It is now official, the Toronto Maple Leafs will meet the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the upcoming NHL playoffs.
This will be the 16th post-season clash between the teams. Incredibly, the winner of the previous 15 post-season clashes between the NHL’s two oldest franchises, won the title.
Two of the meetings were so long ago that the winner was determined by “most goals scored.” Toronto won that type in 1918, Montreal doing so in 1925.
7 of the previous 15 playoffs meetings between the teams were in the final (the two cited above, as well as, ’47, ’51 ’59, ’60 and ’67), ergo, the winner automatically won the title.
Yet, the stat is still incredible, as in the other 8 previous Tor/MTL ‘offs clashes, (all but the ’79 quarter, being in the semis. Remember the NHL was a great 6 team league for many years, (’42-’67), the winner took the Stanley Cup crown.
Montreal won the semi vs Toronto and the title in ’44, ’65, ’66 and ’78. They also won the crown after a quarterfinal series win vs Toronto, in 1979. That was the most recent Montreal/Toronto playoffs battle.
Toronto won the semi-final vs Montreal and the title in ’45, ’49, ’63 and ’64.
The Leafs have a (3-2) edge in best of 7 final round play vs the Habs and a (4-3) all-time final round advantage.
Toronto won the final vs Montreal in ’47, ’51 and in ’67. The Leafs’ title in ’67, came in their most recent final round appearance.
This will be a round of 16 matchup.
The great Leafs’ broadcaster, Foster Hewitt pictured above. Do not worry, we will give “equal time,” to the Canadiens’ great in that field, Danny Gallivan.
The great broadcaster, Bob Murphy (how fortunate we were to have Lindsey Nelson and Bob, now?) informs the radio audience that Gene Mauch’s Phils got 2 runs/b9 to beat the Houston Colt-45’s. (Mauch, a cast member in the Monte Stratton Story, starring Jimmy Stewart).
Murphy added, while broadcasting the first of 2 between the Giants and Mets on May 5, 1963, that the year before, the expansion Colt-45’s first, the Phillies won 17 of the 18 games played.
I add 18, the Jewish “Chai,” as operative, since 18 years after the Phillies’ dominance vs Houston in ’62, they also prevailed, vs Houston, by then the Astros, but in an NLCS, that ranks among the best, in any sport’s post-season annals.
Philadelphia won that ’80 NLCS, in the maximum 5 games, and went on to win the franchise’s first title.
Meanwhile on May 31, 1977, the superb hitting, once Pittsburgh Pirates catcher, Manny Sanguillen, is the Oakland A’s right fielder, for the 1972 ALCS redux, between the A’s and Detroit Tigers.
Both LCS in ’72 went the maximum 5 games and were decided by one run. Sanguillen was the Pirates’ catcher and speaking of Manny and right field, he, maybe more than anyone beyond family, mourned, when the great Pittsburgh “RF” Roberto Clemente was killed in a plane crash. That game 5 of the ’72 NLCS was, tragically, Roberto Clemente’s last.
Back to A’s/Tigers in ’77 and more important the ’72 ALCS. On May 31, 1977 the A’s start Vida Blue while Detroit counters with John Hiller, better known as a relief pitcher.
Blue had a number of relief appearances for the A’s in post-season action as that great team, won 3 consecutive World Series from (1972-1974).
The most notable one, was Blue getting the save in the A’s (2-1) win in the decisive 5th game vs Detroit, in that ’72 ALCS.
In game 4, the Tigers staged a 3 run, bottom 10 rally to (4-3) Oakland in game 4, forcing that decisive 5th game. John Hiller was in that game as a relief pitcher and became the winning pitcher after the Tigers’ rally.
Manny Sanguillen, pictured above.
I add that Tony Taylor got the big hit as the Phils rallied to win that doubleheader opener on May5, 1963.
Nine years later Vida got Tony to fly to George Hendrick in center field to clinch the A’s franchise’s first pennant in 41 years, when another great A’s team won its third straight, mind you beating out the Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig/other greats New York Yankees.
Starting with the 1941 NHL playoffs, there were 16 such with increments of 5 contested and all but one (the 1961 title won by the Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Glenn Hall led Blackhawks) were captured by a team, that will be in the 2021 ‘offs, 80 years later.
The Montreal Canadiens, who once won an incredible 15 titles in 24 seasons (’56-’79), but have only 2 such victories in the 40 completed NHL seasons since (’80-2020, with no NHL season in 2005), won titles/The Stanley Cup in 1946, 1956, 1966, 1971, 1976, and 1986. (The Yankees in “8” years, ’28,’38,’58,’78 and ’98 and Lakers in “0” years, ’50,’80, 2000, 2010, and 2020) match the Habs’ 5 crowns in years ending in 6.
Regarding the other 9 titles in years ending in 1 or 6, thus making them the popular, often cited, multiples of 5 years later, won by 2021 ‘offs participants–the Bruins (the aforementioned ’41 title and one in 2011, 70 years later. They won it on Mr. Orr’s overtime goal in a 4 game sweep in ’70 and that was as is today, (Happy) Mother’s Day to those to whom it applies), Penguins (’91 and 2016) and Avalanche (’96 and 2001) have won 2 each while the Maple Leafs (in ’51 on Bill Barilko’s heroics), Islanders (’81 which was the second of 4 straight titles, which are the only such for the franchise now in its to be 48th completed season) and Hurricanes (’06) have one each.
Bill Barilko, pictured above was a member of all 4 Toronto Maple Leafs’ Cup winning teams in a 5 season period (’47-’51, failing to do so only in ’50).
He scored the title clinching goal in overtime in game 5 vs Montreal.
Tragically, he died in an off season plane crash.
Among other sports results last night, Wade Miley of the Cincinnati Reds “authored”–ode to Bob Murphy) the relatively young baseball season’s 4th no-hitter, the Angels handed the Bill Plaschke proclaimed (I did not need, this, totally “dogged” by me, L.A. slump, to know what a foolish, ridiculous claim he had written. It is sadly, par for the course, in the disgusting, “say anything, see if it sticks,” world of 24 hour news and hype. One such as me, fighting those windmills, in the “glorious quest” for perspective, SUFFERS) “greatest team ever” Dodgers a 14th loss in 18 tilts, while their fellow L.A. defending champion in a cheap, shortened, pandemic influenced season, the Lakers, fell, though covering IN defeat at now 6th place, Portland, to 7th in the NBA West (Oh “little Jeanie” (Buss), how can you not cite Jerry WEST as one of the 5 most important Lakers?!) and at this point, facing the prospect of having to win one of a possible 2 play-in games, just to qualify, in a bid to repeat for a 5th time in franchise history and pass the Celtics for the most NBA crowns.
Miley’s no hitter was the 4th of the last 5 by a Reds’ pitcher to have been hurled on a Friday night (George “Thomas” Seaver, who thrice lost no-hitters in the 9th inning as a Mets’ pitcher, hurled his only no-hitter in ’78, his first full season as a Reds pitcher, Tom Browning “perfect gamed” the Dodgers in ’88, the only full season in which the Dodgers “titled” since Sandy Koufax pitched them to the crown with a Game 7 shutout at Minnesota vs the Twins in the 1965 World Series. On another Thursday 5 weeks earlier, Sandy had pitched a perfect game vs the Cubs, whose starter, Bob Hendley, lost despite a brilliant one hit allowed performance, Homer Bailey’s first of the major league’s 2 consecutive no hitters was also on a Friday in 2012, his second in 2013 was not).
As you read elsewhere and not here, the three previous no-hit games in baseball 2021, all had but one play that kept it from being a perfect game.
The most recent was just 2 days before Miley’s gem, when the Orioles’ John Means’ wild pitch on a strikeout, was the only play to prevent perfection. He did notch the first O’s first one pitcher no-hitter since the great Jim Palmer hurled one in 1969.
Earlier in the season both Joe Musgrove (see my post on 4/10 after his first ever Padres no-hitter on 4/9) and Carlos Rondon (as with Miley, it occurred vs the Cleveland Indians) hit a batter (Rondon in the 9th inning) to mar perfection.
Once (13-2), the Dodgers have lost as cited 14 of 18 (so much for VsIN’s Gill Alexander touting them in general and certainly for suggesting “doubling up,” each game after a loss) tilts, however, they are still the plurality favorites to win it all. They certainly can, but one who went vs the unreal hype, epitomized, frankly, in disgraceful fashion by Plaschke, could have won big.
As for the Lakers, (elsewhere on the L.A. sports scene, the NHL Kings will not be in the ‘offs and by the way all but one of the 16 NHL ‘offs participants are known, yet the season lingers on. UCLA fought gallantly, losing a heartbreaking national semi to Gonzaga, who were then beaten decisively by Baylor in the final. See the “B’s” winning and you will in an upcoming post), they have been hurt by injuries and I believe, will still make the ‘offs (not much of a prediction) and actually, I still think are plurality favorites, to make the NBA Final.
Count out neither the Lakers or Dodgers, but each is considerably lucky to have “partial season titled,” (the Lakers’ title in a far longer “reg,”), but alas, their road to a 17th franchise crown was “paved,” when both Milwaukee and the fellow L.A. team, Clippers, lost before they would have faced the Lakers.
The past 2 months, I have been so entertained and informed each Thursday night, “zooming” into the New York Giants Preservation Society meetings.
Tonight they outdid themselves, as alluded to in an earlier post, we got to sing happy birthday to Willie Mays, as Steve Rothschild made his second such call to Willie and #24 truly enjoyed it.
Leader, a la James Brown of “hard,” (but to him, beyond enjoyable) “work,” Gary Mintz, set the group up with yet another wonderful guest, this one David Krell, a fountain of knowledge and perspective and the author of “1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK.”
I can not wait to read this book and will have more regarding it in the days to follow.
It is in the words of Mr. Krell, split between baseball and the rest of what was occurring in this country, in that seminal year.
Interviews with Mary Early, Maury Wills, Don’s daughter Kelly Drysdale and another daughter, Kiki, her father being Buddy Ebsen.
A tip of the veritable iceberg; the book details “Romper Room” sadness, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” an appreciation of “Failsafe” (I have cited Mr. Fonda’s praise of Larry Hagman in that film) and details about 5 baseball teams, the eventual champion Yankees, the N.L. champion Giants, the team that again lost a gut wrenching playoff to the Giants, namely the Dodgers, as well as the first year (40-120) Mets and the Houston Colt-45’s.
As you can see President Kennedy is on the cover and Mr. Krell has true perspective about the juxtaposition of then and now. He proved an articulate, incredibly informative speaker. That and Willie Mays! It was a truly nice day.
![1962: Baseball and America in the Time of JFK by [David Krell]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51jsxvHA6jL.jpg)
Click the link below for more information about the book as well, as how to purchase it.
The great, great baseball player, Willie Mays turns 90 years old today.
Certainly Willie is in any discussion as to the greatest player and is pretty clearly the best living player.
The years of 100 rbis and 100 runs scored, the catch, throw, walk and stolen base in the all important NY Giants (I hope to be a part of the fine organization New York Giants Preservation Society singing happy birthday to Willie later today) game 1 win in the ’54 World Series vs the 111 wins Cleveland Indians.
New York (Giants) went on to sweep the favored Indians extending Cleveland’s title drought to 6 years on its way to the current 73 and counting.
It was Willie’s only team title, (1-3) in World Series, sans a home run–one reason Babe Ruth and perhaps others rate ahead of him, however, just about any “eye test,” i.e. watching him hit, run, field, throw and think baseball puts Willie in discussion with any other than Ruth, who remember was also a great pitcher.
Two memories, among many of Willie, one relatively the other totally personal and thus completely obscure.
Galen Cisco starts the first game of a doubleheader, on May 5, 1963 (the day before Willie turned 32, remember the #) and walks Harvey Kuenn (playing third base, what a lineup SF had–as Kuenn, Felipe Alou and Hall of Fame players McCovey, Mays and Cepeda all were at least excellent, if not better in the hitting department) and then Alou before getting “Willie Mc” to pop out to “Choo Choo” Coleman in foul ground.
The great broadcaster Lindsey Nelson notes a “mixed” reception for Mays (he also noted 50, 000 plus turned out 2 days earlier to honor him) and then on a (1-1) pitch, Nelson as brilliant as Michael Kay is bad (“bad” was said on “Follow The Money” as I typed so maybe God/force agrees, yet Kay has most of it, even if his “guy,” fellow bad human being, Guiliani goes down and I have nada) calls Willie’s 373rd career home run, into the Polo Ground’s upper deck.
Last, it was either Stan Gardner or Gerry (sp?) Weinberg, each of whom died far too young within a year (late 1980 and mid 1981) who connected a Spalding rubber ball with the point of the “32” “stoop” of the garden apartment in which I lived in better days, so many years ago.
The ball really GOES, when that happens, however, I raced back, facing the other way, toward the street and grabbed the ball.
Those guys Gerry (sp?) and Stan were adults and we were kids, they always won. They were good to us in any case, and after my catch, each remarked to my dad, sitting and watching, that it evoked memories of Willie in #1/’54 World Series.
It was a great moment! Sadly, repeats of such, have been few and far between.
Happy 90th birthday to the great Willie Mays.
Not only Willie Mays, who is prominently displayed, but note the now unfortunately all gone, Roberto Clemente, Henry Aaron and Mickey Mantle, all such great players, above.
I wasted far too much of my life rooting against the greatest of all sports franchises, the New York Yankees.
At one point, after Mr. McCovey lined “straight to Bobby Richardson,” (as the great player and broadcaster, George Kell intoned. Here I go, SORRY, but now we get the inept Michael Kay and the truly offensive Suzyn Waldman. I have made my peace with “Superstar” Sterling, one day I will tell you the Howard Young story), the Yankees had won an incredible half of the 40 World Series contested, between (1923-1962).
Against my father’s advice (he did not do too well rooting vs them, but had and would have his moments. However, the most salient point is that he had created a “monster,” as I later did with cable sports, specifically the monolith, ESPN) I decided to try and stop them and did so 31 times in 33 seasons, often paying, before cashing (it did not help me save my mother and just last night, the piece of crap uncle appeared as a hotel clerk, with me owing the hotel money. Unfortunately it remains a real life night/daymare), under N.L.er Torre in ’96.
That more or less ended the sick hatred. So please you fans, who are making excuses for your vaunted or not so vaunted team’s ‘offs failures, by blaming it on Astros’ steal signing and bringing back the horrible memories of thrown bottles, most notably at Griffey Sr. during the Reds’ sweep in ’76 and the truly unfair action, as Littell stood throwing warm up pitches, before he threw a fateful real one to Mr. Chambliss.
By the way, all teams have good and bad guys and let’s just say Mr. Chambliss and Roy White were among the truly good guys and players on those title Yankees’ teams of ’77 and ’78.
Please stop your ridiculous behavior and that goes for all fans. Stealing signs is part of baseball, always has been. Was it a great example of being ethical? Of course not, but I take nada away from the title ’17 Astros and lament their failure, losing all 4 at home in an unprecedented World Series to Washington, in ’19.
By the way, in ’17 when Houston went on to “title,” the Yankees did lose all 4 in Houston, but you can blame it on their lack of clutch hitting, something that happens when you do not have the right clutch players and manager.
They simply did not hit and that is why they lost, NOT because the Astros supposedly stole signs.
There are worse choices for me as to the 2021 World Series winner than the Yankees, who are in the midst of a period equal to their greatest 20 year paucity of titles and nearly so regarding A.L. Pennants (they did not win a title until the year of the 20th World Series–(1903-1923), winning in ’23, the first year of Yankee Stadium, as there was no World Series in 1904, as was the case 90 years later manifesting in Michael Kay, preaching violence, vs those causing the stoppage of baseball ’94. Why God/force allowed him is beyond and truly painful to me!!
They have the same one title in the 20 seasons since their under appreciated manager, Joe Torre guided them to 4 crowns in 5 seasons from (’96-2000). Additionally they have managed to win just one pennant in 17 seasons (’04-2020) matching the zero pennants in their first 17 seasons in which there was a World Series (1903-1920, with no WS in 1904 as noted above).
| New York Yankees – 1, Houston Astros – 2 | Minute Maid Park | 3:20 | 43,116[6] |
| 2 | October 14 |
New York Yankees – 1, Houston Astros – 2
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As you can see, I think, the Yankees averaged less than a run a game in the 4 “at Houston” tilts.
Maybe the Astros were stealing the signs as to how the Yankees would swing. The great teams such as the old Yankees, Canadiens or Celtics would always be willing to or on relatively rare occasion actually congratulate the team that beat them.
Not so these Yankees and many of their fans. Certainly the Yankees and maybe even some of those fans are better than that.
After his brother in law, Barack H. Obama ascended to the U.S. Presidency, an outcome, seemingly unfathomable a year or two earlier , Craig Robinson guided Oregon State to a minor tournament victory, in which, as I recall, an underdog in most, if not all their “tournie tilts.”
On Saturday March 12, I first watched “Southside With Me,” a truly entertaining and revealing movie about Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson’s fateful first date, Craig Robinson is cited.
Mr. Obama is awed by Robinson’s basketball prowess. At that point, the 2021 tournie version of Oregon State, with Mr. Robinson long gone from the scene, had pulled off two upset wins in the Pac 12 Tournament.
They went on to win as a 9 or so point “dog” in the final vs Colorado and as nice underdogs in 3 NCAA Tournament wins. When Houston eliminated them in the NCAA Quarters, Or St. bettors got the cash as they covered in defeat.
As if that is not enough, Craig Robinson is part of the New York Knicks’ organization. That team has been incredible, first off they are (37-28) obliterating a “reg” season wins total/perception of 22 and a fraction, and have won 12 of 13 and I believe covered all.
Add it up (7-0) Oregon State and (12-1) Knicks, (19-1) a la the ’63 Cards before they lost all 3 vs L.A. effectively ending the 1963 N.L. Pennant race, in Stan’s (Musial) last season.
I know it, knew it, but as seemingly always, the money escaped me.
Craig Robinson, pictured above. In addition to being a fine basketball man, Craig is adored by his wife, children, mother (Marian) and sister for the good man that he is.
A true testimony to his father, Fraser Robinson, a hard working man, called the “best man in the world,” by daughter Michelle.
Exactly 50 years ago, on Sunday May 2, 1971, again, as in game 5, this time in the third period of regulation play, the great player, Bobby Hull scored the game’s decisive goal off a faceoff as the Chicago Blackhawks advanced to a 1965 Stanley Cup Final redux vs the Montreal Canadiens.
They won their semi-final series vs the New York Rangers while the Habs defeated the Minnesota North Stars in 6 games.
All these (50) years later, only the Canadiens, among the ’71 semi-finalists, who now may avoid first place Toronto (Maple Leafs) in the North Division first round, are virtually certain or even favored to make the NHL Playoffs.
It is almost certain the Rangers will not qualify, very likely “Chi” is out and the North Stars franchise, now the Stars of Dallas, trail the fourth place Nashville Predators by 3 points in the battle for their division’s final ‘offs spot.
2020 NHL runner up, Dallas, has a game in hand.
The great player, Robert Marvin Hull, pictured above.
12 to 1 and with Mr. Baffert shown, it was Medina Spirit, as the first day of May, Kentucky Derby winner.
In looking for the trainer with a record 5 Kentucky Oaks wins yesterday, I looked up Mr. Baffert.
I should have known.
#7 Kentucky Derby win, a record for the distinguished Mr.Baffert. He shared the record with Ben Jones.
The great trainer, Bob Baffert, pictured above.
Andy B Sports 