1941–42 Detroit Red Wings season



The 1941–42 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 16th season. The Red Wings finished 5th in the league and lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals 4 games to 3.

Detroit Red Wings 2, Boston Bruins 0
After defeating the Red Wings in the 1941 Stanley Cup Finals, the Wings got their revenge on the Bruins, eliminating them in the Semi-finals 2 games to 0.

Game 1 saw the Wings take commanding 3-0 and 4-1 leads and despite a Hat trick from the Bruins Jack McGill, they'd take game 1 by a 6-4 score.

Game 2 resulted in a 3-1 win for the Wings led by a pair of goals from Joe Carveth, eliminating the Bruins.

Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
The 1942 Stanley Cup Finals involved a remarkable comeback. Toronto came back from a 3–0 deficit to win the best-of-seven series, the only such occurrence in a Stanley Cup Final series as of 2020.

After losing the first 3 games, Toronto coach Hap Day replaced regulars Bucko McDonald and Gordie Drillon with Don Metz and Hank Goldup for Game 4. This was the turning point in the series as Don Metz (brother of Leafs Nick Metz) scored the winner as the Leafs took the game by 4-3. The game ended in total chaos as not happy with the officiating, Detroit took two misconduct penalties in the final minutes. As the game ended, Detroit coach Jack Adams physically assaulted referee Mel Harwood. Harwood and NHL President Frank Calder had to be escorted out of the building by police. Adams was suspended for the rest of the series.

Game 5 saw Detroit captain Ebbie Goodfellow take on the coaching duties. Don Metz had a Hat trick and 2 assists as the Maple Leafs routed the Red Wings 9-3.

Game 6 saw Turk Broda shutout the Red Wings and Don Metz scored the winner as the Leafs tied the series with a 3-0 victory.

Game 7 in Toronto was the first time a crowd of over 16,000 attended a hockey game in Canada. Detroit survived being two men down in the scoreless first period, then struck early in the second period on a goal by Syd Howe. Sweeney Schriner scored on a scramble in front of the net to tie the score. Two minutes later, Pete Langelle scored the winner. The Maple Leafs dominated the rest of the game with Schriner scoring again at 16:11 of the third period to secure the win and the Cup.

Regular Season

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Playoffs

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus-minus PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals

MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts

Awards and Records

 * O'Brien Trophy: Detroit Red Wings
 * Sid Abel, Left Wing, NHL Second Team All-Star

Farm Team
Indianapolis Capitals, American Hockey League