Canadiens Take 2-0 Lead in Playoff Series with Toronto

Apr. 3, 1965 - Did Thursday’s bruising playoff opener take more out of the rugged Leafs than the swift-skating Canadiens?

It appeared that way before 14,830 at the Montreal Forum tonight when the Montrealers beat Toronto, 3-1, and took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal.

Not only did the Canadiens win on sustained drive, with a goal in each period, but they slowed down the visitors with the kind of solid hitting that has been more the Leafs’ trademark.

Claude Provost, Jean Beliveau, and Henri Richard shared the goals, while Bobby Rousseau and rearguard Jean-Claude Tremblay came up with key defensive plays before the steady netminding of Charlie Hodge.

Rookie Ron Ellis, the Habs’ nemesis during the regular season with seven goals against them, scored Toronto’s 1-1 equalizer in the second period.

Coach Toe Blake, relieved to be going into Toronto with a two-game lead, was pleased with the Canadiens’ all-out effort.

“I still think we can skate better,” said the cautious coach. “But there was no letdown tonight, even when we were ahead, 2-1. The third goal didn’t mean much the way we had command of the play, but it sure was a relief.”

Blake was referring to Henri Richard’s second score of the series and his 19th playoff goal, which came on a fluke shot in the 13th minute of the third period.

Richard let go a 65-foot blooper before hitting the Toronto blueline, and the puck took a crazy bounce into the net over Terry Sawchuk.

“The puck hit the ice as Sawchuk went down and bounced over his shoulder when he moved the wrong way,” explained Richard. “That makes up for the goal I missed earlier when Dave Balon set me up neatly.”

Someone asked Blake if he expected to win the series in four straight.

“We expect to win four games, any four,” said the Montreal coach. “But there’s no doubt about it, the Leafs are not playing like they did last year.”

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