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Home > Hockey > Stanley Cup History > Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings 1947 48
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings 1947-48
The Stanley Cup is one of the most-recognized symbols in North American sports. It is the championship trophy of the NHL, National Hockey League which is won by one of the teams that have qualified for the championship finals after playing a series of playoff matches. It is the only trophy in professional sports that has the name of the winning players, coaches, management, and club staff engraved upon it. The Cup winners keep it until the new champion is crowned.
Toronto owner Conn Smythe took a tremendous gamble after his club won the Stanley Cup in 1947. Smythe decided to retool his club by trading the youthful line of Bud Poile, Gaye Stewart and Gus Bodnar and defenseman Bob Goldham to Chicago for 1947 scoring champ Max Bentley. Smythe loved Bentley's speed and he thought the ex-Hawk would turn the Leafs into a perfectly-balanced club. Bentley teamed with an already-strong roster and Toronto finished the regular season in first place by 32-15-13.
With a balanced offense, good goaltending from Turk Broda and the league's best defense, the Leafs rolled into the playoffs. Toronto defeated Boston 4-1 in the series to advance to the finals against Detroit, which beat the New York Rangers in six games in the other semifinals. The Red Wings were the second-best team in the league in the regular season, thanks to the line of Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe and Sid Abel. They were no match, though, against the Leafs. In fact, Detroit's vaunted line was held to one point in a series that Toronto would sweep.
This match between Toronto Maple Leafs versus Detroit Red Wings is known to be one of the best matches in the history of hockey, to be ever played, in which sheer determination, fighting spirit and clean game could be seen throughout the game. Young spectators had a lot to learn from this game, in which they experienced the exhibition of various game strategies and tricks.
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