1960-61 NHL Replay - week ending 19 March 1961

After more than five grueling months of hockey, we have reached the final eight days of the regular season, and the bumps and bruises (and worse) are starting to accumulate as the clubs struggled to dress a full lineup even though there were still playoff positions at stake . . .

12 March 1961 - Toronto (6) at Boston (2)

Boston's usual peskiness at home was nowhere in evidence as the Leafs, needing every point to keep pressure on Montréal at the top of the table, scored the first three goals of the gam to take control and then piled on behind two Frank Mahovlich goals that left his one goal shy of becoming only the second fifty-goal scorer in NHL history. Midway through a sluggish opening period, the bit players for Toronto took center stage as John MacMillan and Bob Pulford struck within 26 seconds of each other to give the visitors the sudden 2-0 lead. Dick Duff made it a three-goal spread when he tallied at 6:28 of the second before Boston finally found a response from André Provonost at 13:02. But then Mahovlich got going - he scored three minutes later on a set-up by Bert Olmstead (centering the top line in Red Kelly's absence) to make it 4-1 and then again with eighty seconds left to finish off the scoring with his 49th goal - and he has three games left to match or surpass Maurice Richard's record of 50 scores set sixteen years ago. Tim Horton had a goal, an assist, a hit and two blocked shots. [box] [stats]

Frank Mahovlich scores his 49th goal of the season as the Leafs batter the Bruins

12 March 1961 - Montréal (5) at Chicago (3)

The Canadiens jumped out to a big lead early in the second period, and held on to tighten their grip on first place behind 51 shots and goals from five different skaters. Despite a first period that looked more like a shooting gallery than a big-league hockey game (MTL 19 shots, CHI 5) it was still anyone's game after twenty minutes because Montréal could only beat Glenn Hall once, on Doug Harvey's snap shot from the top of the right circle at 16:15. The puck began to roll downhill for the visitors early in the middle period, however; Marcel Bonin scored Montréal's second inside of the first minute, and Ralph Backstrom and Bernie Geoffrion got two more about a minute apart to make it 4-0 less than seven minutes into the period. The Hawks got a power-play goal from Bobby Hull midway through the frame, and then scored twice in the first half of the third (the second from Hull again) to close it back up to a 4-3 game and give some hope to the scoreboard watchers in Boston and Toronto. But Jean Beliveau answered Hull's second with Montréal's fifth just thirty seconds later and the Canadiens weren't challenged over the final ten minutes as Hall's heroics (a League-season high with 46 saves) went for naught. [box] [stats]

Glenn Hall made 46 saves, but Geoffrion's goal was one of five for the Habs

12 March 1961 - Detroit (1) at New York (6)

Suddenly, the Rangers have become the most destructive force in the League as they steam like a freight train towards a playoff spot. New York, who have only lost a single game since 19 February, had won their last five by a combined score of 29-6 and they laid the wood to the Red Wings again this evening. Bill Gadsby got the NY scoring starting barely a minute after the anthem ended, and it was 3-0 for the home team by the time the first period drew to a close. One of the big keys to New York's hot streak has been the incandescent play of Camille Henry, and the former Calder and Byng Trophy winner scored three times over the final two periods, giving him an absurd sixteen goals in his last nine contest with three hat tricks in that span. All the Wings could generate was a single Alex Delvecchio goal in the second period, as Marcel Paille stopped 24 shots after being summoned to tend goal in Gump Worsley's absence due to illness. [box] [stats]

No one can slow down Camille Henry these days

14 March 1961 - New York (7) at Detroit (3)

Another day, another Rangers onslaught - three goals in the first six minutes were just the beginning as Dean Prentice, Camille Henry and Andy Bathgate scored two goals apiece - and Marcel Paille turned away forty Red Wing shots at the Olympia to clinch the fourth and final spot in the playoffs for New York, their first postseason in three years. Bathgate scored twice before the sheen had even gone off the ice surface, the second coming at 5:43 and giving New York a 3-0 lead which they carried into the first intermission despite only taking eight shots. Leo Labine (seven shots) scored a brace for Detroit in the second to make it a one-goal game with less than five minutes until the second trip to the changing rooms, but the Wings couldn't hold off the Rangers for that long - Prentice (four points and a +5) and Henry scored with the waning minutes of the period to make it 5-2 at the break, and that pair would do it again in the third (Henry shorthanded) as the visitors rang up seven goals against Terry Sawchuk on just 26 shots. Paille, meanwhile was sterling again in a stand-in role, facing down 43 Detroit shots for his second win in as many starts. [box] [stats]

Marcel Paille racked up forty saves to control the Wings and clinch a playoff spot

15 March 1961 - New York (3) at Boston (3)

For the first time in a couple of weeks, the shortcomings of the Ranger defense weren't papered over by their suddenly ruthless finishing, and they were fortunate to earn a tie in Boston behind Marcel Paille's 44 saves. Boston led 2-1 after a period, and the Bs turned up the heat on Paille in the second - twenty shots in twenty minutes, and only one managed to squeeze past the substitute netminder while Camille Henry (again!) and Dean Prentice were lighting the lamp for NY to make the score 3-3 headed into the third. It was another period of wide-open hockey, with chances at both ends, but Paille and Bruce Gamble had the measure of the shooters on this evening and neither club could find a path to break the tie. [box] [stats]

Murray Oliver's goal on eight shots was not enough to earn the Bs two points

15 March 1961 - Detroit (0) at Chicago (2)

Glenn Hall kicked out all 36 Red Wing shots, stopping five power plays, and Ed Litzenberger and Eric Nesterenko scored the goals that would earn the Hawks the win. Litzenberger's goal at 12:01 of the second period broke the ice after an uneventful opening period had finished scoreless, and the enigmatic Black Hawks gave just as good as they got in the course of the middle twenty minutes. Detroit dialed up the pressure in the final period, looking to tie the game, but Hall was unbeatable with sixteen saves and Nesterenko bought Chicago some insurance with a net-front goal six minutes into the period. Thanks to Hall and a bend-but-don't-break defensive effort, the Hawks never had to cash in that policy. [box] [stats]

Glenn Hall's fifth shutout of the season clipped the Wings

16 March 1961 - Toronto (1) at Montréal (1)

The Canadiens could clinch the regular-season title with a win on home ice, and they got off to an ideal start when Bert Olmstead of the Leafs took a hooking call less than two minutes into the game and Don Marshall stung them for a power-play goal at 3:27. Toronto didn't come unglued, however, and they got even before the first break when Eddie Shack scored at 11:45. Montréal had three chances with the man advantage in the second period but came up empty each time, as conservative hockey was the order of the day with neither club willing to risk its season with a key mistake. The home ice began to finally tilt the Canadiens' way in the last twenty minutes, as the puck began to spend more and more time in the Maple Leaf end of the rink, but Cesare Maniago stopped all thirteen Montréal shots while the visitors could manage just seven attempts of their own. The game ended in a draw that suited the home team just fine but put the Leafs on the brink of elimination, trailing by three points with just two games to play. Frank Mahovlich and Bernie Geoffrion were both held off the scoresheet, Frank not getting a single shot on goal as his bid for 50 goals stalled for the moment. Bob Baun and Tim Horton each had two hits and a block for the Toronto defence, while Marshall led the Habs with seven shots. [box] [stats]

Eddie Shack's tying score kept the Leafs (barely) alive in the title chase

18 March 1961 - Chicago (1) at Montréal (6)

The Forum crowd got what they came for, and more, getting to celebrate an easy title-clinching win by their Canadiens over the Black Hawks. Chicago threatened to put the champagne back on ice at the outset, though, as Pierre Pilote scored inside of the first six minutes to give the visitors the early lead. But Bill Hicke (PPG) and Doug Harvey restored order later in the period to give Montréal the lead at the intermission, and Boom Boom Geoffrion's unassisted goal late in the second gave the Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge a two-goal cushion. The third period was all Canadiens, as they pelted Glenn Hall (40 saves) with sixteen shots and Geoffrion got his second (and 43rd of the year) to go along with tallies by Henri Richard and Marcel Bonin, and booked a date with the Red Wings in the Stanley Cup semi-finals. [box] [stats]

Bernie Geoffrion's pair led Montréal to an easy title-clincher

18 March 1961 - Boston (1) at Toronto (2)

By the time the two clubs left the dressing room for the third period, Toronto knew their fate was well on its way to being sealed 500 km away in Montréal, and the third period looked every bit like the dead rubber it was. The Leafs had scored in the first minute of the game to give their hopes a boost, and made it 2-0 at the halfway point when Bob Pulford registered his 11th goal of the season. When Jim Bartlett scored for the Bruins three minutes later, though, the pressure was back on and Toronto were somewhat on the back foot for the remainder of the middle period. By the time the puck had been dropped to begin the third, however, word had gotten to the Leafs bench of Montréal's fourth goal against Chicago and the incentive had been drained from the game - Toronto was now locked into second place and a semi-final date with the Rangers, and the Bs were simply trying to see out one of the worst campaigns in their history with their first last-placed finish since since 1933-34. The two teams combined for thirteen shots in the last twenty minutes, but none of those carried any real venom and the home team was happy enough to skate off with a narrow, desultory win and avoid any notable injuries as they looked ahead to the playoffs. [box] [stats]

Bob Pulford's second-period score proved to be the game winner

19 March 1961 - Chicago (2) at Boston (1)

The final day of the regular season had finally arrived, and the Hawks and Bruins played out the string in a matchup of the two teams which failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Boston were probably the better team judging from the run of play, but Chicago - in a departure from the disappointing story of their season - made better use of their scoring chances when the game was on the line. Johnny Bucyk (six shots) gave Boston the lead with a goal (17) just before the end of the opening period, and the Bs then dominated the second only to see Glenn Hall stop all nineteen of their shot attempts. It was still a 1-0 game halfway through the final chapter, but Murray Balfour (17) tied the score at 11:36 off of Bill Hay's incisive pass and Al Arbour (6) slammed one home off a deflection in front of the net with five minutes to play. The home side was not controlling the game any longer, haven't spent their final energy of the season in the first forty minutes, and that slim lead was enough for Hall and the Hawks defence to carry to the close. [box] [stats]

Al Arbour (#2) had two hits and the game-winning goal for Chicago

19 March 1961 - Montréal (4) at Detroit (2)

Neither club was probably showing too many cards in advance of their upcoming playoff series, but Detroit will probably have some questions to ask themselves before that engagement gets underway in three days's time. Terry Sawchuk was not sharp in goal, and the Wings' defence didn't seem to have an answer for Montréal's top line as Marcel Bonin, Jean Beliveau and Boom Boom Geoffrion combined for twelve shots and scored all four Canadien goals. Bonin got the visitors started just 1:15 into the game and then, after Howie Glover had pulled the Wings even 7:38 into the second, Geoffrion and Beliveau (PPG) scored less than five minutes apart to put Montréal back in control. Beliveau's shortie made it 4-1 early in the third and the two teams skated off the rest of the evening without incident other than a very late consolation prize for Leo Labine (13). One thing which Detroit will certainly need to tighten up is their special teams play, as Montréal led the League in power-play efficiency by some margin (19.3%) and were second in the NHL in short-handed goals with nine; Detroit finished third in penalty killing (85.7%) but allowed a League-leading ten short-handed goals. [box] [stats]

Jean Beliveau capped a League-leading points season with three more

19 March 1961 - Toronto (2) at New York (2)

Another semi-final preview, and it looked as if the white-hot Rangers were more interested in a tune-up than the Maple Leafs as New York fired a season-high 49 shots at the Toronto net while the visitors bothered with only twenty-one. In the end none of this mattered as only four pucks found their way into the back of the net, two for each side, and they took the stalemate home awaiting Game One of their series in Toronto in two days' time. Dean Prentice and Pat Hannigan scored for the Rangers, while Bert Olmstead (SHG) and Billy Harris added to their season-ending accounts for the Leafs. The only real drama for the visitors was Frank Mahovlich's chase for his 50th goal - despite his teammates actively looking for him, and his probably skating a few more shifts then he might have normally done under the circumstances, the winger finished with just three shots and ended the campaign stuck on 49 scores. New York finished the regular season with fifteen points from their final ten games and Toronto, despite the thirty-point gap between the season totals, will need to be ready for what appears to be a much different Ranger team than appeared on the ice for much of the season. [box] [stats]

Andy Bathgate had two helpers and seven shots on goal

Final Standings

Team	GP	W	L	T	PTS	Pct	GF	GA
Montréal Canadiens	70	42	17	11	95	0.679	276	181
Toronto Maple Leafs	70	40	19	11	91	0.650	236	170
Detroit Red Wings	70	31	29	10	72	0.514	199	194
New York Rangers	70	25	34	11	61	0.436	219	250
Chicago Black Hawks	70	24	38	8	56	0.400	164	206
Boston Bruins	70	18	43	9	45	0.321	170	263

Final League Leaders

Goals	Team	G
Mahovlich, Frank	Toronto	49
Beliveau, Jean	Montreal	47
Geoffrion, Bernie	Montreal	44
Henry, Camille	New York	43
Moore, Dickie	Montreal	33

Assists	Team	A
Beliveau, Jean	Montreal	60
Kelly, Red	Toronto	54
Geoffrion, Bernie	Montreal	53
Nevin, Bob	Toronto	50
Richard, Henri	Montreal	45
Ullman, Norm	Detroit	45

Points	Team	PTS
Beliveau, Jean	Montreal	107
Geoffrion, Bernie	Montreal	97
Mahovlich, Frank	Toronto	81
Kelly, Red	Toronto	79
Ullman, Norm	Detroit	75

Penalty Minutes	Team	PIM
Fleming, Reggie	Chicago	150
Pilote, Pierre	Chicago	148
Talbot, Jean-Guy	Montreal	129
Richard, Henri	Montreal	123
Shack, Eddie	Toronto	116

Plus/Minus	Team	+/-
Johnson, Tom	Montreal	66
Beliveau, Jean	Montreal	59
Geoffrion, Bernie	Montreal	55
Langlois, Albert	Montreal	52
Mahovlich, Frank	Toronto	51

Goals-Against Average	Team	GAA
Hodge, Charlie	Montreal	2.37
Bower, Johnny	Toronto	2.40
Bassen, Hank	Detroit	2.69
Plante, Jacques	Montreal	2.73
Sawchuk, Terry	Detroit	2.81

Save Percentage	Team	PCT
Hodge, Charlie	Montreal	0.921
Bower, Johnny	Toronto	0.919
Bassen, Hank	Detroit	0.909
Hall, Glenn	Chicago	0.906
Plante, Jacques	Montreal	0.906

(Boxscores and stats from the BlueLynx hockey spreadsheet.)