In 1925 the Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets decided to turn pro and join the National Hockey League as the Pittsburgh Pirates. They won their first two games. In Montreal, Georges Vezina shut them out for a period before leaving the game ill; he would never play again.
The Pirates returned to Pittsburgh. On December 2, they lost their home opener in overtime to the New York Americans. But as The Pittsburgh Press reported, "The largest crowd that ever witnessed a hockey game at Duquesne Garden turned out last night. While authentic figures are not available, it is estimated that close to 10,000 watched Odie Cleghorn's canary clad stick-handlers in their pro debut. And by the enthusiasm displayed by the railbirds, every fan in the auditorium left convinced that they had witnessed the most thrilling and spectacular contest staged in this city."
But the Pirates needed to win their two last games, which were both at home, to make the NHL playoffs. Against Boston, a Harold Darragh goal in overtime won the game for Pittsburgh, putting them a point ahead of the Bruins with one game left. The Pirates' finale was with the Ottawa Senators, who had already clinched first place and the Prince of Wales trophy. Cleghorn kept substituting in fresh skaters, and goaltender Roy Worters made Pittsburgh's two first-period tallies stand up for a 2-0 win.
By finishing third in the seven-team league, the Pirates would play the second-place Montreal Maroons in a two-game total goal series. The winner then would face Ottawa in a two-game series for the O'Brien Cup, awarded to the NHL champion. And that winner would face the Western League champion for the Stanley Cup.
The Stanley Cup final would be best-of-five and start in the home of the eastern champion. Game 1 would be played under eastern rules, Game 2 under western rules, and subsequent games would alternate.
The Montreal Gazette applauded the Pirates' surprising success: "The Pirates have won their games through their ability to skate the opposition into the ice, this largely through the double shift on the forward line which could be brought into play without lessening the effectiveness of the team; in fact, the second string line of [Baldy] Cotton, [Herb] Drury and [Tex] White always seemed faster than the starting trio, [Hib] Milks, Darragh and [Duke] McCurry."
In the Pirates' season series with the Maroons, each team won three games and scored 10 goals. Montreal won the first three games, and Pittsburgh the last three.
The first game would be at Duquesne Garden on Saturday, March 20. The Mar. 18 Press mentioned White was confined to bed with "grip," and he was in danger of missing the game. Frock Lowrey, whom the Pirates acquired from the Maroons during the season, would replace him.
The Maroons were relieved to learn that the rule where a player who received three major penalties was suspended for a game didn't apply when the third was incurred in the last regular season game. So Nels Stewart and Reg Noble, who got into fights in New York, would be available for the playoff, where the slate was wiped clean and two majors would draw the one-game suspension.
NHL President Frank Calder announced the officials for the two games would be Cooper Smeaton and Dr. Jerry Laflamme. (They're usually referred to as two referees. The Press called Laflamme an umpire, but that doesn't seem to be a crucial distinction.) Both were highly regarded.
When manager Eddie Gerard brought the Maroons to Pittsburgh, captain Dunc Munro stayed behind with "a severe cold." Montreal team physician Dr. F. J. Scully was hopeful that Munro would be ready for Game 2. Toots Holway was expected to replace him on defense.
A record crowd was expected at the Garden, and the betting was even money. The Pittsburgh Post expected that the total-goal format would lead to more offensive games than had been seen in the regular season.
The Montreal Gazette described the scene this way: "It was a rip-tearing battle from the start with the youthful Corsairs dashing about like maddened dervishes and the Montreal men answering with their machine-like charges and iron clad defence. More than 7,000 jammed Duquesne Garden for the fray. Another 2,000 were turned away for lack of seating space, but the seats sold were little used, for it was the sort of battle that keeps the gallery on its feet." To be fair, other newspaper accounts were less enthusiastic; even another Gazette story said "The game was a rather listless one."
The Pirates came out fast, and the Maroons' response was heavy checking. Lionel Conacher had an early breakaway, but Montreal's Clint Benedict made a sprawling save. The Maroons' Punch Broadbent hit the crossbar. After eight minutes, Cleghorn sent in his reserve forward line. Stewart was called for tripping Roger Smith, and the Pirates went on the power play. During the penalty, Broadbent tripped Drury. Despite bombarding Benedict, the Pirates were unable to score, and with some help from Charlie Dinsmore skating with the puck, Montreal killed both penalties.
McCurry drove to the net, and a scramble ensued around the Montreal cage. Darragh whacked the puck to Smith, and the defenseman was able to put the puck through Benedict's legs at 16:21 for the first goal of the game. (For what it's worth, NHL.com actually has a box score, and they award the assist to McCurry. We'll let them argue with the writers who covered the game.) Shortly before the end of the period, Lowrey was whistled off for tripping Stewart.
Gerard moved Stewart to defense and put Bill Phillips at center in the second period. The Montreal power play was unsuccessful, and the teams started to trade chances. Milks hit a goalpost, and Benedict denied Darragh on the rebound. Broadbent hit the crossbar.
Four minutes into the period, Cleghorn brought in his second line. Worters went to his knees to stop Noble. Broadbent faked a pass at center ice and rushed to within 10 feet of the Pirates net before passing to Phillips, but Worters caught his high shot. Stewart and Lowrey were sent off for roughing. A long shot by Broadbent hit Conacher in the right arm, eliciting a wince. Smith intercepted a pass and drove a hard shot at Benedict.
Eventually, after Darragh's long shot was denied, Noble came back and and scored on a high shot at 14:07; captain Conacher protested the call, but to no avail. Shortly thereafter, Conacher broke up a rush by Stewart and Broadbent. After Milks tried a long shot, Stewart brought the puck into the Pittsburgh zone. He got too deep, but passed to Dinsmore, who went to the net, drew Worters out, and scored from the same spot as Noble at 15:45. McCurry was penalized for boarding Phillips. After killing the penalty, the Pirates got some pressure as the period ended.
Once again, the Maroons started the third period with Phillips at center and Stewart on defense. Milks drove from the faceoff, and Broadbent was called for holding him. Darragh set up McCurry for a chance that Benedict denied. Later, Darragh passed from behind the net to Milks, who muffed the pass. Worters made a difficult save on Phillips.
Phillips checked Conacher in the neutral zone, zigzagged through the defense, and slammed in a short backhander at 5:35. After that, the teams continued to trade chances. Benedict denied Lowrey. Babe Siebert made his way through the Pirates defense to test Worters. Milks shot high, then Siebert came back and hit a post. McCurry had a golden opportunity but missed the net. Gerard sent on Dinsmore and Phillips with five minutes left. Dinsmore was able to elude every Pirate but Worters on one circling rush. Darragh had the last chance, but Benedict stopped him from a few feet out.
"All of the Maroon goals were from the left wing about 15 feet from the goal," said the Gazette. Bringing a two-goal lead back to the Forum, the Maroons could let Munro recuperate for another game.
Montreal was a 2-1 favorite to win the series. The Pirates left White at home with his grippe, but team president Harry Townshend was with the team, and he spent time inspecting the Forum to glean ideas for expanding the Garden.
Ottawa, as the higher seed, got to choose which game they hosted in the NHL final. They wanted the second game, so the Pirates would have to rush back after Tuesday's second game to get ready for Thursday's opener with the Senators if they pulled out the series. (Travel between Montreal and Ottawa is much less hectic.)
The Montreal Gazette expected a better game from the Pirates, while they lauded the experience of Maroons veterans like Noble, Broadbent and Benedict. They said that, "A capacity crowd is assured for the game. Before four o'clock yesterday morning, ardent fans, armed with boxes for seats, a copious supply of smokes and reading material were lined up at the door to get first call on the reserved seats. These were soon gone and the season ticket holders followed to pick up their allotments. Last night the regulars of the season in the rush end exchanged their coupons for play-off tickets -- and standing room only is now the slogan."
The crowd was unofficially estimated at 10,500. But rain and slush kept some fans away; there was space for another 500 at the rush end, and there were four rows of empty seats at the front of the north end.
According to the Gazette, "The Pittsburgh supporters were armed with yellow-colored megaphones, but these were soon confiscated by officials of the rink, as missiles which are throwable are not allowed in the Forum."
Cleghorn activated himself for the game and was in uniform but did not take the ice.
The Maroons came out in a defensive posture, while the Pirates looked like they were feeling the strain. "The result," said the Gazette, "was that as a hockey spectacle, the game did not come up to the standard of some waged by the two teams when at their best mid-season form in league fixtures."
About five minutes into the game, Phillips cleared the puck from near his own net. He swept down the left boards, circled around Smith, and fired a backhander. Worters made the save, but Phillips knocked in the rebound to give Montreal the lead at 5:40.
Later in the period, Stewart ran into Worters, and the goalie spent a couple minutes lying on the ice before continuing in the game.
Late in the first period, Noble cleared a puck near the Maroons net and raced up the right wing. As he was forced toward the corner, he fired a pass to Broadbent in front and Worters was helpless. The goal was scored at 16:20, and the Maroons had a 2-0 lead after one period.
With a four-goal series advantage, Montreal went into their shell in the second period. The Pirates tried to press their attack, and at 13:40, McCurry passed from behind the net to Darragh, who was able to score through a maze of legs. The Corsairs' new lease on life lasted all of twenty seconds. Off the faceoff, Phillips broke into the Pittsburgh end and put a long shot off Worters' chest. Phillips picked up the rebound, skated around Worters, and backhanded the puck into the empty net to restore the Maroons' two-goal lead. As Regis Welch put it in the Pittsburgh Post, "the anxiety to make it a crushing defeat and a merited victory seemed to become as contagious with the Maroons as yawning at a bridge club."
In the third period, the Pirates kept plugging away. Jess Spring mounted a couple of rushes. At 8:50, he set up Drury for a goal, and at 14:04, his pass allowed Cotton to tie the game 3-3. But evening the game wasn't enough, and the Maroons hung on for a 6-4 series win.
Montreal took three minor penalties to Pittsburgh's two.
One sartorial note from the Gazette: "Herb Drury, peppery little Pittsburgh centre, was again in the limelight with his cap sitting jauntily upon his head. Herb's secret is not his own, however ... The cat was let out of the bag when Herb bared his head for the National Anthem and displayed his bald head."
The Maroons went on to tie Ottawa, 1-1, at the Forum and then beat the Senators, 1-0, in Ottawa to win the NHL title and advance to the Stanley Cup series with the Victoria Cougars. Montreal won the series, 3-1, with all four games at the Forum.
The Pirates went to Windsor to play a pair of exhibitions with Newsy Lalonde's Saskatoon Sheiks of the Western League. The Pirates won the first game, 7-4, under western rules, but lost the second, 3-0, by eastern rules.
The Montreal Gazette summed things up after the Maroons series. "While Pittsburgh were eliminated, they went out fighting to the last, and the youthful Pirates were complimented on all sides for their courageous struggle. They went out with the record of an achievement which has been hitherto unknown in pro hockey -- that of a former amateur team qualifying in the first division is its first year in pro company. It is a record of which the Pirates and their supporters can be justly proud."
