Dec. 23, 1964 - The Canadiens lengthened their NHL lead to four points tonight, defeating the New York Rangers, 2‐0, before a crowd of 13,313 at the Montreal Forum. The loss extended the Rangers winless streak to seven games.
The shutout was the second this season for Charlie Hodge, Montreal goalie, and moved him ahead of Roger Crozier of Detroit as the league’s leading goaltender. Both have allowed 69 goals, but Hodge has played one more game.
The Canadiens did all the scoring in the second period. Dave Balon, former Ranger, got his 12th goal and Yvan Cournoyer scored his fifth — and first after a 10‐game scoring slump.
Balon finished off a play started by Jacques LaPerriere and Bobby Rousseau, whose pass near the goal was converted by Balon a few feet off the corner.
Cournoyer, seeing more action than he has in recent games, made a fine play to get the insurance score. He raced down the left wing, beating the Ranger defenseman, before drilling a 35‐footer to Jacques Plante’s glove side.
Nevertheless, it may have been a costly win, depending on the seriousness of a first-period injury to Montreal center Jean Beliveau. The big captain suffered a sprained left knee when New York defenseman Jim Neilson knocked him off stride in the third minute of play. Beliveau was out for the rest of the game.
“It’s hard to say how bad it is right now,” said Jean. “It’s pretty stiff and hurts when I try to bend the knee.”
After the loss of Beliveau, coach Toe Blake put a new forward line into action with Rousseau at center, Cournoyer at right wing, and newcomer Dick Duff on the left side.
“This was by far Rousseau’s best game of the season,” said Blake. “He got a couple of points, but even if he hadn’t, Bobby deserved a star. Duff went well up and down his wing, but I always figured him for a pretty steady player.”
The highlight of the game was the sparkling work of the two goaltenders, Hodge and Plante, the six‐time Vezina winner who was brilliant in defeat. Plante made 34 saves to 25 for Hodges, the defending Vezina winner.
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