Canadiens Destroy Bruins at Boston Garden

Feb. 11, 1965 - Henri Richard and Jean Beliveau came to life with some of that old strength down the center tonight as the Canadiens outclassed the hapless Bruins, 7-1, before 8,220, one of the smallest crowds of the season at Boston Garden.

The victory snapped the Habs’ longest slump in 15 seasons at five games and pushed them back into second place. They now are only two points behind Chicago after the Hawks’ loss at Detroit.

“It took a long time coming,” said coach Toe Blake, who saw his team get more goals in one outing than they did in their last five starts, which included two shutouts.

With Richard skating and stickhandling, his line snapped out of a month’s lethargy and accounted for four goals. Henri got his 14th of the season plus two assists.

Beliveau picked up only one assist but played a driving game, skating, checking, and shooting. He pivoted the Habs’ best defensive trio with Jean Guy Talbot on left wing and Roberts on right.

“We were never in trouble with that line,” said Blake.

Claude Provost scored his 18th and 19th, breaking a slump that had gone 10 games.

Left-winger Dave Balon was the happiest Hab on the ice when he connected for his 14th goal of the schedule after being shut out for 18 games going back to Dec. 26.

“I felt it would come sometime but started getting superstitious when I couldn’t get past No. 13,” said Balon.Ralph Backstrom with his 19th, Claude Larose, and Jim Roberts were the other scorers as the Canadiens scored twice in each of the first two periods and added three more goals in the finale.

Terry Harper was a defensive standout for Montreal, throwing plenty of body checks and never faltering despite losing a fight decision to Boston’s Orland Kurtenbach. The big Bruins’ center beat Harper handily in a scrap that lasted about 40 seconds and decked Harper with a solid right to the jaw.

“Harper may have lost the fight, but that didn’t stop him from playing well the rest of the game,” Blake remarked.

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