Cancelled game helped Maple Leafs regroup, win Stanley Cup in 1951

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.
This week Fischler recalls how a cancelled playoff game in 1951 helped the Toronto Maple Leafs regroup to win the Stanley Cup.

In the spring of 1951, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins engaged in a semi-final playoff game that can't be found in NHL records books. The game was cancelled for reasons that were rare indeed.
But first a bit of background is in order.
From 1947-49, the Maple Leafs became the first dynasty in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup three straight seasons. After failing to win the Cup in 1950, they tried to make it four championships in five seasons the following year.
"It's a question of how many boys become men," Maple Leafs general manager Conn Smythe said. "We expect a very exciting season here in Toronto."
With coach Joe Primeau in command, the Maple Leafs set Toronto records with 41 wins (41-16-13) and 95 points. Goalie Al Rollins won the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the NHL and the offense was powered by Hall of Fame centers Max Bentley and captain Ted Kennedy.
"We can take any team in the playoffs but we must get ourselves into fighting trim, and sharpen and smarten ourselves up mentally as well as physically," Primeau said. "The opposition is going to be tough."
The opposition were the Bruins and they invaded Maple Leaf Gardens to secure a 2-0 win in Game 1 of the semis. It was an intense game that included Boston forward Pete Horeck running Rollins. So bad was the hit that Rollins sustained torn ligaments in his left knee.
That wasn't all. Kennedy and Bruins center Milt Schmidt engaged in a stick-swinging duel that even surprised Boston coach Lynn Patrick.
"We started out to play it nasty, but we didn't expect the Leafs to do the same thing," Patrick said.
Turk Broda replaced Rollins when the Maple Leafs looked to even the best-of-7 series in Game 2.
Meanwhile the Bruins, 1-for-1 in the semi-final, oozed with optimism.
"We figured that if we could take a second game on the road we'd have a stranglehold on the series," Patrick said.
Based on the brawling opening game, grudges were emerging everywhere. One particular Bruins target was Maple Leafs defenseman "Bashing" Bill Barilko. In Game 1 he sent Bruins forwards Dunc Fisher and Horeck to the infirmary with 12- and 10-stitch wounds, respectively.
Barilko also had a knack for scoring and opened Game 2 with a goal. Bruins forward Johnny Peirson tied the game in the second period and nobody scored in the third. This set the stage for overtime.
"The game had become so exciting that nobody was thinking about what might happen timewise," Maple Leafs defenseman Jim Thomson said. "Later on, we learned why."
The teams played an exciting, yet scoreless, overtime. When the players skated off the ice, they had no idea the game would end in a 1-1 tie.
Maple Leaf Gardens officials huddled, then checked their watches before conferring with referee Red Storey and linesmen Mush March and Doug Young.
"We were told that the game had to be stopped and cancelled," Storey recalled. "It was on account of Toronto's Blue laws. We had no choice, the law being the law."
Like many cities in that more conservative era, Toronto operated under what were called Blue laws, adopted for religious reasons to promote Sunday worship. One such Toronto law banned professional sporting events on Sunday. The Gardens clock revealed that it now officially was Sunday morning.
"We took off our uniforms and prepared to play the Bruins on another night," Kennedy said.
One theory is that the cancelled game benefitted Toronto in the long run. On the ropes after their Game 1 loss and in danger of losing a second straight, the Maple Leafs gained a brief but much needed breather to recharge before Game 2 was replayed.
"It sure didn't hurt us," Maple Leafs center Cal Gardner said.
When Game 2 was replayed from the start in Toronto, Broda shut out the Bruins 3-0 to even the series. The Maple Leafs proceeded to clinch the semi-final with scores of 3-1, 4-1 and 6-0.
The Maple Leafs then defeated the Montreal Canadiens in five games -- all in overtime and none cancelled -- to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in five seasons.
"If any one person deserves credit for our wins, it's our coach, Joe Primeau," Kennedy said.
That Sunday Blue law in Toronto deserved some credit as well. After all, it gave the reeling Maple Leafs a rallying respite just when they most needed it.