October 30

Four National Hockey League games to report on this morning, including the end of the Chicago Black Hawks one-game winning streak. The Detroit Red Wings whipped the Hawks 5-1 at the Olympia in Detroit in the evening’s only blowout. In the other games, Rangers edged the Maple Leafs 3-2, Boston downed Pittsburgh 4-2 and the Seals and Flyers skated to a rather boring 2-23 draw at Philadelphia.

Wings Take Down Blackhawks

Gordie Howe and Gary Jarrett each scored two goals to lead the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 shellacking of the Chicago Black Hawks last night at the Detroit Olympia.

For Howe the goals were his fifth and sixth markers of the season. Both came on passes from linemate Doug Roberts. Jarrett’s goals were the first two he has scored this year. Ted Hampson had the other Red Wing tally.
Kenny Wharram fired his third of the year for the Hawks.

Denis DeJordy started in goal for Chicago, but lasted only to the 7:52 mark of the third period. That’s when Howe scored his second goal of the game, prompting Hawks coach Billy Reay to lift DeJordy and replace him with backup Dave Dryden. Dryden gave up Detroit’s fifth goal, Jarrett’s second of the game.

Roger Crozier was at the top of his game in the Detroit goal. He was called upon to make only 24 saves, and Wharram’s goal the only shot he missed, although he had little chance on the play.

But what was great about Crozier’s performance was the timing of the saves he did make. He robbed Wharram with about five minutes left in the middle frame, just after Howe had given the Wings a 3-1 lead. Wharram broke in alone from centre ice thanks to a great pass by Stan Mikita. He made several fakes, but Crozier was not to be fooled. He slid across the goal right along with Wharram’s deke and smothered the shot.

Crozier also was spectacular during a couple of Detroit two-man short situations in the first and second period. Had he not been able to stand his ground during those power plays, the outcome certainly might have been different.

Unlike the games between expansion teams, this contest was firewagon hockey. The Red Wings were flying and fired 43 shots at the Chicago goal. Even though he was yanked, DeJordy couldn’t be blamed for the loss.

Rangers Edge Leafs

Former Toronto Maple Leaf and present New York Ranger captain Bob Nevin scored twice to lead the Rangers to a 3-2 win over the Leafs at Madison Square Garden last night. The game was a see-saw affair, with the Rangers scoring two goals in the third period’s second minute to come from behind for the win.

Nevin gave the New Yorkers a 1-0 lead at 16:20 the first period when he beat Leafs goalie Johnny Bower thanks to a nice setup by Phil Goyette. It was the only one of 16 Ranger shots in the opening frame to get past the veteran Toronto netminder.

The lead was short-lived. Toronto’s Jim Pappin tied it with exactly one minute left as the Leafs took advantage of a charging penalty to Rangers Arnie Brown.

Bob Pulford scored the second period’s only goal when he combined with Allan Stanley and Murray Oliver to get one past Ranger goalie Ed Giacomin.

Trailing 2-1 and sensing a need to change the momentum, Ranger coach Emile Francis sent truculent winger Reggie Fleming out to start the third period. Fleming had specific orders to stir things up and that is exactly what he did. He took runs at anything that moved, and that included referee Art Skov, who was inadvertently (we think) decked by Fleming as he charged around the Toronto zone.

Toronto defenceman Duane Rupp took exception to Fleming’s antics and laid a pretty heavy crosscheck on the Ranger forward. That caught the eye of Skov, who signaled a delayed penalty on the Leafs. Rangers’ Orland Kurtenbach took a pass from Harry Howell and went in alone to beat Bower and tie the score at 1-1 at the 1:20 mark of the third.

Thirty-one seconds later the Leafs, still completely discombobulated by the events that had just transpired, coughed up the puck again. Nevin ended up with the disk about 30 feet in front of the Toronto goal and unleashed a wicked shot that appeared to be headed over the glass. But the puck dropped radically and slipped under the crossbar behind a shocked Johnny Bower.

Rangers went into shut-down mode and the Leafs were unable to mount any sort of offence for the rest of the night.

The loss was the fourth straight for Bower. He performed well despite coming out on the short end of the decision and couldn’t be blamed for the setback.

Shack Leads Bruins Past Penguins

Eddie Shack’s two goals powered the Boston Bruins to a 4-2 win over the surprisingly stubborn Pittsburgh Penguins last night at the Boston Garden. The win gave the Bruins 11 points, good enough for a tie for third place in the Eastern Division NHL standings with the New York Rangers.

Shack’s goals were his third and fourth of the season. Combined with another fine goaltending display by Gerry Cheevers, that was enough for the Bruins to get by the Penguins.

Pittsburgh’s best player was goalie Les Binkley. He made a number of fine saves to keep the game close. As with so many games between the established and new teams, it was an expansion club’s goalkeeping that made the score respectable.

It must have been a bittersweet night for Penguins coach Red Sullivan. Sullivan and Shack have been best friends since their time as team mates in the late 1950s with the New York Rangers. Sullivan was in Shack’s wedding party and is even a godfather to one of his children.

Other Boston goals were scored by Phil Esposito and defenceman Gary Doak. For Doak, it was his first NHL goal.

Andy Bathgate and Ken Schinkel replied for the Penguins. Their goals were a case of too little too late, with both coming in the third period and Boston already ahead 4-0.

Bathgate’s goal ended a shutout streak of 124 minutes and four seconds for Cheevers.

Boston’s Bobby Orr sat out the third period for the Bruins. He’s still bothered by a pulled muscle in his back.

Seals Tie Flyers Late

The first goal of the season by defenceman Aut Erickson with 1:38 left in the game lifted the California Seals into a 2-2 tie with the Philadelphia Flyers at The Spectrum in Philadelphia. Only 4700 fans took in the contest, which by all accounts was a very poor display of professional hockey.

For the Seals, it was a lukewarm end to a disastrous road trip. The Seals lost five of six games on their eastern swing, garnering only a single point in last night’s game.

Flyers drew first blood when Forbes Kennedy scored at 4:19 of the opening frame. It was his first of the season. Thirty seconds later, George Swarbrick of the Seals tied it up.

Flyers scored the second period’s only goal, Ed Hoekstra’s fourth of the year. The teams then skated as though going through the motions until Erickson beat Philadelphia goalie Doug Favell with a 15-footer with time winding down.

Quick Hits

• Toronto Marlboros defeated London Nationals 5-3 in an afternoon Ontario Hockey Association Junior A contest at Maple Leaf Gardens. Terry Caffery scored twice to lead the Marlies, with singles coming off the sticks of Frank Hamill, Steve King and Sam Gellard. Garry Unger had two for London, with Mac Westgate getting the other.
• Montreal Junior Canadiens skated to a 5-3 win over Hamilton Red Wings in OHA Junior A play at the Forum in Montreal. Gilbert Perreault led the Baby Habs with two goals. Rejean Houle, Marc Tardif and Andre Gaudette added the others. Rick Smith, Freddie Speck and Rich Petit replied for Hamilton.
• Springfield Kings nipped Hershey Bears 4-3 at Springfield. Doug Robinson’s late third period marker was the winner for the Kings.
• Andre Champagne’s two goals paced the Rochester Americans attack in their 7-3 pasting of the Quebec Aces at Rochester.
• The AHL Buffalo Bisons whipped the WHL Vancouver Canucks 6-1 in Buffalo. Alain Caron and Mike Labadie each fired a pair of goals for the Bisons.
• Caron’s recent hot streak for the Bisons has earned him a call-up to the NHL California Seals.
• Detroit Red Wings defenceman Gary Bergman blocked a Bobby Hull slap shot with his left foot last night. That resulted in a broken bone in the foot, likely sidelining the rearguard for several games.