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Nearly a quarter century apart, March 31st saw the first NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs game decided in overtime (in 1927) and the last to end with a tied score (in 1951). The 1926-27 season was the earliest in which the NHL alone played for the Stanley Cup, and thanks to the format, the playoffs featured at least one tie in every round. The matchup between the two Montreal teams on March 31 was the only one in which someone scored in overtime. Since the NHL dropped two-game, total-goals format in 1936-37, it was unusual to end a playoff game in a tie. On March 31, 1951, the Toronto curfew stopped the Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins from continuing their game until someone scored.

1927    

A record number of paying spectators (12,550) and guests (for a total of about 13,000) packed the Forum for the playoff game between the defending champion Maroons and the “home team” Canadiens. The game was described by the Montreal Gazette as a “brilliant, breath-taking, grueling elimination battle.” With only two minor penalties, one per team, assessed in the second period and a final minor in the third, the “battle” was actually a “pleasantly clean game.”

The majority of the action came from the brilliant goaltending. As the “hero in the Maroons’ play,” Clint Benedict made 48 saves. How he “ever stopped” some of Howie Morenz’s shots was “a mystery.” For the Canadiens, rookie George Hainsworth made 38 saves. He “kicked out many a puck that was tagged for the corner” to earn his first playoff shutout.

Regulation ended with both teams scoreless. It took until 12:05 into overtime before someone finally found the back of the net. “There was a face-off to one side of the Maroon goal,” began the Gazette’s recap. “Howie Morenz secured the puck and twisted around. He ran into Noble and was put off balance. The puck went loose. Morenz regained his feet and, when settling to shoot, was bodied by on-rushing Maroons. As he was falling Morenz let drive and fell the ice. The puck whistled into the far corner of the net.”

Having tied each other 1-1 in the first game of their series on March 29, Morenz’s single goal advanced the Canadiens into the semi-finals. It also put the game in the history books as the first all-NHL playoff game decided in overtime. Unsurprisingly then, a crowd of about 200 waited to congratulate Morenz after the game, and “an hour after the tussle they were still singing along the thoroughfares on their way home.”

Meanwhile, in the other quarter-final series, the Bruins crushed the Black Hawks 6-1 at Chicago on March 29 and tied them 4-4 at Boston Arena on March 31. The Bruins advanced to the semi-finals, where they tied the New York Rangers 0-0 on April 2 and then defeated them 3-1 at New York on April 4. Meanwhile, the Canadiens (as expected) lost to the Ottawa Senators who won 4-0 on April 2 at Montreal only to tie 1-1 at Ottawa on April 4.

That meant that the Senators and Bruins faced each other for the Stanley Cup Final. Although meant to be a best-of-three series, a fourth was added when two of them ended with tied scores. The series began at Boston on April 7 and April 9 and then moved to Ottawa for April 11 and April 13. Game 1 and Game 3 ended tied 0-0 and 1-1, respectively. In both cases, the ice was too poor to continue after multiple overtime sessions. Both Game 2 and Game 4 ended in the Senators’ favor 3-1. “These deadlocks have resulted in so many ifs, ands and buts being inserted into the situation that it will probably go down in history as the hypothetical hockey series,” wrote Seabury Lawrence for the New York Times.

1951

On March 31, 1951, Maple Leaf Gardens hosted a crowd of 14,056, including Canada’s Governor General (Viscount Alexander), former Leafs stars (Red Horner, Busher Jackson, Charlie Conacher, Ace Bailey, and Syl Apps), former Bruin Dit Clapper, and Frank Boucher of the Rangers. They were there to witness Game 2 of the semi-final series between the Leafs and the Bruins. Boston had taken an early lead with a 2-0 victory on March 28.

During this clash, each team only scored once. In the first period, Toronto defenseman Bill Barilko drew first blood (in more ways than one). As the Boston Globe recapped, “The game wasn’t four minutes old when Maxie Bentley stole the disc from Paul Ronty on a face off and sent it back to Joe Klukay. The blond winger slipped the plug back to Barilko and he let go with a successful 50-footer to beat Jack Gelineau who had 34 saves for four full periods to 17 for old Turk Broda.” The Bruins finally managed to answer at 9:26 of the second period, when Johnny Peirson scored “on a 20-foot backhander in a play set in motion by Ed Sandford and Woody Dumart.”

Unlike its predecessor in 1927, the 1951 battle featured many fights. According to the Globe, “The two forces had been giving evidence of bad feeling from the beginning and it broke out early in the second period right in front of the box reserved for Viscount Alexander.” In this initial battle, Milt Schmidt “hacked” Ted Kennedy “over the ice with his stick,” earning himself a major and Kennedy a minor penalty. According to Schmidt, “We were both high sticking. I admit I cut him but I got a five minute penalty for it. It was either him or me and I happened to get him.” Barilko added his input and received a 10-minute misconduct for his remarks to the referee.

After the score was knotted, Jimmy Thomson charged Pete Horeck in front of the Bruins bench, prompting Coach Lynn Patrick to throw a “solid punch at the Toronto defenseman.” From the Globe’s perspective, “For a moment, it looked as if the whole Bruins bench gave the Bruins the business.”

Without any change to the score, the game went into overtime. After 6:46, “Dunc Fisher was hoisted heartily into the fence by Barilko and was taken off the ice on a stretcher.” Then “Peirson was knocked down by Thomson behind the Toronto cage and had to retire for repairs to his left eye.” After another six minutes or so, “Barilko and Horeck became embroiled in a bout that wound up with the Boston forward being cut over the right eye that caused him to leave for stitches.” All told, the Bruins were credited with 22 penalty minutes and the Leafs with 33. However, these numbers seem low considering Barilko alone was penalized 21 minutes.

The long and rough game lasted until 11:45 pm or so and had to stop there. As the Globe explained, “Toronto regulations specify that all activities in Maple Leaf Gardens must be halted at 11:45 so that all customers may be cleared from the premises by midnight.” Thus far, it has been the only playoff game halted at a tie because of a curfew.

If necessary, an eighth game would be added to the series to make up for the tie. However, the Leafs proceeded to win four straight games (only allowing the Bruins two goals) to take the series. Meanwhile, the Canadiens had squeezed out victories after multiple overtime sessions during the first two games of their semi-final series against Detroit. After two Red Wings victories, the Canadiens won the final two games to advance.

The 1951 Stanley Cup Finals made history as the only time that every one of the games during the series went into overtime. The Final on April 21 was decided in favor of Toronto thanks to Barilko’s overtime goal.

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