1943–44 Chicago Black Hawks season

The 1943–44 Chicago Black Hawks season was the team's 18th season in the NHL. The Hawks finished in 4th place and lost in the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals to the Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 0.
==Regular Season==
The Black Hawks would once again finish just under .500, with a 22–23–5 record, good for 49 points, and 4th place in the NHL. The Hawks 178 goals would rank them just ahead of the New York Rangers for 5th in the league, while the 187 goals they let in ranked 4th. The team would qualify for the playoffs, as they would have 6 more points than the 5th place Boston Bruins.
Doug Bentley would have another huge season, breaking the Black Hawks record for points in a season, which he set in the 1942–43 season, by earning 77 points, along with a club record 38 goals, which led the NHL. Clint Smith, who the Black Hawks acquired from the Rangers in the off-season, would set a club record with 49 assists, and win the Lady Byng Trophy. Bill Mosienko would have a break out season with 32 goals and 70 points. Earl Siebert would anchor the defense, leading all defensemen with 33 points and had a team high 40 penalty minutes.
In goal, the Hawks would begin the season with Hec Highton in goal, however, after a 10–14–0 start, and a GAA of 4.50, the Hawks would trade him to the Providence Reds of the American Hockey League for former Hawks goaltender Mike Karakas. Karakas would put together a 12–9–5 record with a 3.04 GAA, helping Chicago clinch the final playoff spot.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
# 	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record 	Pts
1 	October 31 	Toronto Maple Leafs	4–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–1–0 	0
2 	November 4 	Montreal Canadiens 	5–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–2–0 	0
3 	November 6 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–3 	New York Rangers 	1–2–0 	2
4 	November 7 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Montreal Canadiens 	1–3–0 	2
5 	November 11	Boston Bruins 	4–6 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–3–0 	4
6 	November 13	Chicago Black Hawks	4–1 	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–3–0 	6
7 	November 14	New York Rangers 	5–10 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–3–0 	8
8 	November 18	Boston Bruin 	3–7 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–3–0 	10
9 	November 21	Chicago Black Hawks	2–5 	Detroit Red Wings 	5–4–0 	10
10	November 25	Detroit Red Wings 	3–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	6–4–0 	12
11	November 28	Boston Bruins 	4–5 	Chicago Black Hawks	7–4–0 	14
12	November 30	Chicago Black Hawks	5–6 	Boston Bruins 	7–5–0 	14
13	December 2 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–6 	Montreal Canadiens 	7–6–0 	14
14	December 5 	New York Rangers 	6–7 	Chicago Black Hawks	8–6–0 	16
15	December 12	Toronto Maple Leafs	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–6–0 	18
16	December 14	Chicago Black Hawks	3–4 	Boston Bruins 	9–7–0 	18
17	December 18	Chicago Black Hawks	4–8 	Toronto Maple Leafs	9–8–0 	18
18	December 19	Toronto Maple Leafs	5–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	9–9–0 	18
19	December 22	Detroit Red Wings 	1–7 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–9–0 	20
20	December 25	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Montreal Canadiens 	10–10–0	20
21	December 26	Chicago Black Hawks	6–7 	New York Rangers 	10–11–0	20
22	January 1 	Montreal Canadiens 	4–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	10–12–0	20
23	January 4 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–6 	Boston Bruins 	10–13–0	20
24	January 6 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–6 	Toronto Maple Leafs	10–14–0	20
25	January 9 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–4 	Detroit Red Wings 	10–15–0	20
26	January 13 	Chicago Black Hawks	5–2 	New York Rangers 	11–15–0	22
27	January 16 	Montreal Canadiens 	1–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	11–15–1	23
28	January 20 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–4 	Detroit Red Wings 	11–16–1	23
29	January 23 	Toronto Maple Leafs	3–5 	Chicago Black Hawks	12–16–1	25
30	January 27 	New York Rangers 	4–6 	Chicago Black Hawks	13–16–1	27
31	January 29 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–3 	Toronto Maple Leafs	14–16–1	29
32	January 30 	Detroit Red Wings 	2–3 	Chicago Black Hawks	15–16–1	31
33	February 1 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–0 	Boston Bruins 	16–16–1	33
34	February 5 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Montreal Canadiens 	16–17–1	33
35	February 6 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–4 	New York Rangers 	16–17–2	34
36	February 10	Boston Bruins 	5–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–18–2	34
37	February 13	Montreal Canadiens 	2–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–18–3	35
38	February 20	Toronto Maple Leafs	0–0 	Chicago Black Hawks	16–18–4	36
39	February 22	Chicago Black Hawks	8–4 	New York Rangers 	17–18–4	38
40	February 26	Chicago Black Hawks	3–2 	Toronto Maple Leafs	18–18–4	40
41	February 27	New York Rangers 	2–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	19–18–4	42
42	March 2 	Boston Bruins 	2–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	20–18–4	44
43	March 4 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–6 	Detroit Red Wings 	20–19–4	44
44	March 5 	Detroit Red Wings 	1–6 	Chicago Black Hawks	21–19–4	46
45	March 9 	Montreal Canadiens 	3–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	21–20–4	46
46	March 12 	New York Rangers 	4–4 	Chicago Black Hawks	21–20–5	47
47	March 14 	Chicago Black Hawks	4–6 	Boston Bruins 	21–21–5	47
48	March 16 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–3 	Montreal Canadiens 	21–22–5	47
49	March 18 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–6 	Detroit Red Wings 	21–23–5	47
50	March 19 	Detroit Red Wings 	0–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	22–23–5	49
==Playoffs==
=== Chicago Black Hawks 4, Detroit Red Wings 1 ===
The Black Hawks met the 2nd place Detroit Red Wings in the Semi-finals, who finished 9 points better than Chicago in the regular season, in a best of 7 series. The Hawks and Wings would split the opening 2 games in Detroit, and Chicago would take a 2–1 series lead by shutting out the Red Wings in game 3. The Black Hawks would dominate game 4, winning 7–1 and take a commanding 3–1 series lead. Chicago would then complete the upset in game 5, defeating the Wings 5–2 in Detroit, and earn a spot in the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1941.
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score	Home 	Record
1	March 21	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1 	Detroit Red Wings 	1–0
2	March 23	Chicago Black Hawks	1–4 	Detroit Red Wings 	1–1
3	March 26	Detroit Red Wings 	0–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	2–1
4	March 28	Detroit Red Wings 	1–7 	Chicago Black Hawks	3–1
5	March 30	Chicago Black Hawks	5–2 	Detroit Red Wings 	4–1
=== Montreal Canadiens 4, Chicago Black Hawks 0 ===
Their opponent would be the Montreal Canadiens, who dominated the NHL with 83 points, 34 points better than the Hawks in the regular season. Chicago would prove to be no match for the powerful Canadiens, as they would sweep the Black Hawks. Toe Blake scored the Cup winning goal in overtime in Game 4 to win the 1944 Stanley Cup.
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Record
1	April 4 	Chicago Black Hawks	1–5 	Montreal Canadiens 	0–1
2	April 6 	Montreal Canadiens 	3–1 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–2
3	April 9 	Montreal Canadiens 	3–2 	Chicago Black Hawks	0–3
4	April 13	Chicago Black Hawks	4–5 (OT)	Montreal Canadiens 	0–4
==Player Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
Doug Bentley 	50	38	39	77 	22
Clint Smith 	50	23	49	72 	4
Bill Mosienko 	50	32	38	70 	10
Cully Dahlstrom	50	20	22	42 	8
George Allen 	45	17	24	41 	36
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI 	W 	L 	T	GA 	SO	GAA
Mike Karakas	26	1560	12	9 	5	79 	3 	3.04
Hec Highton 	24	1440	10	14	0	108	0 	4.50
==Playoff Stats==
===Scoring Leaders===
Player 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Doug Bentley 	9 	8	4	12 	4
Clint Smith 	9 	4	8	12 	0
George Allen 	9 	5	4	9 	8
Bill Mosienko 	8 	2	2	4 	6
Cully Dahlstrom	9 	0	4	4 	6
===Goaltending===
Player 	GP	TOI	W	L	GA	SO	GAA
Mike Karakas	9 	549	4	5	24	1 	2.62
==Awards and Records==
*O'Brien Trophy: Chicago Black Hawks
*Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Clint Smith
*Doug Bentley, Left Wing, NHL First Team All-Star
*Earl Seibert, Defense, NHL First Team All-Star
==See Also==
*1943–44 NHL season
==References==
*SHRP Sports
*The Internet Hockey Database
*National Hockey League Guide & Record Book 2007
Category:Chicago Blackhawks seasons
Chicago Black Hawks season, 1943–44
Chicago Black Hawks season, 1943–44