Game 629
Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 0
Saturday, February 26, 1994
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
There’s a reason a generation of outstanding Québec-born goaltenders, including Maple Leaf sophomore Félix Potvin, have tried to emulate Patrick Roy.
The Montréal Canadiens goalkeeper is simply the best there is or has been for the better part of a decade, a sure-fire Hall of Famer in the midst of perhaps the most brilliant season of his superlative career.
The 28-year-old Roy was also the main reason Montréal won it all last season, and why Les Habitants might just repeat as NHL champions.
Roy built a bleu, blanc et rouge wall in front of the visitors’ net last night, showing Leaf fans that maybe they really don’t want to see the Habs more often, as the Stanley Cup title holders posted a 3-0 victory.
Now in his ninth season, the three-time Vézina Trophy winner was breathtaking in posting his league-leading seventh shutout, particularly in the second period when he protected a three-goal Montréal lead by stopping 21 Leaf shots without error, while Potvin was facing only six at the other end.
The Leafs, cheered madly wherever they go in Canada, received some of their own medicine as throngs of throaty Montréal fans erupted lustily with each and every Canadiens moment of success in the 629th meeting between the two storied franchises.
The Habs played a sharp, smart game, harassing Doug Gilmour and Dave Andreychuk at every turn. Montréal head coach Jacques Demers assigned his checking line of captain Guy Carbonneau between Benoît Brunet and Oleg Petrov to frustrate the Leafs top line, but it was Kevin Haller who whacked, hooked and bothered Gilmour all game while Habs backliner Lyle Odelein alternately mugged and held Andreychuk.
It’s the same lay-on-the-muscle recipe the lowly Edmonton Oilers used to great success in upsetting the Leafs earlier in the week, and one that the two Leaf stars will undoubtedly receive in unwelcome dollops for the rest of the season. Andreychuk, who missed a wide-open net in the dying minutes, now has just one goal in his last five games.
The Leafs, meanwhile, got offence only out of the Gilmour line.
Story originally published in The Toronto Star, February 27, 1994
BOXSCORE
1st Period
MTL PEN – 00:25 – Muller, holding
TOR PEN – 07:05 – Clark, hooking
MTL PP GOAL – 08:29 – Dionne (Desjardins, Keane)
TOR PEN – 09:40 – Macoun, slashing
MTL PP GOAL – 10:04 – Muller (Bellows, Schneider)
MTL PEN – 12:28 – Popovic, tripping
MTL PEN – 15:29 – Roy, interference
MTL PEN – 16:47 – Odelein, roughing
TOR PEN – 16:47 – Andreychuk, slashing
MTL SH GOAL – 17:11 – Muller (Keane)
2nd Period
TOR PEN – 06:59 – Snell, interference
MTL PEN – 15:05 – Desjardins, hooking
MTL PEN – 15:27 – Odelein, holding
TOR PEN – 16:48 – Ellett, elbowing
MTL PEN – 19:21 – Schneider, cross checking
3rd Period
TOR PEN – 07:07 – Andreychuk, elbowing
TOR PEN – 14:11 – Pearson, high sticking
MTL PEN – 16:24 – Desjardins, holding
GOALTENDERS
MTL – Roy (W + SO, 39-39)
TOR – Potvin (L, 21-24)
SHOTS ON GOAL
MTL – 12+6+8 = 24
TOR – 10+21+8 = 39
ROSTERS
MTL – Goaltenders: Patrick Roy. Defence: J.J. Daigneault (A), Éric Desjardins, Bryan Fogarty, Kevin Haller, Lyle Odelein, Peter Popovic, Mathieu Schneider. Forwards: Brian Bellows, Benoît Brunet, Guy Carbonneau (C), Vincent Damphousse, Gilbert Dionne, Paul DiPietro, Mike Keane, John LeClair, Kirk Muller (A), Oleg Petrov, Mario Roberge.
TOR – Goaltenders: Félix Potvin. Defence: Drake Berehowsky, Dave Ellett, Sylvain Lefebvre, Jamie Macoun, Dmitri Mironov, Chris Snell. Forwards: Glenn Anderson, Dave Andreychuk, Ken Baumgartner, Bill Berg, Nikolai Borschevsky, Wendel Clark (C), Mike Eastwood, Doug Gilmour (A), Mike Krushelnyski, Mark Osborne, Rob Pearson, Peter Zezel.
TEAM RECORDS
MTL – 33-22-8 (.587)
TOR – 33-19-11 (.611)
ATTENDANCE
15,728
THREE STARS
⭐ Patrick Roy (MTL)
⭐⭐ Kirk Muller (MTL)
⭐⭐⭐ Doug Gilmour (TOR)
Two Solitudes 