Game Report: Dec.31, 1949 Detroit Red Wings v Toronto Maple Leafs

I starting looking at old programs last week, and what happened in the actual games in which they were issued. Today I look at a program from a game on New Years Eve, Dec. 31, 1949 when the Detroit Red Wings visited Maple Leaf Gardens. Pictured on the cover is Leaf centreman Cal Gardner. He was in the line up this evening just returning from a broken jaw suffered on November 10. Gardner would play a mere 31 games in 1949-50 yet still produced 26 points.

This Saturday night affair was the first of a home and home set between the Wings and Leafs. Detroit came into the game in first place with a record of 20-8-4. The Leafs meanwhile had one once and tied two in their last nine games. The Wings as somewhat expected beat Toronto 5-1 this evening then 5-0 the next night back home at The Olympia. They jumped out to a 2-0 before the game was seven minutes old before 12,985 at the Gardens. League point leader Ted Lindsay assisted on the first goal by Sid Abel and would add another helper on a Gordie Howe goal late in the third. Toronto points leader Max Bentley tallied their only goal with just over a minute left to break up the shutout of Harry Lumley.

When the dust settled after their weekend sweep, Detroit held a 13 point lead over second place Montreal and Toronto settled into fifth place. Ted Lindsay held a six point lead in the scoring race with 42 points, 6 more than teammate Abel.


By the end of the season Detroit had indeed held onto first place with 88 points , 11 more than Montreal and Toronto had climbed to third with a great second half record of 19-10-6. Lindsay retained his lead in the scoring race finishing with 78 points. Detroit and Toronto would meet in the first round and the series went the distance. The Wings bested the Leafs four games to three even though they were shutout three times by Turk Broda. In fact Broda would finish the seven games with a 1.33 GAA but the Leafs scored only 6 goals in the last 6 games after their 5-0 win in game one. Incidentally in this game, 21 year old Gordie Howe suffered a fractured skull in a collision with Ted Kennedy and would miss the rest of the playoffs.
The Wings went on to win the Cup over New York in game seven double overtime on a goal by Pete Babando. The Leafs would bounce back the next year to win their fourth Cup in five seasons.

Comments

horchy said…
I noticed after the Drew Stafford post there was an advert for Stafford chocolate syrup in the program pictured in the following post on the Leafs vs. Wings. Coincidence, or somehow connected?? Perhaps posts on Blake Sloan and Mark Eaton are to follow?? Hmmmmm....??
February 20, 2011 at 11:59 PM
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