The Punch Line

For four years in the 1940's they terrorized opposing goalies and teams as they pounded the net full of pucks.  It was the beginning of the 1943-44 season when Coach Dick Irvin put Captain Toe Blake together with a young Maurice Richard (The Rocket) and Elmer Lach that the Punch Line was formed.

These three guys could play hockey and put together they became a formidable line that would for the next four years they would dominate the NHL.  The Results were immediate as the Canadiens roared on to win the Stanley Cup that season defeating the Chicago Blackhawks.  

CLUBS	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	50	38	5	7	83	234	109	557
Detroit Red Wings	50	26	18	6	58	214	177	374
Toronto Maple Leafs	50	23	23	4	50	214	174	303
Chicago Black Hawks	50	22	23	5	49	178	187	240
Boston Bruins	50	19	26	5	43	223	268	207
New York Rangers	50	6	39	5	17	162	310	253

In 1944-45 the Punch Line dominated scoring in the NHL with the members of the Punch Line leading the NHL in scoring with and with the members of the Punch Line finishing 1, 2, 3 in the NHL in scoring.  Although they lost in the playoffs, they did have the best record in the NHL that season. Maurice Richard pounded 50 goals in 50 games that season. He also scored 5 goals in one game against the Detroit Red Wings on December 28, 1944 and became the only player to ever receive all three stars .

CLUBS	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	50	38	8	4	80	228	121	376
Detroit Red Wings	50	31	14	5	67	218	161	260
Toronto Maple Leafs	50	24	22	4	52	183	161	317
Boston Bruins	50	16	30	4	36	179	219	275
Chicago Black Hawks	50	13	30	7	33	141	194	245
New York Rangers	50	11	29	10	32	154	247	305

	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Elmer Lach	50	26	54	80	37
Maurice Richard	50	50	23	73	46
Toe Blake	49	29	38	67	25

For 1945-46 season the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup again defeating the Boston Bruins.  The Punch Line still was formidable but for this season the Pony Line of the Blackhawks took over as the biggest producer.  But, it was the Punch Line and the Canadiens who won it all. 

CLUBS	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	50	28	17	5	61	172	134	337
Boston Bruins	50	24	18	8	56	167	156	273
Chicago Black Hawks	50	23	20	7	53	200	178	339
Detroit Red Wings	50	20	20	10	50	146	159	298
Toronto Maple Leafs	50	19	24	7	45	174	185	247
New York Rangers	50	13	28	9	35	144	191	285

	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Toe Blake	50	29	21	50	2
Maurice Richard	50	27	21	48	50
Elmer Lach	50	13	34	47	34

1946-47 Saw the Canadiens go again to the Stanley Cup Finals but lose the Cup.  Production of the Punch Line faded a bit this season with only The Rocket finishing in the top 10 with points.  Still a very scary line to its opponents the Punch Line still won a lot of games this season.

CLUBS	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	PIM
Montreal Canadiens	60	34	16	10	78	189	138	561
Toronto Maple Leafs	60	31	19	10	72	209	172	669
Boston Bruins	60	26	23	11	63	190	175	463
Detroit Red Wings	60	22	27	11	55	190	193	535
New York Rangers	60	22	32	6	50	167	186	426
Chicago Black Hawks	60	19	37	4	42	193	274	467

	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Maurice Richard	60	45	26	71	69

Toe Blake                                                    60         21          29         50          6

Elmer Lach                                                  31          14         16         30          22

1947-48 was the last season of the famed Punch Line.  The team declined due to injuries, trades and with The Rocket being hampered by a knee injury and Toe Blake breaking his leg and retiring at the end of the season.  It was the end of the famed Punch Line and a new era was about to begin.

CLUBS	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA
Toronto Maple Leafs	60	32	15	13	77	182	143
Detroit Red Wings	60	30	18	12	72	187	148
Boston Bruins	60	23	24	13	59	167	168
New York Rangers	60	21	26	13	55	176	201
Montreal Canadiens	60	20	29	11	51	147	169
Chicago Black Hawks	60	20	34	6	46	195	225

	GP	G	A	Pts
Elmer Lach	60	30	31	61
Maurice Richard	53	28	25	53

Toe  Blake                                           32          9       15       24

The Punch Line was gone but not forgotten.  The Rocket went into the Hall of Fame in 1961, Lach and Blake went into the Hall in 1966.  On of the greatest lines in history The Punch Line brought the Canadiens two Stanley Cups. 

The Fabled Punch Line in the front of this Picture.