Preseason Game 05
Canadiens 1, Maple Leafs 1
Friday, October 2, 1970
Halifax Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montréal Canadiens traded a pair of third period goals to finish in a 1-1 stalemate before 6,000 fans at the Halifax Forum last night.
It was the Canadiens’ third preseason appearance on Halifax ice, where their American Hockey League farm club, the Montréal Voyageurs, will play 14 of their scheduled games in the 1970-71 season.
Last night’s game was a battle of goaltenders, with Rogatien Vachon of the Canadiens and Bruce Gamble of Toronto occupying the spotlight with brilliant performances. Each was credited with 30 saves as the teams produced sustained action that kept the capacity crowd on its feet throughout the game.
Vachon was particularly brilliant in the second period when the Leafs, displaying a strong power play alignment against a Canadien team shorthanded through penalties, missed scoring opportunities on close-in chances by Mike Walton, Ron Ellis and rookie Darryl Sittler, a Leaf standout throughout.
The Leafs took the lead at 9:59 of the third period when Brian Glennie’s blueline shot deflected off Garry Monahan’s stick behind Vachon. The shot changed direction and the Montréal goaltender was caught out of position.
The lead was short lived. Less than three minutes later, right winger Yvan Cournoyer rifled a shot that went through a maze of legs and sticks and behind Gamble.
Both sides played without a number of regulars. Missing from the Montréal lineup were defencemen J.C. Tremblay and Jacques Laperrière, out with minor leg injuries; John Ferguson, who is being treated in Montréal for an elbow injury sustained earlier in the week at Winnipeg; and goaltender Phil Myre, whose ankle was bruised in practice earlier in the day.
Missing from the Leaf lineup were goaltender Jacques Plante, Jim Dorey, Brit Selby, Dave Keon, Paul Henderson and Terry Clancy.
Rookie Bill MacMillan from Canada’s National team and a Charlottetown native, who became a big crowd favourite, was outstanding offensively and defensively on a line with veteran Norm Ullman and Rick Ley, who alternated between left wing and defence.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, October 3, 1970
Two Solitudes 