiens outhit and outscored the Toronto Maple Leafs before 14,722 fans here last night.
The Canadiens, finally showing the form that won them the league championship and Stanley Cup last spring, defeated the first place Leafs 6-3.
Shack ran into a stiff check by Montréal defenceman Ted Harris and dropped to the ice, blood spurting from his forehead. He appeared to regain consciousness quickly but was wobbly-legged as he was helped off the ice by teammate Larry Hillman and trainer Bobby Haggart. Forum physiotherapist Yvon Bélanger attended him on the ice and had him removed to the first-aid room. He was later taken to hospital.
About 15 stitches were necessary to close the 2.5 inch cut over the eye. Harris received a five minute penalty for elbowing.
Harris was standing outside the Toronto blueline as Shack took off on one of his mainline rushes expecting a pass. He was hit as he glanced over his shoulder looking for the puck.
He was still dazed as he changed out of his hockey gear but recognized assistant manager-coach King Clancy and asked, “What happened? What hit me?”
All the Leafs were probably asking the same question after the first period. They repeatedly hit the Canadiens with hard bodychecks but were unable to slow down the flying Habitants.
The Leafs scored first on a goal by Jim Pappin and outshot the Canadiens 10-9 in the first period, but left the ice trailing 3-2. Montréal scored twice in the second period and the Leafs once. Jean Béliveau counted in the third period on a power play – it was his second goal in 15 games.
It was Montréal’s first win over the Leafs in five games this season. It won’t be their last. They lost three and tied one in earlier games against Toronto during a start in which they dropped into last place. They won two games last weekend and proved beyond doubt last night that they would again be the team to beat.
Inferior goaltending caused the Leafs trouble all night. Terry Sawchuk, one of the main reasons Toronto is in first place, had an off night. He fanned on at least two Montréal goals.
He played until Shack was injured and was replaced by Johnny Bower, who gave up Montréal’s last goal. Bower had no chance on Béliveau’s hard wrist shot over his left shoulder.
The Canadiens also used two goalies. Gump Worsley started but injured his knee in the first period and was replaced by Charlie Hodge. It was only the third time in the 50-year history of the NHL that two teams used four goalies in one game.
The last time four goalies were used in an NHL game was on April 3, 1966. On that night Toronto used three – terry Sawchuk, Johnny Bower and Bruce Gamble – against the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings used Roger Crozier.
Montréal and New York also used four goalies on January 2, 1966. The Canadiens played Charlie Hodge and Gump Worsley. The Rangers had Ed Giacomin and Don Simmons in goal.
The Canadiens, who had not scored more than three goals in any game this season, received outstanding efforts from forwards Claude Larose, who scored twice, Bob Rousseau and defencemen J.C. Tremblay, Jacques Laperrière and Terry Harper.
All the Leafs’ goals came on power plays, but their power play was ineffective in the final period during Harris’ major and 68 seconds when they had a two-man advantage.
Sparked by the industrious hitting of defencemen Tim Horton, Marcel Pronovost and Bob Baun and centre Pete Stemkowski, the Leafs took a 1-0 lead on Pappin’s blast from the right side, while John Ferguson was off for elbowing.
The Canadiens came back with three goals in less than four minutes near the middle of the period.
Henri Richard scored his 250th goal, tipping in Claude Provost’s goalmouth drive.
A scuffle between Ferguson and Baun preceded Larose’s first goal. Miffed at something Baun must have done to him, Ferguson elbowed him from behind. Baun lost the puck, which slid back to Ferguson. With Baun advancing on him, Ferguson dumped the puck in front of the net and Larose quickly batted it past Sawchuk. As an elated Ferguson skated away from the net Baun tripped him.
In the ensuing scuffle, Larose punched Baun. The Toronto defenceman drew the only penalty.
While Baun was off, Yvan Cournoyer scored his seventh power play goal of the season. His shot from centre ice caught Sawchuk going in the opposite direction. The puck hit the post and caromed past him.
Before the period ended Toronto’s best player, Tim Horton, ripped a drive from the blueline past Worsley while Larose was off for elbowing.
Larose, who was headed for the minors until he scored twice last Sunday in New York, counted his second goal on a 30-foot drive to the far corner early in the second period.
The Leafs came back with their third power play goal as George Armstrong stickhandled out from behind the net and backhanded a shot past Hodge.
The score mounted to 5-3 when Rousseau tossed a long shot from the right boards at a sharp angle. It eluded Sawchuk.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, December 8, 1966
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PEN – 01:12 – Ferguson, elbowing
TOR PP GOAL – 01:54 – Pappin (Kelly, Jeffrey)
TOR PEN – 03:56 – Pappin, cross checking
MTL GOAL – 09:41 – Richard (Provost, Laperrière)
MTL GOAL – 11:27 – Larose (Ferguson, Harris)
TOR PEN – 11:27 – Baun, tripping
MTL PP GOAL – 12:04 – Cournoyer
MTL PEN – 12:33 – Richard, tripping
MTL PEN – 17:02 – Larose, elbowing
TOR PP GOAL – 18:56 – Horton (Jeffrey, Ellis)
TOR PEN – 20:00 – Conacher, interference
2nd Period
MTL GOAL – 04:51 – Larose (J. Tremblay, Ferguson)
MTL PEN – 05:59 – Backstrom, cross checking
TOR PP GOAL – 07:53 – Armstrong (Mahovlich, Keon)
MTL GOAL – 14:56 – Rousseau (Béliveau, Laperrière)
MTL PEN – 19:04 – Harper, holding
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 01:42 – Hillman, boarding
MTL PEN – 04:03 – Duff, tripping
MTL PEN – 04:53 – Roberts, boarding
MTL PEN – 08:01 – Harris, elbowing major
TOR PEN – 14:27 – Stemkowski, tripping
MTL PP GOAL – 15:32 – Béliveau (Duff, J. Tremblay)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Worsley (8-10), Hodge (W, 15-16)
TOR – Sawchuk (L, 12-17), Bower (7-8)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 9+8+8 = 25
TOR – 10+8+8 = 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, Larry Hillman, Tim Horton, Red Kelly, Marcel Pronovost. Forwards: George Armstrong (C), John Brenneman, Brian Conacher, Ron Ellis, Larry Jeffrey, Dave Keon, Frank Mahovlich, Jim Pappin, Bob Pulford, Eddie Shack, Pete Stemkowski.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 10-8-1 (.553)
TOR – 9-5-7 (.595)
ATTENDANCE
14,722
Two Solitudes 