Montreal Canadiens’ coach Toe Blake made a switch in goalkeepers for game four of the Stanley Cup final last night, and the result was exactly what Chicago Black Hawk superstar Bobby Hull was looking for. The Golden Jet, held scoreless through the first three games of the series, fired a pair to lead the Black Hawks to a 5-1 win, tying the series at two games apiece.
Hodge starts over Worsley
Blake started Charley Hodge in goal, replacing Gump Worsley. The official word was that Worsley had suffered a leg injury in the pre-game warmup, but it’s likely Blake felt that the Gumper may have been a bit rattled by all the controversy during and at the end of game three in Chicago. Worsley had a vigorous argument with referee John Ashley over a disputed goal, and later ended up challenging members of the crowd when he was nearly hit by a wooden slat that had been broken from a stadium seat.
Hodge was not sharp in making 23 saves. He was especially weak on the game-winning goal by Hull. It came after only 26 seconds had elapsed in the third period when Hull beat him with a slap shot from centre ice. That marker was the first of four unanswered goals Chicago would score in the final frame.
Hull described the goal afterward: “I think it went between his legs. I shot the puck to put it at the other end because I was due to come off the ice. The power play was over.”
Rookie Stanfield starts thing off
Chicago took the early lead in this one with rookie Freddie Stanfield hitting the mark at 2:57 of the first. Stanfield, who had been replaced by Buffalo call-up Gerry Melnyk in game three, scored directly off a faceoff in the Montreal zone. He beat Ralph Backstrom and then fired a quick shot for which Hodge was not prepared.
Jean Beliveau scored the only goal of the second stanza to tie the game on the power play. J.C. Tremblay had set up Dick Duff at the side of the Hawks’ goal for a deflection try, but goalie Glenn Hall made a great save on Duff. The puck went directly to Beliveau who put it into the net in the blink of an eye.
After Hull’s eventual-game-winning goal, the Hawks waited until 15:20 of the third to start adding insurance. Bill Hay converted a Stanfield pass to make it 3-1. Hull then connected for his second of the night at 18:48. Doug Jarrett then notched his first playoff goal with three seconds left to make the final 5-1.
The rookie Jarrett made a spectacular play for his tally. He knocked Canadiens’ Claude Larose off the puck at centre ice, giving himself a breakaway. Moving in alone on Hodge, he beat him with a blistering shot from about 20 feet.
Blake restrained at end of game
At the end of the game Blake, livid at the officiating, was making threatening gestures at referee Vern Buffey, who was standing at centre ice as the teams left for their dressing rooms. Blake suddenly stepped onto the ice in an effort to confront Buffey directly. Fortunately for all involved, Canadiens trainers Andy Galley and Larry Aubut restrained the Montreal coach and escorted him to the exit.
Montreal general manager Sam Pollock was just as upset as his coach over Buffey’s work, terming it a farce.
“If we get the same kind of officiating in Montreal Tuesday, we’ll have no kicks.”
Pollock also said that he thought Hull was receiving special treatment resulting in his being immune to being assessed penalties.
“There must be something funny somewhere because ti’s murder what he gets away with. I know he’s a great player and all that, but he’s no Lady Bynger. Somebody must be in sympathy with him.”
Reporters barred by Blake
Blake barred reporters from the Montreal room after the game, suggesting, among other things, that scribes simply write about the game exactly as it unfolded.
“I want to see how much guts you guys got” Blake bellowed. “Go ahead and write the game the way you saw it…I’ll buy the paper to see it.” With that, he slammed the door to the room and left reporters to their own devices.
Chicago coach Billy Reay credited Hall with major credit for the Black Hawk win. He made particularly important saves in the second period on Beliveau, John Ferguson and Yvan Cournoyer when Canadiens threatened to break the game wide open.
A sad note became known during the game when Black Hawk scout Ken Campbell was called from his seat. Campbell was informed that his 21-year-old son, a marine lieutenant, had been killed in action in Viet Nam. Ken had not known that his son was in Viet Nam. He has another son, 17, at home in St. Catharines.
The boy was apparently an underwater demolitions expert who was a member of an elite diving team.
The series now reverts back to Montreal on Tuesday night for game five.
AHL Bears narrow series with Amerks
The Hershey Bears narrowed their Calder Cup final series with the Rochester Americans to two games to one with a 5-2 win over the Amerks Saturday night in Hershey.
Goalkeeper Claude Dufour was the star for Hershey, making 38 saves for the Bears. Five players shared in the scoring for the winners, with Mike Nykoluk, Pete Conacher, Chuck Hamilton, Michel Harvey and Bruce Cline each netting a goal. Eddie Litzenberger and Red Armstrong replied for Rochester.
Two of Hershey’s goals were scored on five-on-three power plays.
The game was a bone-crushing affair, taking three hours and 45 minutes to play. Referee Frank Udvari handed out 61 minutes in penalties.
Buckaroos win WHL crown
The Portland Buckaroos won the Western Hockey League championship Saturday night with a 3-0 shutout win over the Victoria Maple Leafs. The Buckaroos took the best-of-seven series four games to one.
Portland goalie Don Head was the star of the game with a brilliant performance, as he made save after save, frustrating the Victoria forwards. He made 23 stops en route to registering his third shutout of the playoffs.
Gerry Goyer scored two goals for Portland, with Cliff Schmautz netting the other.
Flyers, Lachine split weekend games.
The Niagara Falls Flyers and Lachine Maroons of the Montreal Metro Junior A league commenced their Memorial Cup Eastern Final best-of-five series this weekend by splitting a pair of games in Montreal.
The Maroons won Saturday night’s opener 3-2 before Niagara rebounded to take last night’s match 2-1. The final three games, if necessary, will be played in Niagara Falls.
Lachine was listed as an underdog to the heavily favoured Flyers. However, their 16-year-old goalkeeper Cliff Rose was spectacular in both games against the Ontario champs.
Saturday’s match saw the Flyers jump out to a 2-0 lead on goals by John Arbour and Bud Debrody. But the Maroons refused to cave in and staged a stirring third period comeback. Richard David brought Lachine to within one at 7:50 of the third, before Dick Rose, brother of goalie Cliff, tied it up about eight minutes later.
That set the stage for the winning goal, scored by Ed Harrison. Harrison plays for the Montreal Nationals of that same Metro league and was recruited by the Maroons for this series, per Memorial Cup rules.
Yesterday’s game was another tight one, dominated by the goaltending of Rose and Bernie Parent. Bill Goldsworthy was the Niagara Falls hero, scoring both goals. Dick Rose had Lachine’s goal.
Notes
- Harold Ballard says that at a recent NHL governors meeting, Chicago owner Jim Norris offered the Maple Leafs $1,750,000 for both Carl Brewer and Bob Pulford. Ballard says Toronto turned the offer down, because the money can’t play centre or defence.
- Montreal GM Sam Pollock will not discuss next year’s coaching situation. Rumours abound that Toe Blake will retire after the playoffs.
- NHL president Clarence Campbell said there will be no further action taken against Montreal’s Toe Blake for going on to the ice at the end of Sunday’s game. “A coach is entitled to go on the ice if he wants after the game is over. The incident was well taken care of by Montreal’s own staff.”