Game 600
Canadiens 6, Maple Leafs 4
Wednesday, January 11, 1984
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Early in last night’s game, it appeared that the Toronto Maple Leafs would get their first victory in five tries.
They took a 2-0 first-period lead over the Montréal Canadiens by playing a disciplined, defensive game.
But, in the second, the Canadiens capitalized on a part of their game that has been giving them trouble. They got two power-play goals and went on to defeat the Leafs 6-4.
For all intents and purposes the Canadiens scored on three power-play advantages. Montréal’s fourth goal was scored only two seconds after Leaf captain Rick Vaive returned to the ice after serving a needless slashing penalty in the third period. “It was the power play that got us back in the game,” said Canadien veteran Bob Gainey. “It had been a weak part of our game this season, but tonight we were able to control the puck in their zone when we had the advantage.” It was a game that featured strong goaltending at both ends. Montréal’s Rick Wamsley secured the victory with a number of fine saves in the third period.
Toronto’s Rick St. Croix was also prominent. Late in the second period, with the Leafs a man short and clinging to a 2-2 tie, St. Croix stuck out his glove during a goalmouth scramble and snared a shot from Guy Lafleur.
Last night’s Leaf effort was slightly better than their past eight tries, in which they won only once.
Leaf winger Pat Graham came up with a goal and an assist as a result of good forechecking, and Dan Daoust, who always plays well against his former team, was effective because he was one of the few physical Leafs. Early in the second period, with the Leafs still enjoying a 2-0 lead, Daoust slammed into Mario Tremblay, landing the hardest bodycheck of the night.
In the third period the Canadiens’ Craig Ludwig almost matched Daoust’s hit when he knocked Mirko Frycer to the ice. Frycer fell in pain with an injured knee and will be examined by Leaf doctors today.
For the Canadiens, Bobby Smith, acquired from the Minnesota North Stars earlier in the season, had three assists. His second assist came on the goal that tied the game 2-2 in the second period. The Canadiens were on the power play, with Jim Korn off for roughing, when Smith beat Greg Terrion on the faceoff and got the puck back to Larry Robinson. Robinson fired from the point and Ryan Walter tipped it past St. Croix. Walter had two goals in the game.
A concern for the Leafs has to be their unnecessary penalties. Dave Farrish fouled Lafleur with a bad hooking penalty in the second after failing to take him out of the play and Vaive’s slashing penalty later in the game was strictly retaliatory.
Still, Montréal coach Bob Berry said he was impressed with the way the Leafs skated and checked. “It was a very tough game for us,” Berry said. “With the exception of a few minutes in the second period when we started running around, it was one of our better efforts.” Again, the Leafs’ big line of Daoust, Vaive, and John Anderson, who played after missing two games with an injured elbow, drew special attention.
In Sunday’s 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Vaive and Daoust faced Brian Sutter’s line and Blues coach Jacques Demers appeared to have little trouble keeping Sutter on Vaive, despite the Leafs getting the last change.
Last night, however, Berry tried putting Guy Carbonneau’s line, with the strong-checking Bob Gainey, against Vaive and company, but had trouble. “We tried to be on the ice against Vaive,” Gainey said. “But it wasn’t easy. The only time we seemed to face them was on faceoffs. After that, they would make a change.”” The Leafs’ big line finished with two goals – one by Anderson and the other by Vaive, who has 35 goals this season in 42 games.
The other Leaf scorer was Bill Derlago. The other Montréal scorers were Bill Root, Mats Naslund and Carbonneau into an empty net.
Story originally published in The Globe & Mail, January 12, 1984
BOXSCORE
1st Period
TOR GOAL – 00:41 – Graham (Gingras, Harris)
TOR PEN – 07:06 – Gavin, hooking
TOR PEN – 10:47 – Korn, misconduct
MTL PEN – 10:47 – Tremblay, misconduct
TOR PEN – 13:45 – Frycer, cross checking
TOR GOAL – 19:46 – Derlago (Graham)
2nd Period
TOR PEN – 02:25 – Farrish, hooking
MTL PEN – 03:54 – Shutt, tripping
TOR PEN – 05:33 – Anderson, hooking
MTL PP GOAL – 06:50 – Lafleur (Robinson, Smith)
TOR PEN – 10:21 – Korn, roughing
MTL PP GOAL – 10:47 – Walter (Robinson, Smith)
MTL PEN – 11:29 – Hamel, hooking
TOR PEN – 18:57 – Korn, hooking
3rd Period
TOR GOAL – 02:33 – Anderson (Daoust, Gingras)
MTL GOAL – 03:24 – Root
TOR PEN – 04:06 – Vaive, slashing
MTL GOAL – 06:08 – Naslund (Carbonneau, Mondou)
MTL PEN – 07:58 – Turnbull, tripping
MTL GOAL – 10:22 – Walter (Shutt, Smith)
MTL PEN – 16:35 – Hamel, interference
TOR PEN – 16:35 – Daoust, slashing
TOR GOAL – 18:30 – Vaive (Benning, Derlago)
MTL EN GOAL – 19:53 – Carbonneau (Walter)
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Wamsley (W, 32-36)
TOR – St. Croix (L, 28-33)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 11+14+9 = 34
TOR – 8+10+18 = 36
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Richard Sévigny, Rick Wamsley. Defence: Kent Carlson, Jean Hamel, Craig Ludwig, Ric Nattress, Larry Robinson, Bill Root. Forwards: Guy Carbonneau, Bob Gainey (C), Guy Lafleur, Pierre Mondou, Mats Naslund, Chris Nilan, Steve Shutt, Bobby Smith, Mario Tremblay, Alfie Turcotte, Perry Turnbull, Ryan Walter.
TOR – Goaltenders: Mike Palmateer, Rick St. Croix. Defence: Jim Benning, Gaston Gingras, Jim Korn, Dave Farrish, Gary Nylund, Borje Salming. Forwards: John Anderson, Dan Daoust, Bill Derlago, Miroslav Frycer, Stew Gavin, Pat Graham, Billy Harris, Peter Ihnacak, Terry Martin, Dale McCourt, Greg Terrion, Rick Vaive (C).
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 21-20-2 (.512)
TOR – 15-23-5 (.407)
ATTENDANCE
16,382
Two Solitudes 