The first period gave little indication of the offensive fireworks to come. The game was quiet until late in the first, when rugged winger Rusty Crawford -- dressing in place of the injured Harry Westwick -- whipped a pass to ersatz centerman Frank Rankin, who beat Riley Hern to make it 1-0 in favor of the visiting Millionaires.
While the first period was a tight, defensive affair, the second turned out to be a shooting gallery. A half-minute into the frame, defenseman Hod Stuart set up Tommy "Tools" Smith for a quick goal to tie the game. Just moments later, another Stuart pass led to a goal for rookie Jack Walker. Suddenly trailing by a goal, the resilient Millies went right back to work, and soon a Jimmy Gardner tally tied the game at two. Then the floodgates opened. The line of Duke Keats, Jimmy Gardner, and Barney Stanley cycled the puck with ruthless efficiency, setting up defenseman Graham Drinkwater for a slapshot goal from the point. Without pausing even for a drink of water, Drinkwater scored again on his very next possession. It was now 4-2 Millionaires and the home team was on its heels. Thistles hothead Alf Smith went berserk toward the end of the frame, leading to a Millies power-play goal from Art Farrell.
Trailing by three goals to start the third period, the Thistles made some adjustments in the hope of obtaining more favorable line matchups, but all they could do was chase the Millionaires. Midway through the period, Drinkwater collected his own rebound and fired it past an imploding Hern to complete the first hat trick of his career. That goal also set a record for the most goals (six) a team has scored in a single postseason game. The end of period was marred by penalties on both sides. Alf Smith scored a late power-play goal to make it 6-3, but the Thistles had no time for a comeback.
The Millionaires return home leading the series 1-0, and they'll get star center Harry Westwick back in the lineup for Game 2. The Thistles, meanwhile, need to right the ship in a hurry.
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