NOVEMBER 10, 1947
BIG WEEK FOR DUKES, WHILE SHAMROCKS SLIDE
Jack Barrell has certainly made his presence felt behind the bench of the Toronto Dukes. Hired after a wildy successful but brief stint in the coast league after his falling out with owner Jack Connelly in Detroit, Barrell has quickly turned around a Toronto team that endured its worst season in well over a decade a year ago.
After fininish dead last in what was a 7-team loop a year ago, Barrell's charges are riding a 3-game winning streak and have a share of the lead as the current NAHC nears the end of its opening month. Toronto won all three of its contests this week thanks to some dependable goaltending from veteran Gordie Broadway and a balanced offensive attack that has already seen a dozen players score at least once and half of them have already found the net three times on the young season.
The leader of course remains veteran captain Bobbie Sauer, who even in the rough times of last season still managed to score at just a shade under a point a game clip. The British Columbia native has been the Dukes captain since 1940 and has led the club to a pair of Challenge Cup wins while also being named the winner of the Al McDaniels Trophy as league MVP twice. The return of Herm Burdette (4-5-9), who missed most of last season with an injury has been a big boost as has the arrival of last year's top rookie Quinton Pollack (2-5-7) from Brooklyn and two early candidates for the McLeod Trophy this time around in youngsters Dick Zimmerman (3-4-7) and first overall draft pick Larry Galbraith (2-5-7). Toronto faces a big week ahead with a home and home series with the Chicago Packers, who have struggled in the early going, as well as another matchup with last place Detroit, a club the Dukes have already beaten three times this season.
At the other end of the spectrum last week was the New York Shamrocks who, after a strong start to the season, suffered three straight losses last week. To make matters worse for the Greenshirts there are worries that veteran pivot Orval Cabbell, who leads the NAHC in goals with 8, may miss Wednesday's game against the defending champion Boston Bees due to a jaw injury.
Code:
NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Boston 8 6 2 0 12 26 17
Toronto 10 6 4 0 12 30 24
Montreal 9 6 3 0 12 31 28
New York 9 4 5 0 8 30 27
Chicago 8 3 5 0 6 23 26
Detroit 10 2 8 0 4 19 37
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
Lanceleve, Mon 9 8 3 11
Albers, NY 9 2 9 11
Cabbell, NY 9 8 2 10
Gregg,, NY 6 6 4 10
Sauer, Tor 10 5 5 10
Doyle, Mon 9 4 6 10
Burdette, Tor 10 4 5 9
Carlson, Tor 10 3 6 9
Mahoney, Chi 7 2 7 9
T Burns, Chi 8 5 3 8
Lynch, Mon 7 3 5 8
Seguin, Chi 8 2 6 8
Chandler, Bos 8 1 7 8
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
Brockers, Bos 8 6 2 0 0 2.13
Tremblay, NY 7 3 3 0 0 2.39
Broadway, Tor 8 4 4 0 0 2.63
Hanson, Chi 8 3 5 0 0 2.89
Touhey, Mon 9 6 3 0 0 3.12
Chasse, Det 8 2 6 0 0 3.77
NAHC RESULTS
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5
Boston 5 at 3 Chicago - Another win for the Bees over their Challenge Cup foe from last season. A couple weeks ago Boston doubled the Packers 4-2 at home and they followed that up with a 5-3 victory in the Windy City for their 3rd straight win. Defenseman Willis Beane, who scored just 4 goals all of last season, notched a pair of first period tallys and Craig Simpson scored with 1 second left in the period to give Boston a commanding 3-0 lead after twenty minutes despite the fact the Packers outshot Boston 13-10 in the stanza. The overall shot total would be very lobsided with the Packers coming up short on the scoreboard despite firing 41 shots at Tom Brockers. It was rough day for Norm Hanson in the Chicago net as he made just 17 saves. Tommy Hart in the second period followed by Garrett Kauffeldt's empty-netter secured the Boston win after Chicago threatened with goals from Jarrett McGlynn, Jereme MacLean and Wes Burns -who finally got his first of the season.
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 6
New York 3 at 6 Detroit - The Motors jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead and held on to win for just the second time this season s they doubled the Shamrocks 6-3. Dave Bradley had a goal and 2 assists for the winners in what was a very rough second start for rookie New York back-up netminder Alex Sorrell. After shutting out Toronto in his debut, the 21-year-old was pulled early in the third period after surrendering 6 Detroit goals on just 20 shots.
Toronto 6 at 2 Montrel -Toronto bounced the Montreal Valiants 6-2 to snap a 2-game losing skid. Rookies Dick Zimmerman, with a goal and an assist, and Larry Galbraith, with two helpers, led the way for the winners in a game Toronto outshot Montreal 41-26.
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 8
Detroit 1 at 4 Montreal - The Valiants bounced back from their home loss to Toronto with 4 first period goals including a pair off the stick of Ian Doyle en route to a 4-1 win over the Motors. Adam Sandford with his first of the season and Brett Lanceleve, who is tied for the league lead with 8, were the other Montreal goal scorers while Miles Barfield replied for Detroit.
New York 2 at 3 Toronto - Toronto and New York continued their treks in opposite directions this week as the Dukes get a third period goal from Bobbie Sauer to scratch out a 3-2 victory. New York scored twice in the first on goals by Orval Cabbell and Gil Corbeil but the Dukes responded with markers from Lou Galbraith and Quinton Pollack in the middle frame.
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 9
New York 4 at 6 Chicago - The overnight train ride from Toronto might have left the Shamrocks at a loss for rest but they did hold Chicago scoreless for the first period. Chicago scored three times in each the second and third period including one from Tommy Burns in each frame while the Greenshirts could only manage two each period. The visitors did make it interesting when Laurel Albers cut the Packers lead to 5-4 with 1:11 remaining but Jarrett McGlynn iced the win with an empty-net goal.
Toronto 5 at 1 Detroit - Another win for Coach Barrell over his former team as Toronto easily handles the Motors at Thompson Palladium. Bobbie Sauer led the way with a 3-point night for the winners who gave Gordie Broadway the night off, allowing Terry Russell to claim the victory in net by stopping 22 of the 23 shots he faced.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 12
Boston at New York
Chicago at Toronto
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13
Chicago at Montreal
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 15
Boston at Montreal
Chicago at New York
Detroit at Toronto
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 16
Detroit at Boston
Toronto at Chicago
Montreal at New York
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- In a blockbuster deal the Pittsburgh Miners have dealt potential future Hall of Famers George Cleaves and Lefty Allen to the New York Gothams for a package that includes two first-round draft picks and 8 young players.
- In what is likely the final meeting of the famed collegiate football series for quite some time, St Blane nipped Rome State 23-21 in a battle of unbeaten long-time rivals.
- The pro cage circuit began its season last week while in the college ranks, Commonwealth Catholic won the pre-season Jack Easton Tip-off Tournament and host Lane State prevailed in the West Coast Classic.
- World welterweight champion Harold Stephens will defend his title against Ira Mitchell at Cleveland's Lake Erie Arena January 24.
- In the UN, Russia rejected American suggestions on methods of partitioning Palestine and instead demanded that the British withdraw all troops no later than May 1 and a transition of no longer than 1 year until complete independence is given for the projected Jewish and Arab States.
Full national sports coverage is available in this week's edition of
THIS WEEK IN FIGMENT BASEBALL.