JANUARY 26, 1948
MOTORS WIN FOUR STRAIGHT, ESCAPE CELLAR
This has not been a season the Detroit Motors want to remember as a club with high hopes entering the campaign after a third place finish a year ago, quickly sank to the depths of the NAHC standings. Detroit has spent nearly the entire season -which crosses the two-thirds complete mark this week- in last place prompting the club to deal its two veteran defensemen in Shel Herron and Bryant Williams to Montreal last month.
Since then, the club has gone 8-6-2 after beginning the season with just 7 wins in their first 23 games and is currently riding a 4-game winning streak. The team is clearly not more talented without Herron and Williams but the addition of 21-year-old Spencer Larocque, who came over from the Valiants in the deal, and the decision to move veteran forward Garrett Ferrar back to the blueline, seems to have energized the Motors. A playoff spot is still quite a reach with the Motors trailing both Boston and Montreal by six points, but suddenly there is some hope in the Motor City.
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NAHC Standings
TEAM GP W L T PTS GF GA
Chicago 39 23 13 3 49 139 98
Toronto 39 18 17 4 40 114 123
Boston 38 17 16 5 39 118 105
Montreal 39 17 17 5 39 123 129
Detroit 39 15 21 3 33 100 133
New York 38 15 21 2 32 112 118
SCORING LEADERS
NAME GP G A PTS
T Burns, Chi 33 27 17 44
Mahoney, Chi 31 14 26 40
W Burns, Chi 37 11 27 38
Albers, NY 38 12 24 36
Pollack, Tor 36 15 20 35
Skinner, Mon 39 15 20 35
Cabbell, NY 37 24 10 34
Chandler, Bos 33 15 18 33
Galbraith, Tor 39 13 20 33
Lanceleve, Mon 39 13 20 33
Sauer, Tor 35 12 20 32
Hart, Bos 37 15 15 30
Gregg, NY 33 14 16 30
McGlynn, Chi 39 15 14 29
Lynch, Mon 34 11 18 29
MacLean, Chi 35 10 19 29
Haines, Mon 35 9 20 29
GOALIE LEADERS
NAME GP W L T ShO GAA
James, Bos 14 6 6 2 1 2.57
Hanson, Chi 33 17 13 3 2 2.59
Tremblay, NY 27 12 13 1 3 2.83
Brockers, Bos 24 11 10 3 1 2.84
Broadway, Tor 32 14 14 3 1 3.00
Carter, Det 12 2 5 0 0 3.12
Touhey, Mon 30 15 13 1 1 3.34
Chasse, Det 33 13 16 3 2 3.44
Sorrell, NY 13 3 8 1 2 3.52
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 21
Toronto 2 at 2 Boston: The Dukes 4-game winning streak came to an end, but they remained unbeaten thanks to a pair of second period goals from Trevor Parker and Quinton Pollack enabling Toronto to earn a 2-2 tie at Denny Arena with the Boston Bees. Tommy Hart had both of the Bees markers.
Montreal 3 at 4 Chicago: A first place showdown saw the return of Millard Touhey to the Valiants net after missing nearly two weeks with a virus. Touhey was a bit rusty in taking a 4-2 loss with Ed Delarue leading the Packers offense with a pair of goals. It ended the Packers 3-game winless skid.
Detroit 4 at 1 New York: Detroit won this battle between the bottom two clubs in the league as Henri Chasse made 28 saves in the Motors net while 3 first period goals by his club made his evening much easier.
SATURDAY JANUARY 24
Detroit 5 at 1 Montreal: The Motors won for the third straight game, leaving the slumping Valiants winless in their last 7 outings. Rookie Nick Tardif led the way for the visitiors with a goal and 3 assists while Henri Chasse had another strong night in the Detroit cage. The same could not be said for Montreal's Millard Touhey, who may still be feeling the effects of the virus that sidelined him for nearly two weeks. Touhey allowed 5 goals on just 24 Detroit shots.
Chicago 2 at 5 Toronto : The Dukes entered the game just 1-5 this season against the front-running Packers but a pair of third period goals, and 2 assists, from Dick Zimmerman lifted Toronto to victory and extended their unbeaten streak to 6 games. Chicago is just 1-3-1 in its last five games, all played without first line winger Marty Mahoney. The win, coupled with Montreal's loss to Detroit, moved the Dukes ahead of the Valiants and into second place, 7 points back of the Packers.
SUNDAY JANUARY 25
New York 4 at 5 Boston: Joe Morey scored twice, and Jacob Gron had a goal and two helpers as the Bees held off a late charge by New York to trim the Shamrocks 5-4. It was the third straight loss for the streaky Greenshirts after a stretch in which they went 3-0-1.
Toronto 2 at 5 Chicago: Back to back 5-2 results between the two clubs with Chicago prevailing on home ice on this night. Marsh Mansfield scored his first two goals of the season while Tommy Burns also had a pair to raise his league-leading total to 27 in the win which extended the Packers lead on second place Toronto to 9 points. Toronto's leading scorer Quinton Pollack did not make the trip to the Windy City after tweaking his back in Saturday's contest. He is expected to be sidelined for about a week.
Montreal 1 at 4 Detroit: The Valiants troubles continue as they lost their fourth in a row and are winless in 8. Detroit, on the other hand, is suddenly hot with a 4-game winning streak lifting the club out of last place. Dave Bradley scored twice for the winners with Garrett Ferrar adding two assists and adjusting nicely to his shift to defense after the Motors big trade with Montreal.
UPCOMING REGULAR SEASON GAMES
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 28
Detroit at Boston
New York at Chicago
Montreal at Toronto
SATURDAY JANUARY 31
Chicago at Boston
New York at Montreal
Detroit at Toronto
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1
Montreal at Boston
Toronto at Detroit
Chicago at New York
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Last January 7, the Montreal Valiants were in third place, just 5 points out of first with a 9-6-3 record but then proceeded to drop 13 of their next 14 games to end any hopes of a playoff berth. It is not quite as bad yet this season but seems to be trending in the same direction as since January 3 the Vals are 1-8-2 and have fallen 10 points back of Chicago.
- The December 20th deal that brought veteran defenders Shel Herron and Bryant Williams to Montreal was supposed to allow the team to make a push for first place, but the club is just 3-9-4 with the newcomers in the line-up. Detroit, on the other hand, has gone 8-6-2 since the deal after a dreadful 7-15-1 start. There is no way anyone can think Montreal is a worse team with those two in the lineup and Detroit is an improved club but for some reason the fortunes of both have altered dramatically since that deal.
- You can add Derek Gubb's name to the list of Chicago Packers with long-term injuries. Already missing defensemen Ted Stevens and Ian Groening for long stretches, the Packers learned that the 24-year-old Gubb will miss three months after being carted off the ice in the game against Montreal last week. The rookie winger from Sudbury, Ont., had 10 goals and 21 points in 28 games this season.
- courtesty Archie Irwin, Chicago Daily News --2 more win, 2 more injuries for the Packers who now hold a 9 point lead atop the NAHC. The big injury is to Derek Gubb, who will miss 2-3 months with a broken pelvis. He will be replaced by the now healthy Marty Mahoney who still ranks 2nd in points (40) despite appearing in just 31 of the Packers 39 games. He sits between linemen Tommy (44) and Wes Burns (38) as the Packers feature 1-2-3 in the points race despite Wes' 37 appearances the highest of the three skaters.
OTHER HEADLINES THIS WEEK
- The 16 FABL baseball teams continue their amateur draft. Among the names called in middle rounds were the sons of former FABL stars Al Wheeler and Tom Bird. Wheeler's son Steve was selected by Detroit in the fourth round while the Chicago Cougars tabbed Sam Bird in round 8.
- At 17-5 the defending league champion Chicago Panthers continue to lead the way in the Federal Basketball League.
- As debate over the Marshall Plan continued, President Truman said he is not at all in accord with former President Herbert Hoover's views that European recovery commitments should be limited to 15 months and cut below $6.8 billion.
- Foreign Secretary Bevin announced plans for a union of the states of Western Europe to face a "ruthless" drive by Soviet Russia to control the continent, noting the "time is ripe for the consolidation of Western Europe."
- Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill concurred, telling the House of Commons that Western Europe must unite quickly and demand a showdown with the Soviet Union before the Russians develop atomic weapons, possibly in a year or so.