 In only his second NHL season , Kennedy finished the 1944 – 45 regular season leading the team in goals and points with 29 goals and 25 assists . In the last game of the season against the New York Rangers , Kennedy 's line @-@ mates fed him pass after pass attempting to get him to 30 goals . The Maple Leafs finished in third place and would face the Montreal Canadiens in the opening round of the playoffs . The Montreal Canadiens of 1944 – 45 were a record @-@ breaking , powerhouse hockey team . Going into the playoffs the coach of Montreal , Dick Irvin , declared them as the greatest team to have ever played in the NHL . The Montreal club had the top three point leaders in the league , placed 5 of the 6 positions on the First All @-@ Star team , Maurice Richard had scored his famous 50 goals in 50 games , Montreal had finished 28 points ahead of Toronto and scored almost a goal @-@ per @-@ game more . As of 2009 , Montreal 's regular season winning percentage for 1944 – 45 is the fifth highest in NHL history and the year previously they had achieved the second highest in history and won the Stanley Cup . The Leafs were given little chance of winning the series . 
