The night before the opening game of the series, which was played at the Duquesne Garden, Maroons President James Strachan played a clever strategic hand. As told in William Brown’s book, The Montreal Maroons: The Forgotten Stanley Cup Champions (Vehicule Press, 1999), Strachan had rented a hall in the team’s Pittsburgh hotel. There, he kept watch as his players listened to records and played cards – instead of spending a late night on the town. Strachan made sure that the Maroons were in bed by 10 p.m. He also promised the team $1,000 each if the Maroons won the Stanley Cup, and $10 per goal in the series against the Pirates. These cash bonuses would be added to the extra money the players would earn by winning the Cup. The bonuses were substantial. Consider the extra $1,000 per man in light of Lionel Conacher’s then-record salary of $7,500 per year.

The Gazette reported that 7,000 fans jammed the Duquesne Garden on Saturday night, March 20, while another 2,000 disappointed followers had to be turned away. The Gazette reported that the Pirates were favored 5 to 3 to win. The oddsmakers undoubtedly noted the absence of two Maroons defensemen: captain Dunc Munro, who was ill, and Hobie Kitchen.  The Maroons’ sluggish 4-5-2 finish at the end of the season provided hope for the Pirates’ fans, whose “six” had finished the 1925-26 season so strongly. Rodger Smith’s goal in the first period and the Pirates’ overall speed seemed to confirm the predictions of a Pittsburgh victory. But Strachan’s ploy could well have given the Montreal players an extra spark. The  Maroons matched the Pirates’ speed later in the game as the Pirates faded. Montreal defeated Pittsburgh, 3-1.

 

This is an excerpt from Paul Christman, the rest of the article can seen through this link.