 As with all NHL playoff series of the era , the winner would be the first team to win four games of a best @-@ of @-@ seven . Going into the series , Hap Day made a critical decision to predominantly play only two lines of his best players to compensate for the Canadiens ' depth in talent . The first game was in Montreal and no goals were scored for the first two periods . In the third period , with just twenty @-@ two seconds remaining and everyone anticipating overtime , Ted Kennedy banked a backhand shot off the goalpost which then rebounded off goaltender Bill Durnan 's pads and into the net to win the game 1 – 0 . The goal shocked the Montreal team , especially as the famed " Punch Line " had been held scoreless . In the second game , also in Montreal , Kennedy struck again only four minutes into the first period scoring the all @-@ important first goal to put the Toronto ahead by 1 – 0 . Toronto went on to win the game 3 – 2 and were able to leave Montreal with an unexpected 2 – 0 series lead . Montreal won the next game in Toronto 4 – 1 . In the fourth game in Toronto , Montreal got off to a quick start and led 2 – 0 on goals by Elmer Lach and Richard , his first of the series , before the game was three minutes old . In the second period , Kennedy set up Mel Hill to get Toronto back in the game and the Leafs went on to win in overtime . As Toronto needed only one more victory to win the series , Montreal was facing elimination in game five in Montreal . Maurice Richard finally overcame Leaf checking and scored four goals in an 11 – 3 victory . However , Toronto won the sixth game in Maple Leaf Gardens 3 – 2 to win the series and complete the shocking upset . In the game , Toronto 's Elwyn Morris , a defenceman who had scored only one goal all season , sparked the Leafs when he stole the puck from Montreal defenceman Frank Eddolls to score the first goal of the game . Eddolls was the player traded to Montreal to bring Kennedy to Toronto . This series is considered one of the greatest upsets in NHL history . 
