In the only National Hockey League game on tap last night, the Chicago Black Hawks ended their 3-game losing skein with a narrow 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers. The game took place before a sparse gathering of 9,722 fans at the Chicago Stadium.
The “Bobby and Phil Show”
Second period goals by Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito were all the offence the Hawks needed to get past the Rangers. Hull netted the first score, firing a 20-footer past a screened Ranger goalie Marcel Paille. Hull had taken a perfect pass from Chicago captain Pierre Pilote.
Only 25 seconds later, Esposito scored what would prove to be the game-winner on a pretty set up by right winger Chico Maki. Maki found the rangy Chicago centre all alone in front of Paille and Esposito made no mistake with a quick backhand shot.
The Rangers pulled to within one goal with about seven minutes left in the game. Vic Hadfield deflected a Jim Mikol shot past Glenn Hall, but the veteran Chicago netminder slammed the door on the Rangers the rest of the way to preserve the win.
Esposito, the young Chicago forward who misses rookie of the year eligibility by only a few games, has shown great progress this season. If performances like this continue, the “Bobby and Phil Show” could be a long-running engagement on Madison Avenue.
The Black Hawks also announced that defenceman Doug Mohns will be lost to the team for about two weeks with a fractured toe. To replace Mohns, Chicago has called up defenceman Matt Ravlich from the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League.
The Rangers had an announcement of their own. Centre Jean Ratelle, who had been holding out for the past three weeks, yesterday signed his 1964-65 contract. Ratelle was assigned to the Baltimore Clippers of the AHL to play himself into shape.
Campbell: 3-team, 7-player deal “a pipe dream”
No less an authority than NHL president Clarence Campbell debunked the latest major trade rumour circulating around the the league this week. Campbell was asked about a huge, three team trade that would involve the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins and Chicago Black Hawks. His reply was, “Somebody has been drinking a little screech.”
The report, which apparently emanated from Charlottetown, PEI, was labeled by Campbell as “a pipe dream.”
“It’s so bad a rumour, it has to be a hoax. If a deal of this dimension was in the works, it couldn’t but have leaked out long before this.”
The rumoured deal would have seen Andy Bathgate, Terry Sawchuk and Kent Douglas move from Toronto to Boston. The Bruins would then send Leo Boivin and John Bucyk to Chicago. The Black Hawks would complete the transaction by sending Dennis Hull and Stan Mikita to Toronto.
AHL Aces back to winning ways
The Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League resumed their winning ways last night with a sound thrashing of the Pittsburgh Hornets. The Aces skated off with an 8-2 win before over 7,500 fans at the Quebec Coliseum.
Cleland (Keke) Mortson had the hot hand for the Aces, scoring a pair of goals within 22 seconds in the third period. Other Quebec goal-getters were Wayne Hicks, John Hanna, Ed Hoekstra, Jim Morrison, Red Berenson and Jean-Guy Gendron. Both Pittsburgh goals came from Claude Laforge in the second frame.
Pittsburgh goaltender Hank Bassen actually played quite well over the first two periods, before wilting under the pressure of the sustained Quebec attack in the third. Gump Worsley was back in goal for the Aces after missing a couple of games due to injury. He acquitted himself quite well, having little chance on the two goals that beat him.
Laidlaw, Hodge lead Junior Hawks
The St. Catharines Black Hawks downed the Toronto Marlboros 5-3 in St. Catharines last night in one of two OHA Junior A games. Hamilton and Oshawa battled to a 2-2 draw in the other contest.
At St. Catharines, Hawks veterans Ken Laidlaw and Ken Hodge notched two goals each to lead the scoring parade against the Marlies. Wayne Maki had the other St. Kitts goal. Carl Winterstein, Barry Watson and Brit Selby replied for Toronto.
Nick Libett and Jimmy Peters scored the Hamilton goals in their tie with the Generals. Bill Bannerman and Danny O’Shea had the Oshawa markers.