From The Hockey News Archive: On Roger Crozier's peak form from November 1968
From The Hockey News Archive: November 2nd, 1968 / Vol. 22, Issue 04
DETROIT, Mich.—
Roger Crozier, a carpenter when he retired for 2/1/2 months last season, is playing as though he has boarded up the Red Wings net.
The 26-year-old goalie has been Detroit’s outstanding player in the first five ga-games of the 1968-69 season and Red Wings officials are hoping he can lead the club back to a playoff berth.
Although the Wings have won only two games, Crozier’s goaltending has kept the team close in each contest and was the difference in the two victories. The young netminder has played all five games, allowing just 15 goals.
In defeat against Montreal, Crozier played his finest game, stopping 38 shots, including a penalty shot by Claude Provost.
“I haven’t seen Roger any better in three years,” said General Manager Sid Abel. “He made so many great saves in the first period I thought I was watching instant replays.”
Crozier stopped 17 of 18 Montreal shots in the opening period, at least six of them point-blank drives by Canadiens left unguarded in front of the Red Wings net.
Watching from behind the Detroit bench, Coach Bill Gadsby had an agonizing view of the Montreal assault.
“I was at a good angle to watch half those shots,” Gadsby said, “and from where I stood I thought there was no way Roger could stop them. They were good shots, too, right on the corners … but Roger came out of nowhere to get in front of them.”
Crozier, winner of three major NHL awards (All-Star team and Calder and Smythe Trophies) in his first two seasons, drew a standing ovation from 12,183 spectators when he gloved Provost’s sizzling penalty shot midway through the final period.
It was the fourth penalty shot Crozier has faced in his five-year big league career and he evened his record. He foiled a bid by Pete Stemkowski, then with Toronto, on Feb. 8, 1967, and was beaten by Minnesota’s Wayne Connelly last Jan. 28 and by Toronto’s Mike Walton March 9.
His big save on’ Provost came with Montreal leading by only one goal, 3-2, and kept the Wings in the game until Jean Beliveau iced it with a shot that deflected off Detroit defenseman Bob Baun with only 4:06 left to play.
Crozier has been bombarded with 167 shots in the first five games, an average of 33 per contest. He has stopped 152.
In the opener against Boston, he made 32 saves, including 15 in the final period, while the Wings rallied to come within one goal of tying. They eventually lost, 4-2, on an empty-net goal by Dallas Smith after Crozier had been pulled for an extra forward.
Crozier made 27 saves in the home opener against Toronto, which the Wings lost, 2-1. Then, he kept the Wings alive with brilliant work in the first two periods until his teammates rallied with hour goals in the final stanza to win, 7-2. He made saves in that one, including 22 in the first two periods.
In his fifth outing against Chicago, Crozier handled 27 shots and came up with a stellar performance to repel the Hawks, who had won five of their first six starts with an overpowering offense led by ex-Leaf Jim Pappin, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull.
THN Archive is an exclusive vault of 2,640 issues and more than 156,000 stories for subscribers, chronicling the complete history of The Hockey News from 1947 until today. Visit THN.com/archive and subscribe today at subscribe.thehockeynews.com
Also from THN Detroit
Lyon, Larkin Carry the Day as Detroit Struggles at Five-on-Five: Red Wings-Wild Statistical Review