March 10, 1947: Playoff field set, but top spot still up for grabs
MARCH 10, 1947
PLAYOFF FIELD SET, BUT TOP SPOT UP FOR GRABS
The four NAHC teams that will continue their quest for the Challenge Cup with playoff berths have been decided but the semi-final matchups are yet to be determined. The Detroit Motors and New York Shamrocks clinched third and fourth place respectively last week and they know they will each face either the Boston Bees or the Chicago Packers in the opening playoff round. What is not know is whether it will be the Bees or the Packers standing at the top of the heap when the regular season comes to a conclusion a week from Tuesday in Detroit.
That final game may well determine the semi-final matchups as it will pit long-time rivals Boston and Detroit against each other. The way it stands now the Bees and Packers are dead even with 59 points each after Chicago beat Boston twice in just over a week. The Packers have 3 games remaining on their schedule while the Bees have four left to play.
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NAHC STANINGS
TEAM GP W L T PTS
Boston Bees 44 26 11 7 59
Chicago Packers 45 26 12 7 59
Detroit Motors 45 20 16 9 49
New York Shamrocks 47 19 22 6 44
Montreal Valiants 47 17 26 4 38
Brooklyn Eagles 45 14 23 8 36
Toronto Dukes 45 13 25 7 33
SCORING LEADERS
NAME TEAM GP G A PTS
Tommy Burns CHI 45 29 33 62
Tommy Hart BOS 43 29 20 49
Orval Cabbell NY 44 23 22 45
Marty Mahoney CHI 45 13 32 45
Graham Comeau DET 45 19 25 44
Wilbur Chandler BOS 42 17 27 44
Quinton Pollack BKN 39 26 16 42
Bobbie Sauer TOR 45 22 20 42
Ed Delarue CHI 42 18 24 42
Laurel Albers NY 48 11 30 41
Garrett Ferrar DET 45 20 16 36
Wes Burns CHI 36 19 17 36
Tom Brescia NY 41 14 22 36
Clarence Skinner MON 40 18 16 34
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME TEAM W L T ShO GAA
Norm Hanson CHI 24-12-4 3 2.51
Pierre Melancon BOS 20-8-7 4 2.53
Henri Chasse DET 19-16-9 5 2.62
Tom Brockers BKN 14-20-8 3 2.69
Etienne Tremblay NY 16-18-6 3 2.78
Millard Touhey MON 13-22-4 1 3.37
Gordie Broadway TOR 11-23-4 1 3.55
LAST WEEK'S RECAPS
Tuesday March 4
The highly anticipated final meeting of the season between the league's top two teams took place in Chicago with the host Packers beat the visiting Boston Bees for the second straight game. The season series between the two was a dead heat with each club winning 3 times and the other two games ending in a tie score. As for this evening it was a 4-2 final with Ed Delarue scoring twice to pace the Packers. Wes Burns did not factor in the scoring at all, but he was back in the Chicago lineup after missing a month with a broken jaw. The other game saw the New York Shamrocks thump the Detroit Motos 6-1 to move closer to clinching the fourth and final playoff berth.
Thursday March 6
Detroit secured a playoff spot and helped end Brooklyn's hopes for their first post-season appearance in over decade after the two clubs skated to a 1-1 draw in the Motor City. Quinton Pollack, back after missing three weeks with an injury, scored his 26th goal of the season while Dave Bradley's 11th accounted for the Detroit offense. Montreal kept its faint playoff hopes alive with a 3-2 win in Toronto. Ray Sclisizzi led the Valiants with a pair of goals while Bobbie Sauer had one for Toronto, allowing him to reach the 20-goal plateau for the third consecutive season.
Saturday March 8
The New York Shamrocks clinched the fourth and final playoff spot without stepping on the ice. The Shamrocks were off but the Montreal Valiants playoff dreams were crushed in a 6-1 loss to the Detroit Motors. Detroit was led by two goals and an assist from Graham Comeau, giving the second-year player a team high 44 points on the season. Third period goals from Rosie McInnis and Leo Carlson lifted the Toronto Dukes to a 5-3 win over the Brooklyn Eagles in a game that saw the Dukes pepper beleaguered Brooklyn goaltender Tom Brockers with 52 shots.
Sunday March 9
Boston and Chicago remain tied for first place after both won on Sunday. The Bees trimmed Montreal 4-3 despite a 3-point night for Valiants winger Nicholas Haines while the Packers had a much easier time of things in Brooklyn as Moose Vezina had a hat trick in a 6-2 Chicago victory over the Eagles. The final game of the night saw Bobbie Sauer score twice as Toronto and New York skated to a 3-3 tie. The game had a violent incident in the closing minutes when New York forward Adam Greenham was given a 5-minute boarding major and subsequently suspended four games by the league meaning he will miss the Shamrocks regular season finale next week and the first three games of the playoffs.
NEXT WEEK'S SCHEDULE
TUESDAY MARCH 11
Boston at Toronto
THURSDAY MARCH 13
Detroit at Chicago
Brooklyn at Boston
SATURDAY MARCH 15
Montreal at Brooklyn
Toronto at Chicago
SUNDAY MARCH 16
Chicago at Toronto
Detroit at Boston
New York at Brooklyn
AROUND THE LEAGUE
NAHC PLAYOFF PICTURE
The 4-team playoff field is set but the matchups are still murky as Boston and Chicago are tied for top spot with 9 days left in the season. Motors end a 2 year post-season drought in clinching third place while the Shamrocks take fourth and are back in the playoffs for the first time since 1941-42. Montreal's 4 year string of playoff appearances ends while Toronto misses for the first time since 1937-38. Brooklyn, which has not seen the postseason since 1935, had a tremendous improvement over last season's 2-win campaign, but still falls short.
With home ice advantage throughout the playoffs the prize for finishing first the Packers have home games against Detroit and the Dukes this week before ending their season in Toronto on Sunday. Boston travels to Toronto Tuesday, and then hosts Brooklyn and Detroit before finishing up the season in the Motor City a week from Tuesday.
CIRCUS-LIKE ATMOSPHERE IN NEW YORK
Courtesy of the New York World Telegram
With one week, but only one game, remaining in the season the Shamrock's can finally have a small celebration. The Greenshirts are going bback to the playoffs for the first time since 1941-42. The only negative is the 4 game suspension given to Adam Greenham for a high hit and swing of his stick in Sunday's Toronto Dukes game. Greenham will miss the finale in Brooklyn, then the first three games of the semi-finals against either Boston or Chicago.
When asked if he had a preference in opponent Shamrocks head coach Kurt Stone replied, "I wouldn't tell you if I did. Either will be an extreme challenge. The important thing is we're in. This will be a valuable experience for the boys."
Bigsby Gardens, now home to the circus, will soon be hosting playoff hockey.
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- A pain in the Astle for Boston as the Minutemen learn they will be without ace pitcher Dean Astle for the entire season after the 37-year-old lefthander blew out his elbow in the opening week of spring action.
- Frank Melanson is set for his latest Middlweight Title defense. The former Pittsburgh wartime factory worker will face Nick harris at Bigsby Garden Saturday.
- As the collegiate cage schedule winds down it looks like 5 teams from the West Coast Athletic Association will be in the 32-team tournament field including defending national champion CC Los Angeles.
- The military draft is officially over and the War Department announced the release of all its non-volunteers by June 30.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL.