Maple Leafs Top Red Wings in Detroit

Oct. 15, 1964 - With Stanley Cup champion Toronto and the return of Ted Lindsay (right) to lure them in, the Red Wings got a record first-night house tonight at Detroit’s Olympia Stadium to watch a 5-3 defeat for the home team.

It was a furious affair, especially in the first period when last spring’s two Cup finalists banged in six of their goals to go off with 3-3 tie at intermission.

But the crowd of 14,323 saw only Maple Leaf goals thereafter.

Ron Stewart got the winner off a goalmouth pass from Bob Pulford only 44 seconds into the second period, and Pulford clinched things with a slap shot from the blue line and Toronto shorthanded a mere 2:01 into the third.

Old hero Lindsay, in a Red Wing uniform for the first time since 1957 and in a game for the first time in five, returned to a standing pregame ovation.

He was on the ice for assorted power plays and off the ice for stretches that included a 10-minute misconduct penalty at 18:30 of the second period.

It’s a rule this season that an official’s august judgment cannot be questioned. Lindsay, used to the free speech of the past, made conversation with Vern Buffey after he was caught stickless and ruled holding Dave Keon.

Lindsay, playing in his 1,000th regular season game, did figure in the scoring, however. Toronto goalie Johnny Bower took a whack at him in the first period and was called for slashing, and that resulted in Ron Murphy’s goal for Detroit.

The Wings outshot the Leafs, 42-30. Bower was the big difference with some impossible saves and a little help from the posts that deflected Gordie Howe and Murphy shots seconds apart in the middle period.

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