Last time Leafs started 7-2-0 on Road, 1940

 
The Maple Leafs of Toronto have begun the abbreviated 2012/13 season with seven wins and two losses in their first nine road affairs. Simply put, this is their best start away from home since 1940 when they had the exact same record.
 
A look at the road start from that season of over 70 years ago:
 
Game 1 Nov. 4, 1940: Turk Broda defeats Canadiens goalie Bert Gardiner 6-2. Pete Langelle tallied 2 goals and 2 helpers, he would score only twice more the entire rest of the season. Syl Apps and Hank Goldup had two points apiece.
 
Game 2 Nov. 17, 1940: Frank Brimsek and the Bruins were the home losers this time as the Leafs won 4-1. Goals were scored by Wally Stanowski, Sweeney Schriner, Hank Goldup and Billy Taylor. Taylor also chipped in an assist and Langelle continued his warm start with an assist on Goldup's goal. Also with one of his five points on the season, defenceman Bingo Kampman.

Game 3 Nov 21, 1940: This one was a 2-1 overtime victory in New York over Chuck Rayner and the Americans. Drillon opened the scoring in the first from Stanowski and Nick Metz then Peanuts O'Flaherty tied it up in the second with a helper from ex-Leaf great Charlie Conacher. Captain Syl Apps won it for the Buds 1:16 into the extra frame.

Game 4 Nov 24, 1940: Toronto defeats Paul Goodman and the Black hawks in Chicago by a 4-2 score. Sweeney Schriner notched a pair of goals and Syl Apps and Gus Marker had the other...well, markers.

Game 5 Nov 26, 1940: Another 4-2 road win, this time over Dave Kerr and the New York Rangers. Apps and Gus Marker scored again, and this time it was Drillon with the pair.

Game 6 Dec 1, 1940: Johnny Mowers and the Red Wings were the home victims as Leafs won 3-1. Scriner, Stanokski and Drillon counted the goals with Billy Taylor collecting two assists.

Game 7 Dec 15, 1940: Leafs extended their road streak to seven wins beating Chicago and goalie Goodman again 4-1. The regular suspects tallied with goals from Schriner, Drillon and two from Nick Metz. Drillon and Metz each had three points while Apps had two.

Game 8 Dec 17, 1940: Hank Goldup and Billy Taylor scored but the Leafs suffered their first loss away from home to Brimsek and the Bruins. Toronto however sat with a 13-3 record in the standings, 8 points ahead of second place Detroit.

Game 9 Dec 22, 1940: The lowly Americans continued the Leafs road blues beating them 2-1 behind goaltender Earl Robertson. This was one of only 6 wins for him this year as he went 6-22-8. Stanowski from Apps counted the lonely goal as New York won it at 14:32 of the third on a goal from  Murray Armstrong.

Toronto would go only 5-7-3 the rest of the season away from home and finished second overall. They went on to lose to Boston in the seven game semi-finals. I'm pretty sure they'd take a similar outcome to the current season.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Team Canada 1972, What Might have Been

WHA Ottawa Civics, The Two Week Franchise

Denman Arena, Vancouver - "The Pile"