By Woodrow Carroll
The Chicago Blackhawks, in the years after World War II, went through a long stretch as the whipping boy of the National Hockey League. The struggle was largely the result of organizational decision-making, not the product of other conditions.
After qualifying for the 1946 Stanley Cup playoffs and eliminated in four quick games by the Montreal Canadiens, the Blackhawks made it to the postseason only once prior to 1959, the 1952-1953 season.
The 1952-1953 Blackhawks were not talent laden. Coached Sid Abel and the team benefitted largely from the goaltending of Al Rollins. A good goalie who was having a career best campaign, Rollins guided the Blackhawks to a fourth-place finish in the six-team NHL. Expansion started in 1967-1968.
One of the quirky twists to the Stanley Cup playoffs then was the No. 1 finisher facing the No. 3 team, with the regular-season runner up playing the No. 4 club in the playoffs.
The Blackhawks, No. 4, opened the 1953 Stanley Cup playoffs at Montreal, No. 2, and lost two straight. At the Chicago Stadium, the ‘Hawks rebounded to even the series at two. The shocker was when the ‘Hawks won game five in Montreal.
Montreal coach Dick Irvin, seeing regular goalie Gerry McNeil was struggling, switched to Jacques Plante for game six in Chicago. Plante, who later gained fame for being the first NHL goalie to wear a goalie mask, was the answer. Game six was a 3-0 Canadiens’ victory. Game seven in Montreal with Plante still in goal, went Montreal’s way, 4-1. From there, the Canadiens beat the Boston Bruins, who had surprised the defending Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in the other playoff series, four games to 1one to claim the Stanley Cup.
The Blackhawks added 18-year old Bobby Hull for the 1957-1958 campaign and finished in fifth place in Hull’s first season. A year later, the Blackhawks made the playoffs with a third-place finish.
Even though there were only six teams in the NHL, it seemed as though Montreal and Chicago were locked into opening the playoffs.
The Blackhawks went six games with the Canadiens before being ousted in the opening round of the 1959 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Despite the addition of Stan Mikita, the Blackhawks went in reverse in the 1960 Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal, en route to its fifth straight Stanley Cup, swept the Blackhawks, then beat Toronto in four straight to claim the Cup.
All bad things come to an end! For the Blackhawks and the NHL, it was an end to Montreal’s postseason mastery.
Once again pitted against Montreal to open the 1961 playoffs, the two sides split the first two games in Montreal. In Chicago for game three, the Blackhawks beat Montreal, 2-1, in triple overtime on a goal by Murray Balfour.
Montreal beat Chicago, 5-2, in game four to even series at two. Few could envision at that point that the Canadiens were to go scoreless the rest of the series. The Blackhawks won game five of the series, 3-0 in Montreal. At the Chicago Stadium, the Blackhawks wrapped things up in game six with another 3-0 shutout.
By eliminating Montreal in the first round, the Blackhawks ended two Montreal streaks. The Canadiens’ run of five consecutive Stanley Cups was over. For the first time since 1950 the Canadiens were not in the finals.
After defeating the Canadiens, the Blackhawks dispatched Detroit in six games to claim the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1938.