The Big-Time Talker

Wonders cease, after all—even the wonderful rise of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Last week, in the first all-Canadian hockey final since 1951, Montreal's Canadiens brought the saga to an end, defeating the Leafs 5-3 to become the first team in National Hockey League history to carry off the Stanley Cup four years in a row. But the Canadiens' remarkable accomplishment had to share top billing with the Leafs' improbable achievement in being there at all. Only two months ago the Leafs were sunk in the league cellar, with no prospects of getting out.

The 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 bad.

What happened in early spring still has Toronto fans benumbed: the Leafs who went into March like lambs roared out like lions. Only five games from schedule's end, the New York Rangers were seven points ahead of Toronto and comfortably installed in fourth place, a ranking that secures a place in the Stanley Cup playoffs. But the Leafs, who had not won more than two games in a row all season, got the coach's message, streaked to five big wins, the mesmerized Rangers collapsed. In the N.H.L.'s tensest finale in years, the Leafs were trailing Detroit 2-0 when they heard over the public-address system that the Rangers had lost their final game in New York; they 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.

The 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.