Canadiens Take 3-2 Series Lead over Chicago

Apr. 27, 1965 - The Montreal Canadiens dominated the Chicago Black Hawks tonight in the fifth game of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup final, taking a 3-2 lead in the series. The final score was 6-0. Montreal can wrap up the series Thursday in Chicago.

The Canadiens won this one on a tremendous team effort which coach Toe Blake described as “a game in which we had no passengers.”

However, the difference was the Habs’ tremendous power play, which accounted for four of their six goals.

Jean Beliveau, still making a great bid for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the standout playoff performer, set the pace with two goals and two assists. But his linemates, Dick Duff and Bobby Rousseau, were also effective, both scoring one goal and two assists.

Henri Richard got the fifth goal on a snap shot from the circle in the seventh minute of the third period. Jean-Claude Tremblay wrapped up the scoring with a breakaway goal with five seconds to play.

Tremblay, who has been the Canadiens’ outstanding defenseman in both postseason series, picked up two power-play assists before scoring.

“That goal was a little bonus for Tremblay’s great effort,” said Blake.

The Canadiens were shorthanded through a penalty to Jim Robert when Tremblay broke away from the inept Chicago power play.

“I expected Chico Maki’s pass to Bobby Hull and moved in between them,” recalled Tremblay. “So, I had a clean breakaway to deke the goalie and put it in on the left side.”

Referee Art Skov called 20 penalties during the hard-hitting game, including a double-minor to Chicago’s Eric Nesterenko and a major to Montreal’s John Ferguson. They drew the extra-minute sentences for a fight early in the first period that left splotches of blood on the ice.

The blood was all Nesterenko’s, from a six-stitch gash under the left eye where Ferguson connected with one of the best right-hand punches thrown in or out of the Forum ring.

Fergy saw red when the Chicago winger clipped him with a high stick and caught Nesterenko with a flurry of shots, the first one knocking Eric to the ice.

“I don’t know if the fight was the turning point, but it sure spoiled Nesterenko’s night,” Ferguson said later. “He whacked me on the back of the head with his stick. What could I do but clout him? I don’t know if that’s the best punch I ever threw, but it wasn’t the worst.”

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