Black Hawks Cut Detroit’s Series Lead to 2-1

Apr. 6, 1965 - The Chicago Black Hawks, back in friendly territory, used a favorite tactic and favorite personnel tonight to get back in the Stanley Cup race.

The Hawks struck for three goals in a span of 2:40 before the game was 10 minutes old and rolled on to a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.

Bobby Hull paced this assault with his fourth and fifth goals of the series, and Stan Mikita came out of his shell and scored one and assisted on another.

The victory cut Detroit’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

It was a game in which the figures lied. The record-keepers recorded only 16 shots for Chicago compared to 30 for Detroit. But the Wings were hardly ever in the game, and those 30 shots weren’t very good ones.

The Wing attack consisted of two goals by old pro Ted Lindsay, and the Lindsay line was the Wings’ best throughout the game.

The Wing power play was so ineffective that in the third period, coach Sid Abel didn’t even send out Gordie Howe. Alex Delvecchio, and the Norm Ullman line for the gang attack.

Bobby Hull is just about the hottest thing in Chicago since that arsonist-cow of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow back in 1871. But Hawk coach Billy Reay didn’t heap all the praise on blond Bobby.

“We got a great team effort,” Reay said. “Hay and Nesterenko played outstanding hockey, and we did a good job killing penalties. We’re right back in it now.”

“We had too many guys standing around,” Abel said. “Only three guys were skating at all — Joyal, MacGregor, and Lindsay. We’re lucky it was only 5-2. The Hawks were content to sit on the lead when it was 3-0, and we still didn’t perk up. This just makes it rougher for us, that’s all.”

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