1934-35 MHL Season: Second Half

The second half of the season saw lots of movement, and it made for a very intriguing playoff picture in the end. There will be rivalries old and new in the postseason.

Finishing atop the west for the first time are the London Locomotives. This was what they needed, as the division win bonus could be enough for them to stay afloat. It was nervy to the end, but they finished with a 2-point gap. Jack Lilly exploded in goals to finish out the year, and he became London’s first major stat leader when he finished atop the league in goals, with 28. Will Breton also played strong after Simon Peters suffered an injury, finishing 2nd in points. The Locomotives’ fate is still up in the air, and an Abbott Cup win will guarantee their survival. They finished at 24-13-13.

Finishing second and having home ice for the single-game round 1 game are the Chicago Wildcats. They were neck-and-neck with London and Toronto at the end, but they remained in the same position they were in at the halfway point. The offense died down a little, but it was still enough to finish second overall. However, of all the playoff teams, their defense struggled the most. They will definitely need to make some adjustments if they want to go far. The Wildcats finished at 25-16-9.

Finishing third were the Toronto Lakers, who fell but still finished 23 points clear of missing the playoffs. Their second half wasn’t pretty, as their second half record was below 0.500. However, of the Western playoff teams, they had the best road record, so being the lowest seed may be an unexpected advantage. Young centre Benoit Cyr had his best year in the 1C role, finishing in the top 5 in both assists and points. Second-year winger Ajax Sorensen also finished top 5 in goals, so the Lakers aren’t without individual talent. Toronto finished at 23-15-12.

Finishing fourth are the Detroit Guardians, who had a much better second half. However, it’s hard not to improve when you only win 3 games in the first half. That being said, the team played a lot better under new coach Peter Chervenny. Their second half actually led them to having a home record above 0.500, but their road record continued to be abysmal, as they had a single win away from home all season. They finished at 1-17-7, the lowest road win% in the league’s history. Detroit finished the season overall at 10-25-15.

Finishing fifth are the Philadelphia Minutemen, who had a disappointing second half. Their defense remained league-worst, and they went their last 11 games without a win. Off-season trade acquisition Richard McGrath disappointed, scoring only 14 goals and 20 points in 45 games. Overall it wasn’t a great year, but still the best the Minutemen had so far. They will look to keep growing as a squad and eventually make a playoff push. Philadelphia finished at 13-28-9, finishing behind Detroit on a tiebreaker.

Finishing at the bottom of the West were the Washington Bats. They’re taking a path you don’t want an expansion team to take, as their record has gotten worse each year they’ve been in the league. While they weren’t last overall, it’s still concerning for a team that hasn’t had much to begin with. What the Bats have going for them is their defense, which is much better than the other Western basement teams. The offense, despite having a budding star in Martin Valley, was dead last in goals scored, and that will be the biggest thing to work on. Washington finished at  11-27-12.

In the East, it was the Nassau Scouts claiming their second division title and first ever #1 seed. Their great second half happened all thanks to Mike Whitlow, who posted career highs in both GAA and SV% in easily the best year of his career. Unfortunately though, he finished 2nd in every major goalie statistic. Their offense wasn’t dominating, but still got the job done collectively. The Scouts are going to be the team to beat this postseason, as they look to win their first Abbott Cup. Nassau finished at 29-14-7.

Finishing second were the Montreal Barons, who will be looking to defend their Abbott Cup title. It was the regular storyline for them, as they have the best defense but worst offense of all the playoff teams. Frank Pangos had another great year, finishing first in GAA and SV%. As well, despite the low-scoring offense, they had Earl Cyr finish 4th in the league in goals, and James Bos 3rd in assists. Their 17-5-3 home record is also going to be hard for others to overcome. The Barons remain a legitimate threat, as they finished at 28-16-6.

Finishing third, 4 points behind their crosstown rivals are the Montreal Greys. They finished the year with an uncharacteristically good offense and an uncharacteristically bad defense. C William Smith finished atop the league in both assists and points for the 3rd time in 4 years, cementing his case as the best offensive player in the game. G Alan Clercius also finished atop the league in wins, for the second time in his career. The Greys are an interesting team, and not one to count out in the postseason. They finished at 26-18-6.

Finishing fourth, and just outside the playoffs are Les Quebecois. They had a real solid finish to the year, but just could not leapfrog any of the playoff teams. Their offense was absolutely playoff-calibre, but the defense struggled at times, and ultimately that would end up being what cost them a spot in the postseason. Daniel Gallimore struggled in net, but at 20 years old the team’s fortunes aren’t entirely on him. Overall, it’s a year to build off of, but Quebec will need to make the playoffs sooner rather than later. They finished at 23-17-10.

Finishing 5th and 6th were the New York Blue Birds and Boston Harpers. Despite finishing below Quebec, the consensus was that the Birds were actually the best team to not make the playoffs. Their offense was good, defense was good, but the clutch factor was just nonexistent. As for the Harpers, they definitely improved over the second half, but not enough to get above 0.500, let alone make the playoffs. Boston needs to decide on a plan soon, as they’re stuck in limbo at the moment. New York finished at 18-16-16, while Boston finished at 19-26-5.

Finishing last in the East and overall are the Brooklyn Kings. They did improve their offense in the half, but there were still obvious holes in the team’s play. Defense continued to be putrid, and their record away from home was not pretty. They did win 5 of their last 10, so they had something to be happy about at season’s end. Besides that, Brooklyn is hoping to get back on track, as they’ve gone from the team that Broke New York and Toronto’s Abbott Cup streak to a basement dweller. Brooklyn finished at 13-31-6.



Season Leaders:


Playoff Predictions:

W2 - Chicago Wildcats vs W3 - Toronto Lakers
Previous Meeting: 1934 Semi-Final
Result: 2-1 Chicago
Series Record: 3-2 Chicago

These two teams have met a lot, both regular season and postseason. As a result, these two teams don’t like each other one bit. This one is gonna be physical and aggressive.

Chicago won 3 of the 5 matchups this year, and have the recent playoff success. However, this matchup should be close, and obviously there will be some blood shed, and fights fought. This matchup is turning into the MHL’s first purebred rivalry. Expect a defensive affair too, these teams love to tighten their gaps when they face off. It legitimately could go either way, but regardless, this will be must-see TV.

My pick: Toronto outplays the Wildcats, but Chicago ends up taking it, 2-1.

E2 - Montreal Barons vs E3 - Montreal Greys
Previous Meeting: 1934 Semi-Final
Result: Barons 2-1 Greys
Series Record: Barons 1-0 Greys

Well, you’ve got a rivalry in the West, and another rivalry in the East. These crosstown rivals met in the postseason for the first time last year, and the hatred increased exponentially. 

The head-to-head series this year was tied at 2 wins apiece. The Barons won their matchups 5-1 and 3-2, while the Greys took theirs 4-1 and 3-2. Pretty identical scores between the two. In previous years, this would no-doubt be a defensive battle, but with the Greys now boasting the highest-scoring offense, it’s now a guessing game on whether offense or defense wins. the Barons’ Frank Pangos has been a brick wall in net, while the Greys’ William Smith is putting up great offensive numbers. Which will prevail?

My pick: the Barons take this all-Montreal battle, 3-2.

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School is done, heck yeah

1934 MHL Playoffs: First Round

(W2) Chicago Wildcats (25-16-9) vs (W3) Toronto Lakers (23-15-12)

It was yet another playoff meeting between Chicago and Toronto, their 6th matchup in the postseason. These two teams have seen a lot of each other, and they aren’t friendly. In a single do-or-die game, it was going to get messy. The MHL’s first organic rivalry was starting to grow in publicity, and this was much anticipated.

The game started evenly, but of course there were tussles and kerfuffles aplenty. The refs had their work cut out for them, with two major fights in the first 10 minutes. The crowd was loving it. Both teams had good chances, and the two goalies stood tall to keep it scoreless. Eventually, in the dying minutes of the period, Toronto’s Claude Brown took advantage of a giveaway, went in alone on Claude Kepkay, and shot it past his glove. The home crowd sighed in disappointment, though there was still plenty of game. Toronto led 1-0 through 20 minutes.

Chicago got a great chance early in the second period, but a blast from Lawrence Tabor hit the post and richocheted out. There was another scuffle soon after, and Toronto got a power play. On the man advantage, John Mitchell beat Kepkay on the far side, extending the visitors’ lead to 2-0. Chicago would get a chance soon after, and off an absolutely wild scramble in front, Trevor Alrick potted home a loose puck to get the home crowd back into it. Toronto dominated the late stages of the period, but couldn’t get anything more done. It was a 2-1 lead for the Lakers heading into the final frame.

In the third, play was more even. The teams traded chances early, and Chicago would get a weird tying goal. Peter Bekkering went for a pass from behind the net, but the puck bounced off a defender’s skate and past Trevor Walker. The home crowd was electric. With the score tied, emotions were running high, and there was some more pushing and shoving. However, there were no major fights for the remainder of regulation. The teams strived to get that crucial winning goal, but none were to be had. It was off to overtime between these two rivals.

The extra frame was intense and high-event early. Both teams had beautiful chances to end the game, but couldn’t connect. However, it didn’t take long for the winning goal to be scored. A rush from Toronto’s own end saw the puck come to Bradford Russell, who skated into the offensive zone along the boards. He decided to shoot from there, and the result was a picture-perfect shot past Kepkay into the top right corner. Toronto had won the game, and were moving on to London for the Western semifinals.

Obviously, the Chicago crowd was not happy. Lots of insults were hurled at the Toronto players as they left the ice, but they didn’t care. They were alive, and the Wildcats weren’t.

(E2) Montreal Barons (28-16-6) vs (E3) Montreal Greys (26-18-6)

The Western first round game was a rivalry, and the Eastern first round matchup was between the only two teams that hated each other more than Toronto-Chicago. the Barons and Greys aren’t just two teams going against each other, but two ideologies. This was bound to be a messy game.

The game got its atmosphere going very quickly. A bad penalty put the Barons on the power play, and just 2:48 in, Earl Cyr blasted a shot past Alan Clercius, giving the home team an early lead. Police had to be stationed in the crowd between Baron and Grey fans, as the early goal saw tensions flare. The game continued, and it was tied up quickly, with the Greys getting a power play goal of their own. The Barons dominated the remainder of the period, and they would get a go-ahead goal before the 20 minutes were up, courtesy of James Bos.

In the second, the Barons took a string of bad penalties, and the Greys made them pay. Anthony Wilson would score 4 minutes in, and 5 minutes later, he had a beautiful shot for his second of the game. The Greys had the lead, and there was once again commotion in the crowd. Once that was settled down, play resumed again, and the Barons quickly tied it back up, via a John Fortin goal. The Greys controlled the final minutes, getting chance after chance after chance. Eventually, William Smith beat Frank Pangos five-hole, giving the Greys the lead back. They led 4-3 after 40.

The third period saw good chances on both ends, and of course, more penalties. Neither team was playing smart, and it felt like every couple of minutes there were shoves, slashes, and skirmishes. Both teams had multiple chances on the man advantage, but nobody was able to convert. In a rare time of even strength play, the Barons hit the post, but that was the best they could muster in the final 20 minutes. The two goalies did their best despite the 17 combined shots, and there would be no further scoring in the game.

To prevent an all-out riot, the police at the arena basically forced the Greys supporters to leave immediately or be arrested and detained. Outside, they did their celebrations. They had knocked off their cross-town rivals after having the same done to them just 1 season before.



Semifinals

(W1) London Locomotives (24-13-13) vs (W3) Toronto Lakers (23-15-12)

For the second straight year, these two Ontario teams would meet in the playoffs. The first meeting was in the first round last year, where Toronto won a close game at home. London was the higher seed now, and looking to get revenge.

Game 1 was held at London’s Yoose Arena, which had not hosted a postseason matchup prior to this. Toronto would have lots of good chances early, but it was the hosts who broke the ice. Lennie Triplett’s shot got partially blocked by a defender, but still beat Trevor Walker. The home crowd was loving it. However, Toronto still controlled play after, and with around 3 minutes to play in the opening frame, a shot from Earl King deflected off of Brent Colsavage and in, tying it up. This 1-1 scoreline held to the end of the period.

In the second, a controversial play happened. Brent Colsavage made a hard move to the net, and scored on Alberto Esposito. Immediately after, he crashed into the goaltender, seemingly intentionally. Of course, London responded angrily, and there was some pushing and shoving. Despite the assumed intent behind the move, there was no penalty on the play. The rest of the period continued as normal, and there would be no further scoring.

The third period opened similarly to the second, without the controversy after. Matthew Daubney beat Walker with a seeing-eye shot, tying the game up at 2. The period overall was London’s best, but that only meant it was even, not dominated by Toronto. Despite the teams getting good looks, neither could beat the goalies for the remainder of regulation. Toronto was outshooting London 26-19, but it was still 2-2.

Overtime was needed, and London finally got to control play for once. They had multiple real good looks early on, and 8 minutes in, off a forced turnover, Denham MacDonald got in all alone on Walker, and outwaited him to but the puck in past his outstreched body. The crowd erupted, and the Locomotives got the win in game 1, their first ever postseason victory.

Game 2 was held 3 hours east in Toronto, where the Lakers looked to stay alive. On the flip side, London was looking to win and advance to their first Abbott Cup Final. The incident between Colsavage and Esposito was still fresh on people’s minds, so there was lots of tension.

Just minutes into the first period, Toronto’s Claude Brown had a breakaway, and was stopped. following right up was Colsavage, who once again crashed right into Esposito, with the puck going in the net. It was instantly waved off, and an absolutely furious Esposito beelined towards Colsavage, and the two dropped the gloves in an intense scrap that was seen as a draw. Once everything was settled down, play resumed. In the final minutes, Lennie Triplett’s second of the series beat Walker, and despite being outshot once again, London was up through 20.

Toronto’s frantic pace continued in the second. 40 seconds in, beautiful passing from Toronto led to a Benoit Cyr tap-in goal, tying the game. Toronto would continue getting everything they could at the net, but the young goalie for the Locomotives was doing a tremendous job. The shots were 25-10 after 40 minutes of play, and if it wasn’t for Esposito, the Lakers would have been running away with it.

The third period was London’s worst in terms of possession, yet once again, they were the ones who scored first in the final frame. Lennie Triplett took a shot that deflected off a defender’s leg and past Walker, and they were up 2-1 incredibly. That was one of 2 shots London mustered in the final 20 minutes. Toronto was now on a do-or-die mindset, so they kept trying to get whatever they could on net. Unfortunately for them, Esposito continued his brilliant play, and they couldn’t capitalize

As time ran out, the Locomotives celebrated. Few people predicted they would have made the Abbott Cup Final with all that was against them, yet here they were, one series away from immortality.

(E1) Nassau Scouts (29-14-7) vs (E3) Montreal Greys (26-18-6)

In the second semifinal, it was two teams that had met twice in the postseason before, with the Greys emerging victorious both times. As the #1 seed overall, Nassau was hoping it would be different this time around.

Game 1 was at Nassau County War Memorial, were it was a fast start. The teams traded chance after chance, but the two goalies obviously were prepped and ready, as they saved every single shot in the opening frame. In particular, a shot from Nassau’s Michel Pelletier was acrobatically snagged in the glove by Alan Clercius. The opening 20 minutes were not enough to find the series’ first goal.

It actually took until almost the halfway point of the game to find the first goal, which came from Nassau’s Paul Brooks. He was sent in alone on a breakaway, and made no mistake vs Clercius. The home crowd was into it now, and the hosts were looking good. Just 70 seconds later, Harold Henderson got a lucky bounce off a defender and in, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead. Montreal would find a way back, as Arthur Simpson made a beautiful move around a defender before beating Mike Whitlow glove side. The Greys had been outshooting the Scouts, so they finally got rewarded. It was 2-1 Nassau after 40.

Montreal would get the game tied in the third, with Lloyd Gardiner scoring his first of the postseason 5 minutes in. It was the opposite of the second, which was dominated by Montreal, as the Scouts ended up significantly outshooting the Greys in the third. However, they couldn’t find a game-winning goal in regulation. The two teams went to overtime.

In the overtime period, Montreal was on a completely different planet. They started off with chance after chance after chance, but Whitlow did a great job to keep them out. The Greys were eventually called for hooking, and Nassau went to a power play. However, while shorthanded the Greys managed to get a rush down ice, and Anthony Wilson got a greasy rebound goal to beat Whitlow, their 10th shot of the extra frame, less than 6 minutes in. The Greys took game 1.

For game 2, the series shifted from Nassau County to Montreal’s Victoria Square Stadium. The Greys looked to get the sweep, while the Scouts looked to force game 3 at home.

Early into the game, Montreal’s Kenneth Lalonde sniped a shot past Whitlow, his first of the playoffs. The Greys had an early lead, despite the Scouts having the majority of the play. They had a great chance to tie early via Henderson, but he waited too long to get around Clercius, and ended up hitting the side of the net with his shot. Through 20 minutes, Montreal maintained their 1-0 lead.

In the second, the Scouts got that tying goal, with a cross-ice rush resulting in a Rodney Tebow close-range shovel goal. This seemed to give them some life, as 3 minutes later, Daniel Robertson converted on a great cross-ice pass from Tebow. It was their first lead of the game, and one they looked to hold. However, in the late minutes of the period, James Urban banked a shot off of Whitlow from behind the goal line, tying it back up to the delight of the home crowd. This 2-2 scoreline held to the end of 40 minutes.

The third period started quickly, as Henderson scored his second of the series off a quick shot from the slot just 46 seconds in. They would then get a power play at the halfway point, which Stephen Keenan converted on, the first multi-goal lead of the game. Montreal would get a couple looks against Whitlow, but none were converted. Brooks would effectively put the game away in the final minute, on a great play with Dorian Chiasson, who drop passed him the puck before he deked around Clercius and tucked it in. Nassau took game 2, 5-2.

Game 3 was back in Nassau, and everyone thought the Scouts would take it, after their dominant third period in game 2. 

The game started relatively low-event, there were no early goals or early chances, but still a couple of looks from either side. The party started with around 6 minutes to play in the opening period, when a Nassau 3-1 was converted on a rebound by Yves Gosselin. The home crowd loved it, and cheered their team to the end of the period. Montreal wasn’t out, but they needed something in the second to counter the momentum.

In the second, the Greys didn’t get much going offensively, but the defense was improved, limiting all of the Scouts’ chances to outside shots or blocked shots. It wasn’t a terribly exciting period, as the two teams exited the ice to the exact same score they came on to, 1-0 for the hosts. It was a crucial third period.

In the third, the Greys finally got the break they were looking for, with Gordon McLeod getting a backhand past Whitlow, 2:09 in. The remaining 18 minutes were some of the most intense of the season. Nassau had tons of great looks, but Clercius, a known playoff performer, did his best to make sure it remained tied. With 7 minutes to go, Anthony Wilson, who was generally unknown prior to this postseason, beat Whitlow with his 4th goal of the playoffs, giving Montreal that crucial lead. The Scouts tried and tried to tie it up in the remaining minutes, but they couldn’t.

In a series where they were generally outplayed, the Greys showed up when it mattered most, and advanced to their third Abbott Cup, and their first since 1930, when they won their 2nd straight title.



Abbott Cup Final Preview:

(W1) London Locomotives vs (E3) Montreal Greys
Previous Meeting: None
Result: N/A
Series Record: N/A

It’s the fourth straight year where one of the two teams in the Abbott Cup Final is looking for its first title. Montreal is no stranger to the final, with their 2, but London has never made an appearance in the championship series, let alone won it. 

The Greys won 3 out of the 4 meetings between the two teams in the regular season, winning 3-2, 4-3, and 4-2. London did win the last meeting by a score of 3-2, so aren’t completely out of the picture looking at that. The teams have very similar offensive and defensive stats, with the Greys allowing a little more goals while also scoring a little more often. And while the Greys are a 3rd seed, they finished 3 points behind London in the standings overall. It’s a weirdly even matchup. 

My Pick: The Locomotives finish their surprising run with a trophy, beating the Greys in 6 games.

Was waiting for this to come back, and it did not disappoint! Man, the Scouts have to be angry after that loss to Montreal. Hoping the Locos take it home!

Slapshot Kirby wrote:

I’m so happy to see the MHL back! I’m also happy to see the Locomotives playing for the Abbott Cup! I’ll be pulling for them to win it all obviously. Although, I do have a few questions regarding the MHL universe:

1. Do you have a list of all the arenas the teams play in out of curiosity?
2. Are MHL games broadcast on radio at all? If so, then who in the U.S. and Canada currently has broadcasting rights to the MHL?

1. I do have a list of them all! No specific capacities for each, but generally the larger-city teams have the larger arenas.

Brooklyn: Brooklyn Auditorium (since 1928)
Chicago: Adrianson Arena (since 1934)
Detroit: Guardian Stadium (since 1928)
London: Yoose Arena (since 1931)
Montreal Barons: Stade Barons (since 1920)
Montreal Greys: Victoria Square Stadium/Stade Square-Victoria (since 1920)
Nassau: County War Memorial (since 1929)
New York: New York Stadium (since 1925)
Philadelphia: Philadelphia County War Memorial (since 1934)
Quebec: Colisée de la Capitale (since 1929)
Toronto: Toronto Garden (since 1930)
Washington: DC Stadium (since 1932)

2. The first broadcast of a game was in the 1931-32 season, and broadcasting rights are all local at the moment. No nationwide rights for games exist yet, and probably won’t until after WWII, when the league will also be introduced to TV.

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Prior to the Abbott Cup Final, a major bombshell dropped that changed the outlook of it completely. London’s treasurer, in doing calculations for the next season, realized that without the prize money from winning the Abbott Cup outright, the club would not have the finances to play another year. This was originally meant to be kept under wraps, but the morning of Game 1, a whistleblower exposed the situation, and it was all anyone could talk about. This was a literal do-or-die series for the Locomotives, win or be no more. Talk about high stakes.

1935 MHL Playoffs: Abbott Cup Final

(W1) London Locomotives (24-13-13) vs (E3) Montreal Greys (26-18-6)

Game 1 was at London’s Yoose Arena, and despite its small size, the home crowd was electric like the arena had twice the capacity. Montreal didn’t seem fazed by it however, as they broke the series open just over 4 minutes in, with Kenneth Lalonde scoring on an odd-man rush. The Greys controlled the play, and would get more chances. Robert Caron blasted home a power play goal in the dying minutes to make it a two-goal lead, and just a minute after that, Lalonde scored another easy goal off a great pass from Arthur Simpson. It was not the start London was looking for, as the Greys lead 3-0 after 20.

London looked a lot better in the second. The shots were more even, and they were able to test Alan Clercius on a more consistent basis. However, he did well to thwart their chances. The Locomotives were able to get on the board through Leonard Triplett, and the home crowd had some semblance of life again. That one goal is all London could manage, but two goals wasn’t impossible to come back from.

The third was all Montreal shots-wise, but in terms of goals, the Locomotives got a quick power play marker to get within one, just 44 seconds in. Despite that, the Greys were still dominating the shot clock outside of it. Thankfully for London, Alberto Esposito had settled in after his rocky first period, keeping the score close. Eventually, with 2:30 to play, with London on another power play, Mark David beat Clercius, tying the game and sending Yoose Arena into a frenzy. These teams required overtime in game 1.

The extra frame was high-event, but even. Both teams had good looks, but it was a defensive breakdown that cost the game. Lalonde, who was on 2 goals, was somehow left all alone in front of Esposito, and he just needed to get a stick on a pass to beat him for the hat trick, and give the Greys the Game 1 victory. 

Game 1: Montreal 4, London 3 (OT) (Montreal leads series 1-0)

Game 2 saw a more nervous home crowd. While it wasn’t a literal must-win, the feeling was that if they didn’t win this game, their season, and team, would be done for.

It was once again an awful start for the home team, as Montreal dominated the shot clock. London didn’t allow an early goal this time, as Esposito did very well against the constant pressure. Montreal would still strike first, with around 6 minutes to play. Lalonde, who had a hat trick in game 1, shot one past low blocker side to give Montreal their second icebreaker of the series. With Montreal outshooting 12-4, they lead 1-0 after 20.

The second period was odd, with few shots, but many goals. John Johnson of London would open the period’s scoring on a rebound 8 minutes in, but the tie game didn’t last long, as Lalonde shot a laser beam on the power play for his 2nd of the game and 5th in the last 6 periods. London responded well, to their credit, with MHL leading goalscorer Jack Lilly scoring from in close to tie the game once again. Despite 8 total shots between the teams, the score went from 1-0 to 2-2 through 40.

The third period was London’s best of the series. Just 19 seconds in, Calvin Benn cleaned up a rebound, giving the Locomotives their first lead of the series. They kept the pressure going, but Alan Clercius did a good job in handling their bids for an insurance goal. On the other end, Esposito stopped all 8 shots he faced in the final frame. London breathed a sigh of relief as the game came to a close, as the series was now tied at 1.

Game 2: London 3, Montreal 2 (Series tied 1-1)

The series headed to Montreal for Games 3 and 4. The Greys’ Victoria Square Stadium was no stranger to Abbott Cup Final action, with Montreal winning 2 Cups previously. The home fans were energized.

The first period was very energetic, and had the most shots of any in the series so far. Despite that, the two goalies were dialled in. Both made spectacular glove grabs, and prevented any real good rebound chances. London had the better of the Greys through 20, though the game remained scoreless at the end of the frame.

There was finally a breakthrough in the second, and it was via the power play. Anthony Wilson took a long shot that squeaked through Esposito, and for the third straight game, Montreal opened the scoring. This time, the home crowd loved it. London responded before the end of the frame, with Will Breton uncharacteristically sniping a shot off the post and past Clercius. That was one of only 3 London shots in the frame, but all that mattered was the score, which was 1-1 after two periods of play.

In the third, the Greys continued being the better team, outshooting and outchancing. David Clark’s first of the playoffs on the backhand gave Montreal the lead back, and Lalonde continued his hot streak by scoring 2 minutes later. The Greys were up 3-1, and had a cushion now. London wasn’t going down easily, as they got a late power play goal from Triplett to be within 1. The remaining 3 minutes saw their best chances of the game, but Clercius ended up shutting the door, and giving Montreal a 2-1 series lead.

Game 3: Montreal 3, London 2 (Montreal leads series 2-1)

Victoria Square Stadium loved Game 3, and the fans were hoping Game 4 would be just as good. This was looking like another must win for London, who continued to look for that needed trophy to stay alive.

For the first time in the series, London would strike first. An early power play resulted in Jack Lilly’s fourth of the playoffs, that Clercius had no chance on. However, a defensive miscue 2 minutes later resulted in Richard Nichols scoring his first of the postseason, tying the game. It got worse for London, who had another defensive breakdown before the halfway point, resulting in an eventual James Urban breakaway, which he buried past Esposito. It wasn’t a pretty period for London, but off a late netfront scramble, Lilly was able to tie it with his second of the game. A chaotic first period ended with the teams tied at 2 apiece.

The second period was a Greys defensive clinic, limiting London’s chances greatly. They didn’t have a huge number of chances themselves, but they did test Esposito on a few occasions, which he did well to stop. The Locomotives hit a post at around the halfway mark, but that was as close as they could get. The second period ended the same way it started, a 2-2 stalemate between the two foes.

London got an early power play in the third, and they took advantage. A bit of a defensive miscue from the Greys resulted in an odd-man rush on the man advantage, and Matthew Daubney scored to give the Locomotives the lead once again. The remainder of the period was very high-tempo, with the home crowd looking for the Greys to tie it. Unfortunately, despite throwing all they could muster at Esposito, the early power play goal was enough for London to win it. The series was tied at 2 heading back to Western Ontario. 

Game 4: London 3, Montreal 2 (Series tied 2-2)

Game 5 was back in London, and the tension could be cut with a knife. Yoose Arena knew that this could potentially be the last home game the Locomotives would ever play, and you could feel the people shaking with anxiety in the stands.

The Locomotives seemed to ease some of the fears with a solid start. They were controlling play, but also playing very loose, allowing the Greys some opportunities as well. Will Breton opened the scoring on the power play 11 minutes in, much to the delight of the home fans. less than 3 minutes later, a great pass from Simon Peters gave Denham MacDonald an easy shot from in front, beating Clercius to extend the lead to 2. Kenneth Lalonde beat Esposito soon after to make it 2-1, with his eighth of the postseason. London led 2-1 after 1.

In the second, play was more tight, and the teams had fewer chances. The Locomotives seemed good with playing more defensive hockey, and for the most part, they did well to not give the Greys many good chances. They would have one blemish however, and it was costly. A split second of looking away led to William Smith scoring from right in front, one that Esposito was a little too slow at getting. The score was tied at 2, and could go either way.

The third period was a lot like the second, except now London had urgency. They got through more on Clercius, but the Montreal goaltender was getting the job done. Triplett had a brilliant chance to give the home lead another lead, but the left toe just barely redirected his hot shot wide. The game’s decisive goal came with under 7 minutes to play, when a shot from Richard Nichols beat Esposito, one he should have had. The puck squeaked between his left arm and torso, and through. The Locomotives weren’t able to recover, and Montreal took game 5, 3-2. Fans stayed around a little longer in case this really was Yoose Arena’s last MHL game.

Game 5: Montreal 3, London 2 (Montreal leads series 3-2)

Game 6 was in Montreal, and Victoria Square Stadium was excited to see their players potentially lift their third Abbott Cup. It wasn’t a given, as this series had not seen a single game won by more than a single goal. It was bound to be a nailbiter.

Power play goals were the offense’s story of the finals, and it was true once again in Game 6. Just 1:51 in, John Johnson placed a beautiful shot past Clercius to give London the early lead. Unfortunately for them, that was the best part of the first period. Montreal dominated the remainder of the frame, and before the halfway mark, William Smith batted a puck out of the air and past Esposito to tie it. Not long after, a beautiful pass by Lalonde found Anthony Wilson right at the net, and Esposito had no chance. It was looking good for the home team after 20 minutes.

The second period was slightly less dominant for the Greys, but they were still easily the better team. They had several quality chances on Esposito, including a power play, but he played his best hockey of the series in stopping all the shots against him. The Locomotives had a few chances to tie, but didn’t have the finish on any of them. The same scoreline remained after 40 minutes, though the shots were 23-11 in favour of the Greys. London needed to play better if they wanted to survive.

That tying goal came 6 minutes into the third, when a defensive clearance from the Greys deflected off one of their own players and right to Lennie Triplett, who made no mistake on his 6th of the postseason. That early goal gave London some life, and they were the better team in the final frame. Despite this, it looked like it was heading to overtime. However, with 2 minutes left, Jack Lilly beat Clercius on a rebound, and the largest celebrations of the series so far ensued. London beat the clock, and drained the remaining time. The series was now tied at 3, with the Locomotives having one more game to stay alive.

Game 6: London 3, Montreal 2 (Series tied 3-3)

Game 7 was described as having the single most buzz of any MHL game the league had ever seen. Not only was it a Game 7 in the finals, this game would decide the fate of the London Locomotives. Columnist Frederick Winton wrote that “even the finest dramatic author could not imagine such a scenario”.

The game started incredibly quick. Off the opening faceoff, London nearly scored, but Alan Clercius came up huge to deny Simon Peters of a goal. The scoring was opened almost 5 minutes in, when Anthony Wilson beat Esposito on a breakaway. 3 minutes later, It was Wilson again who scored, making it 2-0 not even halfway through. The home crowd was stunned and sad. London would get good looks in the second half of the period, but still, nothing got past Clercius. After 20 minutes, they had work to do.

Early in the second, Nichols scored a powerplay marker off a rebound, and it was 3-0. The arena was dead silent, and it looked like it could be over already for the Locomotives if they didn’t respond quickly. Thankfully for the fans, they did just that. Jack Lilly made a nice fake, before moving around Clercius and scoring to get London on the board. The arena had hope again. After a lull in play, London’s Lucky Cosen beat Clercius on a seeing-eye shot, and it was suddenly a one-goal game. This didn’t last long, as Leonard Boyer scored a minute later on a similar long-range shot, tying the game. Yoose Arena was absolutely buzzing, and the fans were believing. However, Kenneth Lalonde would score with 36 seconds to play in the second, giving Montreal a crucial lead heading into the third period. 5 goals in the middle frame had Montreal with a 4-3 lead.

The third period saw London playing like a team that had to win. Not only were they blocking all of Montreal’s attempts, but they also got that tying goal. Lennie Triplett sniped his 7th of the playoffs on the power play 7 minutes in. The tension kept growing and growing. The crowd could tell that the next goal scored would be the one that decided the fate of their team. London had looks, but Alan Clercius stood tall after the two goals he wanted back. Time would run out, and Game 7 of this crazy Abbott Cup Final required overtime, because of course it did.

Fans were expecting a very slow and calculated overtime, with the goal being off a rare mistake from the other. They were right about one of those. Just 90 seconds in, In an attempt to keep the puck in the zone, London’s John Johnson fanned on the puck. Kenneth Lalonde picked up the puck, and found a streaking Anthony Wilson who went in behind the defense, when Johnson should have been covering him. In alone on Esposito, he shot the puck low. It hit the goaltender’s pad, but with enough force that it richocheted up into the air, past the flailing glove, and in. 

It all happened so fast, that the home crowd needed time to take in what had just happened. Greys players spilled out from the bench in celebration, while the Locomotives players and fans sort of just stood around blankly. In a show of sportsmanship, Greys captain Chris Clark asked commissioner Richard Holland not to award the trophy in front of the fans, but to let them send their team off while the Greys received the trophy in the locker room. It was a really tough scene in London, as they came oh so close to staying alive.

Game 7: Montreal 5, London 4 (OT) (Montreal wins series 4-3)

this hurt to write.


 

man, what an insane series, and what a brutal ending for the locos. hopefully london gets another chance someday