Locomotive to the Past by George Schultz (iphone ebook reader .TXT) 📕

the first three contests, of the seven-game series! But, in one of the great chokes—in sports history—the Detroit club could not eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs “turned it around”—and swept the next four contests! To win “The Cup”! Amazing!

Every NHL fan—avid or not—knew of the upset! No matter—in which city he or she might’ve lived! Had you been a Wings fan—if you’d rooted for Detroit—the fatal result, of the disastrous series, would’ve been seared, into your poor, overheated, brain! For all time! The opponent! And the year! Which had been the case, with his grandfather—who’d been all of ten, or eleven, at the time! The old man had taken the crushing defeat, with him! To his grave! If any one thing had been chiseled—into his psyche—it would’ve been the Wings’ 1942 cave-in!

The next generation-or-two would’ve been made familiar, with the 1942 result—once again! This came about—when the New York Islanders did the same unlikely thing, to the unfortunate Pittsburgh Penguins! That, equally-embarrassing, event took place—in 1975! The unraveling—in 1975—was not quite so earthshaking, compared with what had happened, in ’42.

Not only had the “choke” mold been, once again, brought to the surface by the Islanders/Penguins debacle—but, the latter situation had occurred, in “merely” the quarterfinals! It was not as though “The Cup”, itself, had been directly at stake! The denizens of Pittsburgh, however, certainly would not have seen much difference!

Those were the only two examples of such extreme chokes—in NHL history! They were comparable (in the minds, of most NHL fans, anyway) to the 2004 Major League Baseball playoffs—wherein the Yankees had won the first three games. Then, “The Ultimate Sports Franchise” was blown out—by the Boston Red Sox—in the last four! (The only time that had ever happened—in the entirety of MLB history! And through the 2013 season, “It still ain’t happened again!”)

So, if there was one cut-and-dried hockey fact—of which Jason had been made spectacularly aware, vis-a-vis the 1942 NHL season—he’d known (since he had been ten or eleven) exactly who would win that season’s Stanley Cup! Who had actually won the Stanley Cup! That would be the team—the one, from Toronto, Ontario!

What particularly excited Our Hero—on this Sunday night—were the number of players, in the Montreal lineup. who would—according to Grandpa Piepczyk—become absolute legends, in professional hockey annals. As stated, the Canadiens were the team, of the forties—and, as such, the club had, virtually always, employed the best players! (Best, by far—in that, pre-rookie-player-draft, day and age!)

Jason was more than a little bit disappointed—that hockey legend, Maurice (The Rocket) Richard, had not entered the NHL yet. (This goal-scoring icon’s rookie season was still one season away.)

However, there was, in the Canadiens’ lineup, a defenseman—Emile Bouchard! This had to be the future all-star, “Butch” Bouchard—whom Jason’s maternal grandfather, had, over the years, never stopped praising! According to the old man, Bouchard—and Kenny Reardon—had gone on to become one of the most-feared defensive duos, in the history, of the league. And Ken Reardon—he was there! In the lineup—on that glorious Sunday night. (There was also a Terry Reardon in the Montreal lineup—but, Jason was never able to establish, whether the pair was related.)

The young man was able to learn that Emile Bouchard was indeed “Butch”—by the simple expedient, of asking the man, in the next seat. He also found out—from the same source—that this was Bouchard’s rookie season. The fans, in the balcony, were (seemingly all) so well-informed. More so—than those, in the expensive seats, on the lower level! Grandpa Piepczyk had always maintained this to be true! The old codger had been correct!

There were so many other legends—who’d been a part of the Candiens’ roster, on that “magical” Sunday night: Murph Chamberlain, for one! Then, there were such players—as Elmer Lach and Hector “Toe” Blake. The latter was already a great player. But, he went on—to coach the Montreal club, beginning in the 1955/56 season.

Before retiring—after the 1967/68 season—he’d coached “The Habs” to eight Stanley Cups! Eight! Including five consecutive Cups! Incredible! In the following season (1942/43), Blake and Lach would be joined by “Rocket” Richard—to form the World Famous “Punch Line”! (“Punch” indeed!)

A bit of a surprise: Jason had thought—from what his granddad had told him, over the years—that he’d also be able to watch the Canadiens’ nonpareil goaltender, Bill Durnan, in the Montreal nets. (Alas, the perennial Vezina Trophy-winner would not make his debut—till the following season.) Paul Bebaulte would tend the visitors’ nets. (He would be dispatched to the Chicago Blackhawks—once the season would end. To make room—logically—for the aforementioned Durnan.)

Truly, this was history! It would be unfolding—before Our Hero’s, very privileged, eyes! (Despite the fact that the Wings would win this actual game—4-1.)

“Are you ever going to talk to me?” He’d finally heard the voice of Valerie Krenwinkle—fighting its way, through his total “enrapturement”, with what would be taking place, on that very ice, in simply a matter, of minutes! She’d apparently been trying to get through to him—for a goodly amount of time.

“Uh… I’m sorry, Honey! I was just…”

“Did you just call me… ’Honey’?”

“Yeah. But, you see…”

“So, I’m still your officially-sanctioned girlfriend? That ‘Honey’ word… just about sets it in stone, y’know!”

“Of course! Why would you ever question that? How could you ever doubt that?”

“Well, it hasn’t been a really easy week for me. First of all, I do miss your phone calls, y’know! Plus, there’s…”

“Oh, Valerie… I’m sorry! Look, trying to get a phone… these days… is a real bear!”

“A real what? A bear? You know, Jason? You must be feeling a lot of stress! A helluva lot of stress! Tension . . . up the you-know-what! Listen! Practically every time, you… well, every time… that I seem to be making you a little nervous, you start talking, so strangely! Really strangely! Saying all kinds of… well… strange things! Using all kinds of strange… well, all kinds of… of strange terms! Strange words! Stuff… I’ve never heard of! Never heard any of these things before!”

“Well, I guess I am a little upset! The