This Week In Canadiens History: February 28th – March 6th

This week in Canadiens History: Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Disco, severed ears and more on this edition!

Monday February 28th

On this day, the year of our Lord 1978, Guy Lafleur scored 3 goals and 3 assists as the Canadiens wiped the floor with the Detroit Red Wings 9-2. His third point of the game was his 100th point of the season, and it was Lafleur’s 4th straight season as such.

Le Démon Blond’s 3rd goal was his 46th of the season, on route to 60 by the end of the season. This was right in the middle of one of the most dominating stretches any player has ever had in the NHL.

It started in 1974-75, where Lafleur scored 53 goals and 119 points. Then 1975-76: 56 goals and 125 points. 1976-77: 56 goals and 136 points. 1977-78: 60 goals and 132 points. 1978-79: 52 goals and 129 points. 1979-80: 50 goals and 125 points.

It was the first time anyone had scored over 50 goals and 100 points in 6 straight seasons. Guy Lafleur would retire in 1985, get inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, but then would return in 1989 and play three more seasons with the Quebec Nordiques and New York Rangers.

On February 27th, 1890, arguably the NHL’s first superstar, Maurice Joseph ‘Phantom Joe’ Malone was born in Sillery, Quebec. Joe Malone got his start before the NHL was even in existence as a member of the Quebec Bulldogs, but was chosen by the Canadiens as the Bulldogs were not a part of the original NHL.

Malone scored in each of the first 14 Montreal Canadiens’ NHL games, totaling 35 goals in that span, and finished the first NHL season with 44 goals in 1917. The next person to break that record of goals in a single season was The Rocket Maurice Richard in 1944. On January 31st, 1920, Malone scored 7 goals against the Toronto St. Patricks, a record that stands to this day.

February 28th is also the birthday of Stéphan Armand Lebeau in 1968 in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec. A prolific scorer in the Juniors, Lebeau was undrafted and signed in Montreal in 1986. In 1988-89, as a member of the Sherbrook Canadiens, Lebeau scored 70 goals, a record for most goals in an AHL season that still stands.

Lebeau could only come close to replicating those numbers in the big league for one year, 1992-93, where he put up 80 points in 71 games and helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup.

And finally, Patrick John “Jack” McDonald was born on February 28th, 1887. McDonald would play one full year with the Canadiens, and come close to winning the Stanley Cup before both the teams succumbed to the Spanish Flu.

McDonald was also a part of the ill-fated Montreal Wanderers team, who played just 6 NHL games before their arena burned down and they were forced to disband.

Tuesday March 1st

On this day, March 1st, the year of our Lord 1919, Newsy Lalonde scored 5 goals as the Montreal Canadiens beat the first iteration of the Ottawa Senators 6-3 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was the first time a player had scored 5 goals in single playoff game.

In over 100 years since that feat, no player has managed to beat it, although some have tied it. Maurice Richard scored 5 goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1944. Darryl Sittler scored 5 and added 1 assist against the Philadelphia Flyers in 1976. Reggie Leach of the Flyers scored 5 against Boston in 1976 as well. And finally Mario Lemieux scored 5 goals and 3 assists against Philadelphia in 1989. Those 8 points by Lemieux also ties the record of most points in a playoff game with Patrik Sundstrom of the New Jersey Devils against Washington in 1988.

However, each of these players have scored 5 goals in a playoff game, Newsy Lalonde was the only one to do it in the Stanley Cup Final.

On March 1st, 1892, in Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, Wilfrid Arthur “Billy” Coutu was born. He was somewhat distantly related to the greatest hockey family ever. Coutu’s wife’s sister’s daughter married Howie Morenz and was the mother of Bernie ‘Boom Boom’ Geoffrion, who was the father of Dan Geoffrion, who is the father of Blake Geoffrion, who all played in the NHL.

Coutu won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1923-24 and was the Canadiens’ captain in 1925-26. Coutu was part of the first ever NHL multi-player deal, when he and Sprague Cleghorn were traded from the Hamilton Tigers to the Canadiens for Harry Mummery, Amos Arbour and Cully Wilson.

He was later traded to Boston, and that is where all the trouble began. Doesn’t it always?

At the time the Big Bad Bruins were ruled over by one of the most dominant and best defenders of all time: Eddie Shore.

Shore won 4 Hart Trophies, most by any defenseman, and behind only Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky in that regard. And he didn’t get them scoring goals and putting up points, I can tell you that. The Wild Beaver, as Coutu was called, was no stranger to the rough stuff, so the two immediately hit it off.

Emphasis on hit. By the end of their first practice together Coutu was knocked out cold and missed 10 days of practice and games, and Shore’s ear was hanging by a thread.

Shore went doctor shopping (since they all wanted to amputate his ear) and finally found someone to sew it back on. Shore had the operation without anesthesia and even used a hand mirror to watch what the doctor was doing.

Bill Coutu also has his name beside one of the most dubious records in NHL history. On April 13th, 1927, the Boston Bruins met with the Ottawa Senators. Coutu claims that his actions were at the behest of then coach Art Ross, but what remains is what he did. Coutu attacked referees Jerry Laflamme and Billy Bell. Coutu was then given a lifetime ban from the NHL and fined $100. It was the first and so far only time that a player has been given a lifetime ban.

The ban would be rescinded years later, but Coutu would never play in the NHL again.

Wednesday March 2nd

On this day, the year of our Lord 1929, George Hainsworth and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins 3-0. The shutout was Hainsworth’s 20th of the season, and he would finish the 1928-29 season with 22 shutouts in 44 games. In those 44 games, every game the Montreal Canadiens played, Hainsworth allowed just 43 goals, finishing with a 0.93 save percentage.

Three players are tied for second behind Hainsworth with 15 shutouts in a single season: Alec Connell twice (1925-26 and 1927-28), Hal Winkler (1927-28) and Tony Esposito (1969-70). Each one of Hainsworth’s wins in 1928-29 were shutouts. In 1930, Hainsworth set another record, going over 280  playoff minutes straight without surrendering a goal.

March 2nd is the birthday of former Montreal Canadiens centre Max Domi, son of famed Maple Leafs enforcer Tie Domi. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and was born in Winnipeg while his father was playing for the Jets.

Max Domi had a great debut against the L.A. Kings as a member of the Coyotes, scoring a goal and assist. In his first month, Domi scored 5 goals and 11 points. It would take his father Tie five years to beat that amount in a season, and another year to score more than 5 goals in a season.

In 1966, Jean Beliveau scored his 380th career goal as the Canadiens and Maple Leafs tie 3-3. The goal moves Beliveau into 3rd all time in career goals, behind Maurice Richard at 544 and Gordie Howe at 801. Beliveau would finish his career with 507 goals, currently 42nd most of all time.

And finally, Claude Lerose was born in 1942, and became the first NHL player for Hearst, ON. Lerose played 10 seasons with the Habs, but has a trophy named after him in the North American Hockey League.

Thursday March 3rd

On this day, the year of our Lord 1920, the Montreal Canadiens set the record for most goals scored by a single team as they beat the Quebec Bulldogs 16-3. All five of the Canadiens got on the scoresheet: Harry Cameron and Newsy Lalonde scored 4 each, Didier Pitre and and Odie Gleghorn both had hattricks, and Amos Arbour scored 2.

In 1968, Jean Beliveau scored his 1,000th point in a 5-2 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. It comes in Beliveau’s 911th game, and he would finish with 1,219 points in his career, all with the Montreal Canadiens.

Beliveau was just the second player to break the 1,000 point plateau, behind none other than his opponent that night, Gordie Howe. Howe would end his historic career with 1,850 points, behind Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr and Mark Messier.

When it comes to just Canadiens, Beliveau was passed by just one player, and joined by another in the 1,000 point club. Guy Lafleur has the most points as a Hab at 1,246 and the other Canadien to score 1,000 points for the team was Henri Richard (who was born on Leap Day in 1936, but this year is not a leap year sadly) who retired with 1,046 points.

March 3rd is the birthday of Canadiens’ draft pick but short time Hab Stephane Robidas in 1977, who played just two seasons in Montreal before being claimed off waivers by the Dallas Stars. And it is the birthday of another brief Canadien and all time fight superstar Alexander Semin in 1984.