Five National Hockey League games last night, including a lop-sided win by the Maple Leafs over the Penguins broadcast nationally in the United States. Plus, a North Stars player was seriously injured and we’ll report to you what we know about his condition this morning.
Maple Leafs 7 Penguins 0
Bob Pulford, who by his own admission isn’t having a great season, broke out yesterday for three goals to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 7-0 pasting of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The game was broadcast across the United States by the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).
All of Toronto’s goals were scored in the game’s first 40 minutes. After giving up seven goals, Pittsburgh netminder Les Binkley was removed by Penguins coach Red Sullivan at the end of the second period. Hank Bassen took over in goal and blanked the Leafs in the third period.
As well as Pulford’s three goals, Toronto got scores from Murray Oliver, who had two, and Frank Mahovlich and Dave Keon, who netted one each. Bruce Gamble made 33 saves to record the shutout.
Sullivan was almost incredulous at the result of the game:
“Hell, they’re not seven goals better than us, are they? I shouldn’t complain, we just weren’t in this one. In fact, we were in trouble as shoon as they finished playing O Canada. Nobody was going to beat them today – us, the Canadiens or anybody. They certainly gave us a lesson.
“They were tramping out there and I guess we should be happy we beat them the night before. But still and all, you hate to get clobbered like this.”
Toronto assistant coach King Clancy was not at all surprised at how the game went:
“I knew we would win by five or six. It proves nothing as far as I’m concerned. I’ll start bouncing if we beat Bruins in Boston Thursday.
“Our fellows are going to have a to puyll up their socks away from home, put a little muscle into those road shows before I give them credit.
“We’ve lost 11, tied one and won only four away from home, so there’s no reason to cheer.”
Pulford was happy to finally have broken out for the hat trick:
“I know about all this stuff about not worrying when you’re getting the chances. But this has gone on much too long. The puck was never bouncing the right way for me. Heck, I should have 20 goals by now with the opportunities I’ve had.”
Seals 2 North Stars 2
The Minnesota North Stars jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the visiting Oakland Seals last night and then had to hang on for a 2-2 tie in a brutally rough game at the Met Centre in Bloomington. The single point was a big one for Minnesota. It moves them into sole possession of second place the NHL’s Western Division.
It was a brutally rough game played between an appreciative crowd of 12,119. It seemed that both teams tried to add an extra measure of punishment to each body check, and there were lots of those.
Two players were injured in the game. Seals John Brenneman received a couple of stitches when he was cut on the forehead in the first period, but he returned to finish the match. But North Stars forward Bill Masterton was more seriously injured.
Masterton had to be carried, unconscious, from the ice on a stretcher after he struck his head on the ice in front of the Oakland goal early in the first period. Initial reports are confusing, as it seems no one clearly saw the incident. But it was immediately apparent that the player was in serious difficulty. He was taken to Fairview Southdale Hospital where he was listed in serious condition as of early this morning.
Like the overwhelming majority of NHL players, Masterton did not wear a helmet.
As far as the game went, the Seals were lucky to escape with the tie. The North Stars outshot the Seals 33-21 and only the fine work of Oakland goalie Charlie Hodge kept the score even.
After a scoreless first period, the North Stars finally opened the scoring with the only goal of the second period at 17:39. Ray Cullen was the marksmen, with help from Bob Woytowich and Parker MacDonald.
North Stars upped their lead to 2-0 early in the final frame on a goal by defenceman Mike McMahon.
The Seals got on the board on a goal by the freshly-repaired Brenneman at 5:34, about two minutes after McMahon’s goal. A minute and 10 seconds later, Wally Boyer knotted the count at 2-2 thanks to a nice pass by Charlie Burns.
Setting up the tying goal was sweet justice for Burns, who had been a particular target of the Minnesota checkers. He absorbed two or three big hits, but managed to come back each time.
Rangers 3 Blues 1
The New York Rangers rode the fine goaltending of Eddie Giacomin to a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues at The Arena in St. Louis.
Giacomin was spectacular, especially in the first period when the Blues poured 17 shots at the Ranger netminder without success. The Blues seemed deflated to come away without a score in the first. They managed only 16 shots the rest of the way.
Phil Goyette gave the Rangers an almost instant lead when he scored after only 29 seconds of play. He beat Blues goalie Glenn Hall with a screened shot from just inside the blue line. Goyette then set up linemate Don Marshall for the 2-0 goal at 8:19 of the middle frame, with Bob Nevin also garnering an assist.
Billy McCreary got the Blues on the scoresheet before the period ended.
Rod Gilbert scored his 15th of the year at 2:59 of the third to give the New Yorkers some insurance. He whipped a quick shot past Hall from 30 feet directly in front of the St. Louis goal after taking a perfect pass from centre Jean Ratelle from behind the net.
Canadiens 5 Bruins 1
Montreal Canadiens scored twice in the first five minutes of the game to chase Boston goalie Gerry Cheevers as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Bruins at The Forum in Montreal.
Canadiens John Ferguson opened the scoring at 1:08 when he tipped in Ralph Backstrom’s shot. Cheevers didn’t have a chance on that one.
Then, at 4:46, Bobby Rousseau deposited the rebound from a wicked Jean Beliveau blast behind Cheevers. Beliveau’s shot from about 20 feet caught Cheevers in the ribs in an area between the shoulder and chest protection. The Boston netminder went down as if hit by a sniper (an in reality that’s not far from the truth). He had to be helped off the ice by Bruins trainer Dan Canney to be examined by a Montreal doctor.
Ed Johnston took over in the Boston goal.
Cheevers would return to the Boston bench for the final period with news that there was no fracture of the ribs.
Johnston was greeted rudely by Montreal rookie Jacques Lemaire, who scored about two minutes later – his 14th of the season.
Ferguson would score another goal in the second period. Dick Duff added a third-period marker to make it 5-0 at the 14:40 mark of the final frame. Only 18 seconds later Bruins’ Eddie Shack ruined Montreal goalie Rogatien Vachon’s shutout bid with his 13th of the season.
Late in the third period a fight erupted between Boston star Bobby Orr and fleet Yvan Cournoyer of the Canadiens. While they were grappling, Montreal captain Jean Beliveau and Boston’s Johnny McKenzie tussled.
Boston goalie Johnston moved in to attempt to pull the much larger Beliveau away from the stocky Boston winger. That prompted Vachon to enter the scrum and engage Johnston in a rather foolish-looking wresting match.
While all this was taking place, a fan moved into the area of the Boston bench, where the Vachon-Johnston set-to was happening, shouting threats at the Bruins netminder. Luckily the police were right on the ball, and took the wildly gesticulating patron away from the area, and presumably to the nearest lock-up.
Both Vachon and Johnston escaped being penalized, but they were both assessed $50 fines for leaving their goal creases to participate in an altercation.
Red Wings 4 Black Hawks 4
Peter Mahovlich scored his first two goals of the season to help the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-4 tie with the Chicago Black Hawks last night at the Olympia in Detroit.
Dean Prentice and Kent Douglas also scored for the Red Wings. Dennis and Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and Paul Terbenche had the Hawks markers.
The Red Wings were heartened by their ability to come back from a 3-1 deficit to gain the tie. That ends the Red Wings losing streak at four games.
The goal for Douglas was his second since joining the Wings as a result of a trade with Oakland this week. The deal appears to have energized the Detroit squad, although their defensive weaknesses still appear to be a problem.
Mahovlich, just called up from Fort Worth of the Central Professional Hockey League lined up on a “Kid Line” with Jimmy Peters Jr., and Doug Roberts. Detroit general manager-coach Sid Abel was so pleased with the threesome that he indicated he will stay with the line for their upcoming game against Montreal.
The reason that the kids are getting their big chance is the spate of injuries Detroit is dealing with. Paul Henderson has missed 10 games with torn ligaments in his shoulder. Prentice has a sinus blockage that is bothering him and will require surgery at some later date. He will miss the Montreal game.
And then to top things off, forward Floyd Smith will need further surgery to address an issue with a broken bone in his right foot. Smith dressed for the game but did not see any ice time.
Blues Grab Talbot
The St. Louis Blues have acquired defenceman Jean-Guy Talbot on waivers from the Detroit Red Wings. Talbot, 35, is a 14-year veteran of the National Hockey League. He had been picked up from the Minnesota North Stars by Detroit earlier this season in a trade for defenceman Bob McCord. Minnesota had taken Talbot from Montreal during last summer’s expansion draft.
In 35 games between the Wings and Stars, Talbot had three assists and 14 penalty minutes.
The move to bring in Talbot is, at first blush, a curious one for the Blues. Talbot has generally been thought to be the player that ended Blues coach Scotty Bowman’s playing career back in 1952. That, however, is not quite the case.
There was an incident between the two players during the Quebec Junior Hockey League playoffs in March of 1952. Talbot apparently whacked Bowman, then a member of the Montreal Junior Canadiens, over the head with his stick. He received a one-year suspension from the league for the offence, but that was rescinded the following December.
It was generally thought that Bowman’s career was ended by the incident but that is not what happened. Bowman did sustain a five-inch gash to the head which required 14 stitches to close. He missed just one game. Bowman explains:
“I continued to play but it wasn’t at the same level. I was never the same player afterward. I just didn’t have the confidence. I had a lot of headaches and blurred vision.”
Bowman then moved to the Montreal Royals for the next two seasons, which ended his junior career and saw his move to coaching.
Quick Hits
- North Stars general manager-coach Wren Blair is trying to decide whether he should pick up forward George Konik, who has been put on waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Konik is a Minnesota native and best friend of Stars forward Bill Masterton.
George Konik - Former Chicago Black Hawks coach and Seals general manager Rudy Pilous has been appointed general manager and coach of the new Western Hockey League franchise in Denver, which is slated to begin play next fall.
- The Rochester Americans nipped the Baltimore Clippers 3-2 in an American Hockey League game in Baltimore. Rochester goals were scored by Ted Taylor, Len Lunde and Duke Harris, three players picked up in that big trade with Minnesota North Stars at the end of December. Duncan MacDonald and Les Hunt had the Baltimore goals.
- Bob Ellett’s goal early in the third period gave the Barons a 2-1 win over the Quebec Aces in Cleveland. Wayne Schultz also scored for the Barons while Larry Wright connected for the Aces.
- Bobby Leiter of the Bears scored on the rare penalty shot as Hershey whipped the Buffalo Bisons 5-1 in Hershey. Leiter was awarded the free chance when a Buffalo defenceman grabbed a loose puck in the goal crease with his hand. He beat Bisons goalie Gilles Villemure from close-in. Villemure, coincidentally, was the last AHL goaltender to give up a penalty shot goal when he was with Baltimore in 1966.
- Buffalo Bison forward Larry Mickey is truly one of hockey’s hard-luck players. Mickey broke his left arm during Friday night’s game against the Quebec Aces. Doctors have said that he will likely have to miss the rest of this season. This is the same arm that was broken when Mickey was involved in an automobile accident last April. His wife was fatally injured in the same accident.
50 Years Ago In Hockey 