From the Winnipeg Free Press
- Tuesday 27 October 1942
Capacity Crowd on Hand
as Rangers Beat Navy
Bryan Hextall Star of the Game
The Bryan Hextall, Lynn Patrick and Phil Watson
line aroused plenty of excitement last season in
the NHL with the New York Rangers.
At least this is what one would gather watching
the trio go to town Monday night at the Amphitheatre
rink when the Rangers blasted Harry Neil's Winnipeg
navy Club, 9-2, in an exhibition contest.
Messrs. Hextall, Patrick and Watson were really
hot - Hextall a little more so than his other playmates.
They gathered 13 of the 20 scoring points chalked
up by the Gothamites, Hextall banging in three goals
and three assists; Patrick two goals and two assists
and Watson a goal and two assists.
The contest was witnessed by a capacity crowd
of 5,000 and featured sensational hockey from start
to finish.
One would have thought it was a world championship
game rather than just the exhibition it was billed
as. Both clubs played all out at every stage and
the large crowd was on it's feet the majority of
the time.
It was a splendid workout for the Rangers, who
open their 1942-43 NHL campaign in Toronto this
Saturday Night, and the Navy team should benefit
greatly from the experience obtained.
The teams' share from the game went towards purchasing
athletic equipment for the new naval barracks which
was formerly the Winnipeg Winter Club.
The Neil-coached sailors put up a far better show
than the scoreboard indicated, but missed many of
the scoring chances. Leading the Tars was Defenceman
Hughie Millar, whose performance ranked him with
the stars of the night. He got both the Navy goals
and was brilliant both offensively and defensively.
Third Period Fight
Spice was added to the proceedings in the third
period when a brief outburst of fisticuffs occurred
between Referee Dick Davis and Vic Lofvendahl, Navy
defenceman.
Davis waved the husky Lofvendahl to the sin-bin
for tripping, but Vic refused to go, striking Davis
with his bare fists. Davis came back at him and
soon both were on the ice.
For his action Lofvendahl was sent from the game
with a match penalty.
At the same time, little Grant Warwick, Ranger
forward, hooked up with Millar in a wrestling duel,
Warwick drawing a minor penalty.
Hextall was, easily the best man on the Ranger
team with his three counters and three assists.
Speedy Bryan, NHL scoring champion last season,
figured in the first five goals the New Yorkers
scored, scoring three and assisting in two others.
His other assist, came on the last Ranger goal of
the game fired by Eddie Slowinski, last year a Junior
with Winnipeg Monarchs.
Portage Kids Play
Three members of last year's Championship Portage
junior club played in Ranger uniforms Monday night
and gave good accounts of themselves. They were
Lin Bend, Joe Bell and Bill Gooden. Of the three,
Bend was the most effective, though Bell and Gooden
gave the fans an eyeful with some fancy skating.
None of them figured in the scoring column.
The Rangers ran the count to 6-0 in the first
period before Navy came through with a reply. Hextall
opened the scoring at 5:23 on a play with Watson,
and followed up with two other efforts within the
three minutes to make it 3-0.
Patrick ran it to 5-0 with a consecutive brace
of tallies scored within 10 seconds of each other,
and Gord Davidson who showed up to advantage on
defence made It 6-0 when he clicked on a play with
Warwick and Bob Kirkpatrick. Millar fired Navy's
first goal with two and a half minutes to go in
the period, completing a play with Brian Lynch and
Lowvendahl.
One in Second
Only one tally was registered in the second period,
Watson batting in a pass from the veteran Ranger
defenceman Ott Heller. The score at the end of the
period stood Rangers 7, Navy 1.
Big Babe Pratt, ex-Winnipeg junior, made it 8-2
in the third period before Millar manufactured Navy's
second goal on a play with Gib Nordin and Joey Johns.
Slowinski drove in the ninth Ranger marker with
Hextall's help at the 16:27 mark in the session.
Both teams played two goalkeepers. Rangers used
Steve Buzinski, Swift Current intermediate graduate,
and Jack McGill, last season cage custodian for
the New York Rovers in the Eastern US Amateur loop.
Goalie Shows Promise
Buzinski, who guarded the twine during the first
and second periods, showed plenty of stuff and showed
promise as being a fine replacement for "Sugar Jim"
Henry, who is now in the army.
Roy Roche handled the Navy goaltending chores
for the first two sessions with Lionel Wright, last
year with East Kildonan Bisons taking over in the
third. Roche could not be wholly blamed for all
seven shots that got by him. Every one was of the
tough variety. There were injuries in both camps.
Babe Pratt of the Rangers, received a hand injury
when cut by a skate, and Eddie Slowinski was cut
in the neck with a stick. Ducky Skinner, of Navy,
received a scalp cut and a severe charley horse.
Commander E. T. C. Orde, of the Winnipeg Detachment
R.C.N.V.R. faced off the puck to send the contest
on its way.
Summary
New York Rangers - Buzinski, Heller, Pike, Bell,
Bend, Gooden. Subs - Pratt, Davidson, Watson, Hextall,
Patrick, Warwick, Smith, McGill, Kirkpatrick, Slowinski.
Winnipeg Navy - Roche, Heindl, Millar, Johns,
Nordin, Hamulka, Ballance, Medynski, Lynch, Bathgate,
Skinner, Lofvendahl, Landiak, A. Kirkpatrick, Wright.
Officials - Lorne Lyndon and Dick Davis.
Scoring Summary - First Period - 1. New York Rangers,
Hextall (Watson), 5:23; 2. New York Rangers, Hextall
(Patrick, Pratt) 5:53; 3. New York Rangers, Hextall
(Patrick, Watson) 8:07. 4. New York Rangers, Patrick
(Hextall, Pike) 14:29; 5. New York Rangers, Patrick
(Hextall) 14:29; 6. New York Rangers, Davidson (Warwick,
Kirkpatrick) 17:01 7. Winnipeg Navy. Millar (Lynch,
Lofvendahl) 17:38. Penalties - Millar, Pratt.
Second Period - 8. New York Rangers, Watson (Heller)
5:58 Penalties - Watson, Johns, Hextall, Bend, Lofvendahl.
Third Period - 9. New York Rangers, Pratt, 1:25;
10. Winnipeg Navy, Millar (Nordin, Johns) 7:35;
11. New York Rangers, Slowinski (Hextall), 16:27;
Penalties - Watson (minor and misconduct), Gooden,
Lofvendahl (match), Warwick, Hextall.
|
