Apr. 5, 1963 - The Black Hawks lost a big one last night at Chicago Stadium, and Detroit won it. So, today the odds weigh heavily in favor of the fast-skating, hard-driving Red Wings, who are only one victory removed from the Stanley Cup finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs next week. The big man for the Wings last night was not Gordie Howe. It was Norm Ullman (pictured), a smooth and sometimes tricky center who scored 2 goals and assisted in Detroit's other 2 in the 4-2 victory. But Howe did set up the winning goal — accidentally, to be sure, but he played his usual well-rounded game despite close checking by “The Shadow,” Eric Nesterenko. With the score knotted at 2-2 in the second period, Howe, leading a drive down the right wing, closed in fast on goalie Glenn Hall, fired point blank from 25 feet, and Glenn met it with a feet-first slide. The puck caromed off the goalie's harness and bounced like a tennis ball directly up the center alley. The Hawks missed a pair of defensive swings at it, but Detroit's Parker MacDonald slammed it home on a swing that resembled a baseball batter putting the wood to a wild pitch in the dirt. As the game drew to a close, the Hawks not only looked tired but also demoralized. The home crowd serenading them with a sarcastic “Good Night Ladies” did not improve their mood.
