1948–49 Toronto Maple Leafs season

The 1948–49 Toronto Maple Leafs season was Toronto's 32nd season in the NHL. The Maple Leafs finished 4th in the league and won the 1949 Stanley Cup Finals over the Detroit Red Wings by 4 games to 0.
==Regular Season==
A league record of ten major penalties was set November 25, 1948 when 11,000 fans at the Montreal Forum witnessed a donnybrook. It started when the Habs' Ken Mosdell elbowed Maple Leaf Gus Mortson. Mortson retaliated by knocking Elliot de Grey down with his stick. Montreal's Maurice Richard then sprang onto Mortson's back, they fought and then all hands joined in. Mortson, Richard, Toronto's Howie Meeker and Mosdell were assessed major penalties. Play had scarcely resumed when the Habs Ken Reardon and the Leafs Joe Klukay began fencing. Bill Barilko went at Reardon, while Klukay got into it with Billy Reay, and in another fight, Hal Laycoe got into it with Garth Boesch. Turk Broda quietly picked up his first shutout of the year as the Leafs beat the Canadiens 2-0.
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results 	Regular Season Results
No. 	R 	Date 	Score 	Opponent 	Record
1 	L 	October 16, 1948 	1–4 	Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	0–1–0
2 	L 	October 21 	0–5 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	0–2–0
3 	W 	October 23 	6–1 	Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49) 	1–2–0
4 	L 	October 24 	1–2 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	1–3–0
5 	W 	October 27 	3–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	2–3–0
6 	W 	October 30 	2–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	3–3–0
7 	L 	October 31 	1–2 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49)	3–4–0
8 	T 	November 6 	3–3 	New York Rangers (1948–49) 	3–4–1
9 	L 	November 13 	3–6 	Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49) 	3–5–1
10 	T 	November 14 	4–4 	@ New York Rangers (1948–49) 	3–5–2
11 	L 	November 17 	1–2 	@ Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	3–6–2
12 	T 	November 20 	2–2 	Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	3–6–3
13 	T 	November 21 	3–3 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49)	3–6–4
14 	T 	November 24 	3–3 	Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	3–6–5
15 	W 	November 25 	2–0 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	4–6–5
16 	W 	November 27 	3–0 	New York Rangers (1948–49) 	5–6–5
17 	L 	November 28 	2–6 	@ Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	5–7–5
18 	L 	December 1 	3–5 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	5–8–5
19 	L 	December 4 	4–6 	Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49) 	5–9–5
20 	W 	December 5 	2–0 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49)	6–9–5
21 	L 	December 8 	3–4 	Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	6–10–5
22 	W 	December 11 	3–2 	Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	7–10–5
23 	W 	December 12 	4–3 	@ Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	8–10–5
24 	L 	December 15 	1–3 	@ New York Rangers (1948–49) 	8–11–5
25 	T 	December 18 	3–3 	New York Rangers (1948–49) 	8–11–6
26 	L 	December 19 	1–5 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	8–12–6
27 	W 	December 25 	2–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	9–12–6
28 	L 	December 30 	2–3 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	9–13–6
29 	W 	January 1, 1949 	5–3 	Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	10–13–6
30 	L 	January 2 	2–4 	@ New York Rangers (1948–49) 	10–14–6
31 	W 	January 5 	4–0 	Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	11–14–6
32 	T 	January 8 	3–3 	Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49) 	11–14–7
33 	T 	January 9 	2–2 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	11–14–8
34 	W 	January 15 	2–1 	New York Rangers (1948–49) 	12–14–8
35 	L 	January 16 	0–4 	@ New York Rangers (1948–49) 	12–15–8
36 	L 	January 19 	1–4 	Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	12–16–8
37 	T 	January 22 	2–2 	Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	12–16–9
38 	L 	January 23 	1–2 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	12–17–9
39 	W 	January 26 	3–1 	@ Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	13–17–9
40 	T 	January 29 	4–4 	Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49) 	13–17–10
41 	L 	January 30 	2–4 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49)	13–18–10
42 	W 	February 3 	4–1 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	14–18–10
43 	T 	February 5 	1–1 	New York Rangers (1948–49) 	14–18–11
44 	W 	February 6 	4–2 	@ Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	15–18–11
45 	T 	February 9 	2–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	15–18–12
46 	W 	February 12 	3–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	16–18–12
47 	W 	February 13 	3–0 	@ New York Rangers (1948–49) 	17–18–12
48 	L 	February 17 	0–3 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	17–19–12
49 	W 	February 19 	5–2 	Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	18–19–12
50 	W 	February 20 	4–3 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49)	19–19–12
51 	T 	February 26 	2–2 	Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49) 	19–19–13
52 	L 	March 2 	0–2 	Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	19–20–13
53 	W 	March 5 	7–1 	New York Rangers (1948–49) 	20–20–13
54 	W 	March 6 	4–3 	@ New York Rangers (1948–49) 	21–20–13
55 	L 	March 9 	0–5 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	21–21–13
56 	L 	March 12 	1–2 	Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	21–22–13
57 	W 	March 13 	3–1 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1948–49)	22–22–13
58 	L 	March 17 	1–3 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1948–49) 	22–23–13
59 	L 	March 19 	2–5 	Detroit Red Wings (1948–49) 	22–24–13
60 	L 	March 20 	2–7 	@ Boston Bruins (1948–49) 	22–25–13
==Playoffs==
===Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Boston Bruins 1===
Having met the year before in the 1948 Semi-finals, the Leafs dispatched the Bruins again by the same 4-1 series score.
Game 1 at Boston Garden saw Turk Broda earn a shutout. A Power play goal by the Leafs Harry Watson at 5:15 of the first with the Bruins Pat Egan in the box opened the scoring. Watson potted his second goal in the second frame while Max Bentley completed the 3-0 win with his goal in the third period.
Game 2 in Boston was a closer match with the Leafs Ray Timgren scoring on the power play at 3:36 of the first with the Bruins Pat Egan again in the box. Woody Dumart scored a Shorthanded goal on the same Leafs PP to even the score. Late in the second period, the Bruins Paul Ronty scored his first playoff goal to put the Bruins up 2-1. Harry Watson was once again the hero, scoring twice in the third period to win it 3-2 for the Leafs.
Game 3 at Maple Leaf Gardens saw the Leafs open the scoring for the third consecutive game when Ted Kennedy scored at 8:46. The Bruins Grant Warwick tied it up and Dumart's 2nd of the playoffs had the Bruins up 2-1 at the end of the first period. The Leafs Bill Barilko took a tripping penalty in the second and Johnny Peirson extended the Bruins lead on the power play. However, the Leafs Gus Mortson scored a shorthanded goal on the same PP and then Joe Klukay tied it at 3-3 with 3 seconds left in the second period. Ed Sandford and Fleming Mackell traded goals in the third and the game went into overtime. Just after 17:00, a face-off in the Leafs zone saw Sandford win it against Ted Kennedy and get the puck to Dumart whose one-timer beat Broda for a 5-4 win for home team. Bruins all-star defenseman Jack Crawford had to leave the game with a rib injury and would miss game 4.
Game 4 in Toronto saw Fleming Mackell opening the scoring for the Leafs for the 4th consecutive game. Johnny Peirson tied it up on the power play and the already playing without Crawford, the Bruins lost Jimmy Peters with an injured shoulder after he took a check from Bill Juzda. In the second period, after the Bruins Milt Schmidt left the game with an injury, the shorthanded Bruins couldn't hold off the Leafs who took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Sid Smith. In the third period, a slashing penalty to the Bruins Murray Henderson with 5 minutes left resulted in Smith scoring on the PP for a 3-1 Leafs win and a 3-1 stranglehold in the series.
Game 5 in Boston again saw the Leafs score first when Cal Gardner scored on the PP. Playing without Crawford, Peters and Schmidt, the Bruins Grant Warwick tied it up, also on the PP, until Ray Timgren's trickler made it past Frank Brimsek to put the Leafs up 2-1 at the end of the first period. Six minor penalties were called in the second period but Max Bentley's second of the series was the only goal, putting the Leafs up 3-1. Desperate, the Bruins poured it on in the third but when Fern Flaman was called for boarding at 9:29, the fans littered the ice, causing a 15 minute delay before play started again. Johnny Peirson made it close with less than a minute left but the Leafs held on for a 3-2 win to take the series in 5 games.
#	Date 	Visitor 	Score 	Home 	Record
1	March 22	Toronto Maple Leafs	3-0 	Boston Bruins 	1-0
2	March 24	Toronto Maple Leafs	3-2 	Boston Bruins 	2-0
3	March 26	Boston Bruins 	5-4 (OT)	Toronto Maple Leafs	1-2
4	March 29	Boston Bruins 	1-3 	Toronto Maple Leafs	1-3
5	March 30	Toronto Maple Leafs	3-2 	Boston Bruins 	4-1
===Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 0===
Date 	Away 	Score	Home 	Score	Notes
April 8 	Toronto	3 	Detroit	2 	OT
April 10	Toronto	3 	Detroit	1 	
April 13	Detroit	1 	Toronto	3 	
April 16	Detroit	1 	Toronto	3 	
==Player Stats==
===Regular Season===
;Scoring
Player	GP	G 	A 	Pts	PIM
 	60	26	19	45 	0
 	60	19	22	41 	18
 	59	18	21	39 	25
 	53	13	22	35 	35
 	52	13	15	28 	145
 	45	11	10	21 	11
 	60	4 	16	20 	56
 	52	7 	9 	16 	36
 	36	3 	12	15 	9
 	60	2 	13	15 	85
 	30	7 	7 	14 	56
 	42	4 	7 	11 	30
 	59	1 	10	11 	43
 	33	4 	6 	10 	12
 	60	5 	4 	9 	95
 	29	3 	4 	7 	0
 	15	2 	3 	5 	11
 	15	1 	2 	3 	2
 	38	1 	2 	3 	23
 	11	1 	1 	2 	6
 	12	1 	1 	2 	2
 	5 	1 	0 	1 	0
 	3 	0 	1 	1 	2
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	2
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
 	3 	0 	0 	0 	2
 	60	0 	0 	0 	0
;Goaltending
Player	MIN 	GP	W 	L 	T 	GA 	GAA 	SA	SV	SV%	SO
 	3600	60	22	25	13	161	2.68	 	 	 	5
Team: 	3600	60	22	25	13	161	2.68	 	 	 	5
===Playoffs===
;Scoring
Player	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
 	9 	2	6	8 	2
 	6 	5	2	7 	0
 	9 	4	3	7 	2
 	9 	2	5	7 	0
 	9 	4	2	6 	2
 	9 	3	3	6 	2
 	9 	2	4	6 	4
 	9 	1	5	6 	10
 	9 	2	3	5 	4
 	9 	1	4	5 	20
 	9 	2	1	3 	8
 	9 	0	2	2 	6
 	9 	0	2	2 	8
 	8 	0	1	1 	2
 	9 	0	1	1 	20
 	1 	0	0	0 	0
 	3 	0	0	0 	0
 	9 	0	0	0 	2
 	9 	0	0	0 	2
;Goaltending
Player	MIN	GP	W	L	T	GA	GAA 	SA	SV	SV%	SO
 	574	9 	8	1	 	15	1.57	 	 	 	1
Team: 	574	9 	8	1	 	15	1.57	 	 	 	1
==Awards and Records==
*The Maple Leafs became the first team in NHL history to win three consecutive Stanley Cups. Numbelivable!, p.95, Michael X. Ferraro and John Veneziano, Triumph Books, Chicago, Illinois, 2007, ISBN 978-1-57243-990-0
*Stanley Cup
==1949 Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup Champions==
Turk Broda, Garth Boesch, Gus Mortson, Jimmy Thomson, Bill Juzda, Bill Barilko, Harry Watson, Ted Kennedy, Don Metz, Fleming MacKell, Bill Ezinicki, Vic Lynn, Howie Meeker, Max Bentley, Joe Klukay, Sid Smith, Harry Taylor, Bob Dawes, Tod Sloan, Conn Smythe (manager), Hap Day (coach), Tim Daly (trainer).
==Farm Teams==
*Pittsburgh Hornets, American Hockey League
*Toronto Marlboros, Ontario Hockey Association
==Gallery==
48-49NHLExhTorMLOttawaGameAd.jpg|Pre-season @ Ottawa
48-49NHLTorontoGameAd.jpg|Home opener
1949-Brimsek-Crawford-Peters-Thompson_vs_Leafs.jpg|Jack Crawford clears the puck away from Leafs #4 Harry Watson while goalie Frank Brimsek, #9 Jimmy Peters and Pat Egan watch during the 1949 Semi-finals.
1949-Brimsek_Stops_Cal_Gardner.jpg|Brimsek stops Leafs #17 Cal Gardner in 1949 Semi-final action.
30March1949-Ray_Timgren_goal.jpg|Ray Timgren scores in Game 5 of the 1949 Semi-finals.
10Apr1949-Smith_scores_on_Lumley.jpg|Sid Smith scores one of his three goals on Harry Lumley during Game 2 of the Finals, April 10, 1949.
1949-Apr16-Mackell-Apps-Wings.jpg|Fleming Mackell and Ted Kennedy scrap with Red Wings, Game 4 of the 1949 Stanley Cup Finals, April 16, 1949.
1949-Apr16-Kennedy_Campbell_Cup.jpg|Clarence Campbell presents the Cup to Ted Kennedy, April 16, 1949.
==Video==
Highlights of Game 4 of the 1949 Stanley Cup Finals in which the Leafs win the Cup with a 3-1 victory. Goals by Ray Timgren and Max Bentley are shown.
Toronto Ice Hockey Match, 1949
==References==
*Maple Leafs on Hockey Database
*Maple Leafs on Database Hockey
Category:Stanley Cup championship seasons
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs seasons
Toronto Maple Leafs season, 1948–49
Toronto Maple Leafs season, 1948–49