The Quebecois come to town continuing to fight for first place in the NLL with the Long Island Tomahawks. Montreal has been neck-and-neck with the Tommies for the better part of a month, and have been near the top of the standings since the beginning of the season, when they won their first four games.
Montreal has been especially tough on the Bolts this year, winning six of their seven meetings. The Bolts’ only win came in the first game between the two teams, on April 25, by a 17-16 score. Goalies Dave Evans and Ernie Mitchell have split the Montreal netminding chores against Boston, and each has held the Bolts tinder ten goals in a game —Evans on May 5 (16-7) and Mitchell on June 19 in a 10-9 cliffhanger at the Garden.
Superstar John Davis, the league’s leading scorer and last year’s All-Star right forward, leads the Quebecois in scoring against the Bolts despite having been shut out in two consecutive games by Ted Gernaey. Davis has tallied ten goals and added 21 assists for 31 points in the seven games. Bruce Arena leads Montreal in goals scored against the Bolts this season with 11. As of last Tuesday, Davis had scored 54 goals and assisted on 103 others to hold a seven-point edge over Long Island’s Doug Hayes in the scoring race.
Bolts captain Ivan Thompson and his brother Brian are running one-two for the Bolts against Montreal this year. Ivan has scored 13 goals and 16 assists for 29 points; Brian is 10-12-22. Ivan has had three hat tricks at the expense of Montreal goalies this season.
Incidentally, mention should be made of Thompson’s incredible scoring streak over the last 19 games. On May 24, Ivan ranked 20th in the league with 15 goals and 25 assists. In the 19 games since then, he has scored at the rate of almost 5% points per game with 44 goals and 59 assists. By comparison, Montreal’s John Davis has averaged a shade less then five points a game this year. At his present pace, Thompson should approach the 300- point mark for the season.
Only captain Thompson, Joe McCrea and John Allen have played in every one of the Bolts games thus far this season.
Tonight is “Hospital Night” at the Garden. The Bolts welcome employees from more than 200 hospitals in the Boston area who have purchased discount tickets for tonight’s game.
Employees discount rate coupons are available for remaining Bolts home games this summer.
The Bolts have the rest of the week off before facing the Maryland Arrows, featuring 1974 MVP Paul Suggate, Blair Campbell and Brian Tasker, next Sunday at the Boston Garden. Game time is 7:30 p.m.