Word: imlach
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Dates: during 1959-1959
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...Leafs' late blooming was enough to make Torontonians take a respectful second look at the power of positive thinking. Power of any kind was what the dormant, doormat Leafs conspicuously lacked when George ("Punch") Imlach, 42, took over as general manager at midseason. A former minor-league coach and player, Imlach installed himself as coach, exuded a sunshiny, nonstop optimism, never stopped insisting that the Leafs' only trouble was that everyone (including the players) thought they were...
...roared back to take the game, and with it the Rangers' play-off berth. In their cup semifinal against Boston, the Leafs spotted the Bruins a two-game lead, came back to win four games to three. Boston's Manager Lynn Patrick was more impressed by Coach Imlach than by the Leafs: "He has a gift for making 98-lb. weaklings think they're supermen...
...Even Imlach concedes that he fired up his team chiefly with gab and hard work. But he also got sulky Winger Frank Mahovlich to begin hustling and himself turned up two new Leaf forwards-Larry Regan obtained from the Bruins and Gerry Ehman from Hershey. They scored the big goals in the stretch drive and against Boston. Long-starved Leaf fans suddenly became fanatics. Radios were installed in hospital delivery rooms. For the final series against Montreal, scores were announced during Parliament proceedings...
...Canadiens alone seemed unimpressed by Big-Time Talker Imlach, whipped in their first goal in the first game just 36 seconds after the face-off. With Superstars Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard injured, the Canadiens were forced to hustle, had still enough spare talent to wrap up the series in five games. But for Toronto fans, it was almost thrill enough to be the losers...