1944–45 Detroit Red Wings season



The 1944–45 Detroit Red Wings season was the Red Wings' 19th season. The Red Wings finished 2nd in the league and lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1945 Stanley Cup Finals 4 games to 3.

Regular Season
Flash Hollett became the first defenceman to score twenty goals in one season. The record would stand until Bobby Orr broke it in the 1968–69 Boston Bruins season.

Detroit Red Wings 4, Boston Bruins 3
Having last met in the 1943 Stanley Cup Finals, the Wings would once again defeat the Bruins but unlike the 1943 sweep, this series would be much closer.

Game 1 saw the Bruins take a commanding 3-0 in the first period on goals by Bill Cowley, Bill Cupolo and Herb Cain. After Earl Seibert made it 3-1 early in the third, the Bruins Jack McGill responded. Goals by Joe Carveth and a last minute goal by Eddie Bruneteau made it close but the Bruins prevailed to take a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 was tied 1-1 until the Bruins scored two goals in 15 seconds in the second period on tallies by Kenny Smith and Jean-Paul Gladu. Eddie Bruneteau made it close in the third but Pat Egan put the game away. The Bruins led the series 2-0 going back to Boston.

Game 3 saw the first playoff goal of Ted Lindsay's career and one by Murray Armstrong less than a minute later see the Wings up 2-0 going into the second period. Pat Egan made it close in the second but Eddie's brother Mud Bruneteau scored at 15:48 of the third. Gino Rozzini scored with two minutes left but the Wings prevailed 4-3.

Game 4 saw only one penalty called and the Bruins led 2-1 going into the third on goals by Ken Smith and Herb Cain. The Wings wouldn't be denied with tallies by Joe Carveth and then Murray Armstrong's winner with less than 3 minutes to play. The series was tied going back to Detroit.

Game 5 saw the Wings jump out to a 2-0 lead on first period goals by Mud Bruneteau and Flash Hollett. Herb Cain responded with a goal 11 seconds after Hollett's. Close checking saw no goals until Ted Lindsay took the only penalty of the third period and Bill Jennings scored on the power play to even it up. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner for the Wings in OT, having somewhat of a reputation for OT clutch goals (see the 1936 Stanley Cup Finals in which Mud scored for the Wings to end the longest OT in NHL history).

Game 6 was do or die for the Bruins and the first period was filled with hits and penalties after Jud McAtee spotted the Wings to a lead 45 seconds into the game. The game settled down after Bill Cowley tied it up. In the second period, the Wings went up 2-1 on Joe Carveth's 3rd goal of the series before the Bruins scored three straight by Jennings, Cain and Gladu. McAtee responded and it was 4-3 Bruins heading into the third. Cowley scored his 3rd of the series and Bruins goalie Paul Bibeault shut the door as the Bruins tied the series at 3-3.

Game 7 was back in Detroit and the team traded goals in the first by the Wings Carl Liscombe and the Bruins Jack McGill. Liscombe scored in the second before the Bruins went up 3-2 on goals by Herb Cain and Ken Smith. With their backs against the wall, the Wings responded in the third. Eddie Bruneteau tied it up 2 minutes into the period. Liscombe completed the Hat trick 2 minutes after that and then potted an empty netter for a four goal game and the Wings series victory. The Wings would lose in seven games to the Leafs in the Finals.

Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
See 1945 Stanley Cup Finals.

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

 * Flash Hollett, Defense, NHL First Team All-Star
 * Syd Howe, Left Wing, NHL Second Team All-Star
 * Jack Adams, Coach, NHL Second Team All-Star