Ken Dryden Makes 46 Saves, but Flyers Beat Canadiens in 1975 Showdown

Ken Dryden stopped nearly everything Philadelphia threw at him on November 16, 1975. He even contributed an assist. Still, the Montreal Canadiens left the Spectrum with a 3-1 loss in an early-season showdown between two teams that would meet again in the 1976 Stanley Cup Final.

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Highlights

• Philadelphia defeated Montreal 3-1 on November 16, 1975.

• Dryden stopped 46 of the 48 shots he faced.

• He also assisted on Guy Lafleur’s opening goal.

• Rick MacLeish recorded ten shots and scored the winner.

• Wayne Stephenson made 26 saves for Philadelphia.

• Gary Dornhoefer sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.

• Dryden followed the loss with a 17-save shutout in Minnesota.

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Montreal struck first when Guy Lafleur beat Wayne Stephenson at 5:02 of the opening period. Pete Mahovlich and Dryden collected the assists, giving the Canadiens’ goaltender a hand in the only goal his team would score all night. At the other end, Philadelphia kept Dryden busy, forcing him to stop 46 of the 48 shots he faced.

Bob Kelly tied the game at 11:05 of the second period before Rick MacLeish put the Flyers ahead at 16:31. Gary Dornhoefer and Ross Lonsberry assisted on MacLeish’s seventh goal of the season, which held up as the winner. MacLeish alone fired ten shots at Dryden, with Montreal’s number 29 stopping nine of them.

Stephenson handled the lighter workload effectively, turning aside 26 of Montreal’s 27 shots. With Dryden on the bench for an extra attacker, Dornhoefer scored into the empty net with six seconds remaining. His goal and earlier assist made him the game’s only player with two points.

Dryden rebounded three nights later in Minnesota, stopping all 17 shots in a 6-0 victory over the North Stars. Remarkably, he had blanked Minnesota by the same score just eight days earlier, making 14 saves in Montreal on November 11. Against Philadelphia, however, even 46 saves and an assist had not been enough.

Hockey’s Best Team Ever: A Chronicle of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens' Record-Breaking Season

Relive the legendary 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens season, when a powerhouse roster led by Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, and Larry Robinson set an NHL record with 60 regular season wins before capturing the Stanley Cup.

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Yvan Cournoyer’s Hat Trick Evens Canadiens–Rangers Series in 1974

The New York Rangers struck first in their 1974 Stanley Cup quarter-final series against the Montreal Canadiens, winning the opener 4–1 at the Montreal Forum. When the teams returned for Game 2 on April 11, the final score was identical, but the winning side changed. Yvan Cournoyer scored three consecutive goals to give the Canadiens a 4–1 victory and even the best-of-seven series.

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Highlights

• Montreal won Game 2 on April 11, 1974, at the Montreal Forum.

• Cournoyer scored three consecutive goals for a natural hat trick.

• His first goal, at 18:11 of the second period, was the game winner.

• Goaltender Michel Larocque assisted on the winning goal.

• Jacques Lemaire assisted on both third-period goals.

• Cournoyer and Lemaire combined for 14 of Montreal’s 31 shots.

• The Rangers ultimately won the series in six games.

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New York again grabbed the early advantage. Bruce MacGregor scored the only goal of the first period, with assists going to Pete Stemkowski and Brad Park. Montreal answered at 5:03 of the second when Steve Shutt beat Rangers goaltender Ed Giacomin, taking a setup from Henri Richard to tie the game.

Cournoyer then took control. At 18:11 of the second period, the Roadrunner scored his first goal of the playoffs to put Montreal ahead 2–1. Defenceman Pierre Bouchard and goaltender Michel Larocque earned the assists on what proved to be the winning goal.

The third period belonged to Cournoyer as well. He scored at 11:53 and completed his natural hat trick at 14:51, turning a one-goal lead into a comfortable three-goal cushion. Jacques Lemaire assisted on both third-period goals, while Chuck Lefley also picked up a helper on the hat-trick goal.

Cournoyer and Lemaire each fired seven shots at Giacomin, combining for 14 of Montreal’s 31 shots. At the other end, Larocque stopped 18 of the Rangers’ 19 attempts, contributing both a strong performance in goal and an assist on the deciding tally.

Montreal carried that momentum into Game 3, winning 4–2 at Madison Square Garden on April 13 to take a 2–1 series lead. The Rangers responded with three straight victories to eliminate the Canadiens in six games. New York then pushed the Philadelphia Flyers to seven games in the semi-finals before its playoff run ended.

Hockey’s Best Team Ever: A Chronicle of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens' Record-Breaking Season

Relive the legendary 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens season, when a powerhouse roster led by Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, and Larry Robinson set an NHL record with 60 regular season wins before capturing the Stanley Cup.

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Shakey Beats a Cold Crozier: A Maple Leafs Penalty Shot Oddity

Mike Walton scored just once on three penalty shots during his NHL career, but that lone goal came with an unusual twist. On March 9, 1968 at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward beat a goalie who had come off the Detroit Red Wings’ bench specifically to face him. Roger Crozier’s brief appearance produced one of those statistical oddities that makes hockey history so entertaining.

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Highlights

• Walton scored on one of three NHL penalty shots, including the playoffs.

• His only successful attempt came on March 9, 1968 against Detroit.

• Roger Crozier replaced Roy Edwards specifically for the penalty shot.

• Crozier finished with one goal allowed and 0:00 played.

• Walton also assisted on Ron Ellis’s third-period tying goal.

• Toronto and Detroit combined for four goals in 2:02.

• Jack Norris stopped Walton’s next penalty shot the following night.

• Glenn Resch denied his final attempt during the 1979 playoffs.

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Toronto held a 6–5 lead when Walton was awarded his penalty shot at 16:40 of the third period. Instead of leaving starting goalie Roy Edwards in net, Detroit brought in Crozier to challenge “Shakey.” The move backfired. Walton scored his 27th goal of the season, giving the Maple Leafs some breathing room in an eventual 7–5 victory. Edwards then returned to finish the game.

Crozier’s official goaltending line tells the story: one shot faced, one goal allowed, a .000 save percentage and 0:00 played. With no playing time running off the clock during the penalty shot, Edwards still received credit for the full 60 minutes despite allowing only six of Toronto’s seven goals.

Walton’s goal capped a frantic third period in which he also assisted on Ron Ellis’s tying goal at 4:54. That made the score 4–4 and began a stretch of four goals in just 2:02. Norm Ullman put Toronto ahead, Nick Libett answered for Detroit, and Dave Keon restored the Leafs’ lead at 6:56. Keon’s 11th goal of the season stood as the game winner.

Remarkably, Walton received another penalty shot the very next night. Facing the Chicago Black Hawks at Chicago Stadium on March 10, he was stopped by Jack Norris. The Chicago goalie turned aside all 27 Toronto shots in a 4–0 shutout, giving Walton very different results on penalty shots taken on consecutive nights.

Walton’s final NHL penalty shot came more than a decade later, this time while wearing a Chicago uniform. On April 20, 1979, Glenn “Chico” Resch denied him in Game 3 of the Black Hawks’ quarter-final series against the New York Islanders. Once again, Walton’s team lost 4–0. His career tally, including the playoffs, remained one successful penalty shot in three attempts, and the only goal came against a goalie credited with no time played.

Top Shelf Trivia: The Toronto Maple Leafs

Test your knowledge of one of hockey’s most storied franchises with this collection of challenging and fun Toronto Maple Leafs trivia covering players, games, and unforgettable moments.

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