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season card
nhl
| TEAM |
GP
Games played - Number of games the team has played
|
W
Wins - Games the team has won, either in regulation or in overtime
|
L
Losses - Games the team has lost in regulation
|
T
Ties - Games that have ended in a tie
|
PTS
Points - Team points, calculated from W, L, T, OTL and SOL; used to determine standings
|
GF
Goals for - Number of goals the team has scored
|
GA
Goals against - Number of goals scored against the team
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 50 | 28 | 17 | 5 | 61 | 172 | 134 |
| Boston Bruins | 50 | 24 | 18 | 8 | 56 | 167 | 156 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 50 | 23 | 20 | 7 | 53 | 200 | 178 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 50 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 50 | 146 | 159 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 50 | 19 | 24 | 7 | 45 | 174 | 185 |
| New York Rangers | 50 | 13 | 28 | 9 | 35 | 144 | 191 |
Season's leaders
see the complete stats
| # | SKATERS |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
G
Goals - Number of goals the player has scored
|
A
Assists - Number of goals the player has assisted in
|
PTS
Points - Scoring points, calculated as the sum of G and A
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Toe Blake | 50 | 29 | 21 | 50 |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | 50 | 27 | 22 | 49 |
| 16 | Elmer Lach | 50 | 13 | 34 | 47 |
| 19 | Jimmy Peters | 47 | 11 | 19 | 30 |
| 14 | Billy Reay | 44 | 17 | 12 | 29 |
| # | #1 GOALIE |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
RECORD
Record - Goalie record (W-L-T)
|
SO
Shutouts - Number of games where the goaltender has not allowed a goal
|
GAA
Goals against average - Mean goals-per-game scored on the goaltender
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Durnan | 40 | 24-11-5 | 4 | 2.60 |
Season results
| DATE | AWAY | HOME |
|---|
THE REGULAR SEASON
The1945-46 season sees a number of veterans rejoining their respective teams following the war, bringing about a new level of parity throughout the NHL.Forward Joe Benoit is among those players returning to hockey after serving in the military. Like many other war veterans returning to the game, Benoit struggles to regain his pre-war production as evidenced by his 19 points in 39 games.
The Punch Line continues to terrorize the league. Toe Blake finishes first in team scoring with 29 goals and 50 points. Maurice Richard is next with 27 goals and 48 points, followed by Elmer Lach with 47 points.
In goal, Bill Durnan keeps up his dazzling play and wins his third straight Vezina Trophy, tying George Hainsworth’s record. Durnan also sets a personal best with a league-leading four shutouts during the regular season.
Unlike the previous two seasons, Durnan records 24 wins while appearing in only 40 games. Paul Bibeault, loaned to Toronto in 1943-44 and Boston in 1944-45, accounts for four wins in 10 games.
On February 13, 1946, Dick Irvin records his 150th regular season win as coach of the Canadiens in a 5-1 victory in Chicago. The accomplishment helps him claim a spot on the NHL’s First All-Star Team for the last time. The following season, the league stops naming a coach to its All-Star Teams.
Durnan, Richard and Emile Bouchard join Irvin on the First All-Star Team. Lach, Blake and Ken Reardon are named to the Second All-Star Team.
THE PLAYOFFS
The Canadiens open the playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks, whose potent offense generated a league-leading 200 goals during the regular season. The Blackhawks’ firepower proves no match for the stellar play of Durnan.It’s no contest in the semi-final as the Canadiens literally crush the poor Blackhawks in four straight games by scores of 6-2, 5-1, 8-2 and 7-2.
Next are the Bruins. The first two games of the series are tight battles that both require overtime to determine the outcome. The Canadiens seize the initiative in both games and give their fans a pair of wins, 4-3 and 3-2, at the Forum.
After winning the next game to take a 3-0 series lead, the Canadiens have their sights set on completing the sweep in Game 4, but the Bruins have other plans. Boston steals a 3-2 overtime win at home to keep their hopes alive. It will prove to be the Canadiens’ only loss of the playoffs.
Back at the Forum for Game 5, the Canadiens roar to a 6-3 win and a Stanley Cup. As he did in 1943-44, Blake once again notches the Cup-clinching goal.
Durnan allows only 20 goals in nine games, maintaining a remarkable 2.07 goals-against average. The Punch Line carries over its outstanding regular season production, accounting for 19 of the 45 goals scored by the team during the playoffs. Blake and Richard each score seven goals while Lach is the leading playoff scorer with 17 points.
The playoffs roadmap
| Semi-finals - Chicago Blackhawks | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| March 19th, 1946 | CHI 2 | MTL 6 | ||
| March 21st, 1946 | CHI 1 | MTL 5 | ||
| March 24th, 1946 | MTL 8 | CHI 2 | ||
| March 26th, 1946 | MTL 7 | CHI 2 | ||
| Canadiens won best-of-seven series 4-0 | ||||
| Stanley Cup Finals - Boston Bruins | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| March 30th, 1946 | BOS 3 | MTL 4 | ||
| April 2nd, 1946 | BOS 2 | MTL 3 | ||
| April 4th, 1946 | MTL 4 | BOS 2 | ||
| April 7th, 1946 | MTL 2 | BOS 3 | ||
| April 9th, 1946 | BOS 3 | MTL 6 | ||
| Canadiens won best-of-seven series 4-1 | ||||
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