JUST LIKE 1951

Toronto's 4-3 overtime win against Montreal last night marked the first time since 1950-51 they gathered 6 straight wins over their rival.

The streak began on December 6, 1950, when the Leafs hosted the Canadiens at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was a big game for Tod Sloan of the Leafs. He added to his scoring advantage over fellow right wingers Maurice Richard of Montreal and Gordie Howe of Detroit. Sloan notched Toronto's third goal late in the third period.

 Writing in the Toronto Daily Star, Red Burnett described Sloan's tally as follows:

Sid Smith outwrestled two Habs for the puck, passed it behind the goal to Jim Thomson, who relayed it in front to Sloan. Tod looked like the Sloan of junior days as he toyed with the helpless Gerry McNeil like a cat with a mouse before slipping the biscuit home.

Toronto Daily Star, December 7, 1950

Over the next for meetings between the two clubs, Toronto won by scores of 6-1 (Dec. 20), 5-2 (Jan. 18), 4-3 (Jan. 24) and 3-1 (Feb.1). The four victories were split between the Gardens and the Montreal Forum.

The final game of 6 straight wins for Toronto over the Habs came on February 7, 1951, at MLG. Like the first game of the streak, the Leafs defeated Montreal 3-1. Sid Smith was the scoring sensation for the Leafs. He scored the game-winner at 16:43 of the first period and added an insurance goal early in the first frame. After the game, Leaf coach, Joe Primeau, made these comments to the press:

They were shooting the bundle at us and it wasn't enough. They know they have to pick up points while Rocket Richard is in the line-up, and they played it play-off style ... I though Al Rollins (Leaf goalie) played an excellent game, especially in that second period when the heat was on. Bill Barilko came up with his best game of the campaign. It was a good one to win (and) proved to me I have a pretty good ball team.

Toronto Daily Star, February 8, 1951

Joe Primeau and the Leafs domination over Montreal came to an end on February 15, 1951. On the road in Montreal, they fought to a 2-2 draw. Montreal and Toronto split the remaining two games of the regular season with the Canadiens defeating Toronto 3-1 on March 1 and the Leafs blanking Montreal 2-0 on March 21.

But that wasn't the end of the story. The two Canadian franchises met in the 1951 Stanley Cup final with game one taking place at the hockey palace in Toronto. The Leafs 3-2 overtime win was the first of five OT contests. In game five, Bill Barilko's goal at 2:53 resulted in Toronto's Cup victory.