Today we have a quick recap of last night’s five National Hockey League games, including a 2-2 tie in Toronto between the Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks.
Leafs Tie Hawks on Fluke Goal
Chicago Black Hawks forward Eric Nesterenko made what should have been the right play but it turned out all wrong. The lanky right winger tried to intercept a Toronto pass but deflected it into his own net with less than to two minutes to play to allow the Leafs to tie the Hawks 2-2 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
The goal was credited to Mike Walton, his eighth of the season. The Toronto centre had the puck in the corner and attempted a pass to Leaf rookie Garry Unger, who was streaking toward the Chicago goal. Nesterenko used his considerable reach to stretch and prevent the puck from reaching Unger about 10 feet in front of the net. Unfortunately for Nester, who once toiled for Toronto, he sent the puck directly into the Chicago net past a surprised goaltender Denis DeJordy. Time of the goal was 17:34 of the third period.
Unger scored the first Toronto goal, and it was his first in the NHL. He found himself playing left wing on a line with Peter Stemkowski and Jim Pappin after Brian Conacher was unable to go with an eye injury. Unger had never played left wing.
With Chicago leading 1-0 on a Stan Mikita goal in the first period, Unger took a pass from behind the net by Stemkowski and snapped a quick shot past DeJordy at 2:38 of the second.
Mikita’s second of the game would put the Hawks back in front before the middle frame would end, setting the stage for Walton’s tying goal, courtesy Nesterenko.
Chicago nearly ran the Leafs out of the rink in the first period, outshooting Toronto 20-8. But Johnny Bower put on a goaltending clinic and kept the score close enough for the Leafs to make their comeback.
Bruins Upend Rangers
Rookie Derek Sanderson’s fifth goal of the season was the game-winner as the Boston Bruins downed the New York Rangers 3-1 at Boston Garden.
Rangers actually led the game 1-0 at the end of the first period on a goal by Don Marshall. Boston came back with the second period’s only goal to tie things up at ones. It was Johnny Bucyk with his seventh of the year, with assistance from Phil Esposito and Johnny McKenzie.
Sanderson scored the winner with just over five minutes left in the game, an unassisted effort. He beat Ranger goalie Ed Giacomin from about eight feet. Bucyk then completed the evening’s scoring activity with an empty net goal with 44 seconds to play.
North Stars, Fyers Tie One On
The visiting Philadelphia Flyers jumped out to a 2-0 lead but couldn’t hold it and had to settle for a 2-2 tie last night in Minneapolis.
Flyers Garry Peters scored the only goal of the first period on a nice shot from the left side that fooled Stars netminder Gary Bauman. Bill Sutherland’s marker early in the second to set up the two-goal margin. He deflected a point shot by defenceman Ed Van Impe past Bauman.
Bill Goldsworthy got the North Stars back in the game just before the eight-minute mark of the second with his first of two goals. He converted a pass from winger Ted Taylor.
Goldsworthy tied it at 12:36 of the third on a setup by Bill Masterton. Masterton has been a pleasant surprise for Minnesota, coming out of nowhere to win a regular job.
Both goalkeepers, Bauman for Minnesota and Doug Favell for the Flyers, put in solid performances between the pipes.
Penguins Sink the Blues
The Pittsburgh Penguins spread the wealth around last night in St. Louis. Five players scored for Pittsburgh as they upset the Blues 5-3 in their own rink.
Al MacNeil, Ab McDonald, Ken Schinkel, Paul Andrea and Art Stratton had the Penguins goals. For the Blues it was Jim Roberts, Roger Picard and Terry Crisp.
MacNeil’s goal was his first of the season at 7:54 of the opening frame and set the tone for how the night would go. He took a long, skipping shot from the blue line that St. Louis goalie Seth Martin had measured all the way. But at the last second, Blues defenceman Gord Kannegeisser tipped the puck past Martin and into his own goal.
That was the first time since 1965 that MacNeil had scored an NHL goal.
Hank Bassen was in goal for Pittsburgh for the third straight game and made 22 saves. Martin played well in a losing cause for the Blues, making 30 stops. He was especially busy in the first period when Pittsburgh peppered him with 18 shots.
Hodge Haunts Old Mates
Little Charlie Hodge, the diminutive goalkeeper who always seemed to have to play second fiddle in Montreal, came back to haunt his old mates last night in Oakland. Hodge was brilliant as his Oakland Seals managed to edge the visiting Montreal Canadiens 2-1.
After two tense, scoreless periods, the teams completed all the scoring in the final 20 minutes. Gerry Odrowski started things off at 4:36 of the third. The balding, smooth-skating utility man scored a short-handed goal while Seals defenceman Bob Baun was in the penalty box.
George Swarbrick made it 2-0 with his ninth of the year just about five minutes later. Swarbrick has been a real find for the Seals, with his nine goals leading the team.
After that, it was all Hodge. Montreal fired 13 shots at the Oakland goal in the final 20 minutes and Hodge stopped all but one. The only Montreal player to beat him was Ralph Backstrom.
Hodge’s best stop of the night came at the game’s most crucial moment. With goalkeeper Gump Worsley on the bench in favour of a sixth attacker, Bobby Rousseau won a faceoff in the Oakland zone directly to Backstrom who whipped a shot destined for the far low corner. Hodge somehow got a pad on the shot and deflected it wide and that was the game.
Quick Hits will return tomorrow.
50 Years Ago In Hockey 