Glenn Hall in the playoffs year by year
1956
Detroit was the defending Cup champions, and second in the league in the regular season.
The semifinal was against fourth place Toronto, who finished below 0.500. Detroit won in 5 games, outshooting Toronto 180-147 and outscoring them 14-10 (with at least 3 goals in the four games they won.) Hall's numbers: 2.00 GAA, 0.932 SV%
The final was against Montreal, who had been the dominant team of the regular season. Montreal made short work of Detroit in five games, outscoring them 18-9 and outshooting them 158-124. Hall's numbers: 3.60 GAA, 0.886 SV%.
High point: Hard to say. Detroit won all three home games comfortably against a much weaker Toronto team. The one road win was a comeback OT win after Hall had allowed three 1st period goals.
Low point: Game 1 against Montreal. Detroit went into the second intermission with a two goal lead. Montreal bombarded Hall with 18 shots in the third, and scored on four. Hall and Detroit lost a great chance to steal a game on the road and take the lead in the final. It wsntNot entirely Hall's fault - Larry Hillman went down to injury halfway through the game and other d-men Red Kelly and Marcel Pronovost were playing hurt, so it was a team-wide collapse. But the Wings could have used some excellent goaltending and didn't get it.
Overall: Hall and Detroit beat a team that was clearly weaker and lost to a team that was clearly better. Can't say Hall did much to stand out in this playoff, and his Game 1 collapse in the final was a failure to step up.
1957
The Wings climbed back to first place in the regular season, and faced a surprising third place Boston squad.
Boston upset the Wings in a five game series. Boston narrowly outshot the Wings 129-124 and outscored them 15-14 over the series. Hall's numbers: 3.00 GAA, 0.884 SV%.
High point: Not much. In Hall's one win he was spotted 7 goals.
Low point: The Game 5 loss. Playing at home. Facing elimination. Ted Lindsay scores a go-ahead goal early in the third - and then Hall allows 3 goals on 6 shots in the third to lose the game.
Overall: Rough series for Detroit and especially for Hall
1959
Hall, now on an up-and-coming Chicago team, faced a dynasty Montreal Canadiens team in the semifinals.
Chicago was outshot 220-147 in the series, outscored 21-16, and lost in six games. Not a bad result, considering the disparity in team strength.
High point: Chicago's wins at home in Games 3 and 4. They managed to hold serve at home despite being outshot in both games, and Hall's 69 saves on 72 shots was a big part of the reason.
Low point: The first period of Game 5. Montreal scored four and put it away early. Game 6 was also tough - facing elimination at home, Hall allowed five goals on 37 shots, including four that broke a tie and gave Montreal the lead.
Overall: Can't blame Hall for this loss, Chicago was overmatched. There were high points and low points for Hall but an upset might have been too much to ask.
1960
Once again the third-place Hawks finished slightly below 0.500 and faced the dynasty Canadiens in the semi-final.
Chicago was outshot 118-94, outscored 14-6, and swept in four games. Hall had a 3.37 GAA and an 0.885 SV%.
High point: Hall kept the Habs scoreless in the first period of Games 3 and 4 at home - but his teammates couldn't score at home.
Low point: The Hawks scored 3 goals in each of Games 1 and 2 in Montreal, but Hall allowed 4 in both.
A tough matchup, but Hall didn't play very well either.
1961
Once again the third-place Hawks faced the league-leading Canadiens in the semifinal. This time, however, the Hawks pulled the upset. Despite being outshot 225-176, they outscored Montreal 16-15 and won in six games. Hall was 4-2 with a 2.18 GAA and a 0.933 SV%
In the final, the Hawks faced a fourth-place Detroit team that had upset the Leafs. Once again the Hawks won in 6 games, as Hall captured his only Stanley Cup as a starter. The shots were very close (198-194 Detroit) and the Hawks outscored the Wings 19-12. Hall was 4-2 with a GAA of 2.00 and a SV% of 0.939.
High point
The Game 3 overtime win against Montreal. Hall stopped 24 overtime shots and 53 of 54 total shots as Chicago won 2-1 in the third overtime period. Hall also posted back-to-back shutouts in Games 5 and 6 against Montreal, stopping a combined 56 shots.
Hall was solid against Detroit, but nothing stands out. The teams were more evenly matched, and Chicago's skaters scored goals.
Low point
Game 1 against Montreal was tied 2-2 going into the third period, and the Hawks had a chance to steal the first game on the road. Hall allowed four goals in the third period.
Overall
Hall was outstanding against Montreal. This was the same Montreal team that had just won the last five Stanley Cups, and they outshot Chicago by quite a bit once again. Hall's play was a big reason that the dynasty ended. Hall also played well against Detroit - he may not have won them any games but he didn't lose them any either.
1962
Once again the Hawks finished third in the league and drew a semifinal matchup with the league leading Montreal Canadiens. And once again the Hawks won in six games. This year the teams were almost even in shots - Montreal had the edge 204-195. Chicago outscored Montreal 19-13. Hall went 4-2 with a GAA of 2.00 and a SV% of 0.936.
In the final, Chicago faced a new contender, a strong Toronto club. Toronto won in six games, outscoring Chicago 18-13 and outshooting them 204-177.
Home teams carried the play in this final. Toronto won two at home, Chicago won the next two at home, Toronto won at home, and then finally closed it out on the road. Punch Imlach commented after Game 4 that the Chicago crowd was worth two goals, and in Game 5 the Toronto crowd showed up determined to out-do the Chicago crowd. Dink Carroll wrote after Game 5 that it was hard to remember a series in which home ice and the home crowd had meant so much.
High point: Game six against Montreal. Hall's 41 save shutout sent Chicago through to the finals.
Low point: Game 5 against Toronto. With a chance to go up in the series, Hall allowed Bob Pulford to score 17 seconds into the game, energizing the Toronto crowd. Chicago battled back to take a 3-2 lead early in the second, but Hall allowed three goals within five minutes in the second and ended up allowing eight goals. Hall also played well for most of Game 6, but allowed Toronto to scored two goals in the third period right after Bobby Hull had given Chicago a 1-0 lead.
Overall: Hall played well against Montreal. But his Game 5 performance in the final may have cost the Hawks their second straight Cup.
1963
The Hawks challenged for the regular season title this year, finishing one point short. They faced a strong fourth place team, the Detroit Red Wings, in the semifinal. Detroit won in six games. Chicago was outshot 171-241 and outscored 25-19 in a high-scoring series. Hall's GAA was 4.17 and his SV% was 0.896.
Chicago won the first two games at home, scoring five goals in both games and outshooting Detroit in both. But in games 3-6, Detroit outshot Chicago by 27, 21, 15, and 21 shots respectively and scored four, four, four, and seven goals. It looks like a team-wide collapse.
High points: Very few. Hall managed to make a five goal lead hold up in each of the first two games, but still allowed six goals.
Low points: The whole series was pretty bad, but the third period of Game 6 was the worst. With the score tied at four headed into the third, Hall allowed three goals on 18 shots in the third.
Overall: A very poor series for Hall and for Chicago's defensive performance as a team. Not a good showing for their strongest regular season team yet.
1964
Another strong regular season team in Chicago (1 point out of first). Another first round loss to the Detroit Red Wings, this time in 7. The Hawks were outshot 228-200 and outscored 24-18. Hall had a GAA of 3.24 and a SV% of 0.902.
High points: Hall stopped 39 of 41 shots in an OT win on the road in Game 4.
Low points: Five goals against at home in Game 2 - you really should win a home game where your team scored four goals. Game 6 was also poor, as Hall was pulled in the third after allowing five goals. And in a home Game 7, he allowed two goals in the first five minutes.
Overall
Another poor series for Hall and the Hawks.
1965
For the third straight seasons Chicago played Detroit in the semifinal, but this time Detroit had home ice advantage. Chicago won a close 7 game series, outscoring Detroit 23-19 despite being outshot 218-187. Hall's GAA was 2.60 and his SV% was 0.929. He won 4 games and lost 2, as Denis DeJordy started and lost Game 2.
Chicago faced Montreal in the final. Montreal had home-ice advantage, which turned out to be vital as the home team won every games. Montreal outshot Chicago 205-165 and outscored them 18-12. Hall's GAA was 2.25 and his SV% was 0.922.
High points: A Game 6 shutout against Detroit when facing elimination. Only allowed one goal in each of Chicago's home games against Montreal.
Low points: Benched for Game 2 in Detroit. Pulled in Game 5 against Montreal after allowing four goals. Allowed four first period goals in Game 7 of the Cup finals.
Overall: Hall was fine overall, but really blew it in Game 7 against Montreal. Bobby Rousseau scored 14 seconds into the game and it got worse from there.
1966
For the fourth straight season Chicago faced Detroit in the semifinal, this time with home ice advantage. Detroit outshot Chicago 181-153, outscored them 22-10, and beat them in six games. Hall's GAA was 3.80 and his SV% was 0.874.
High points: Solid 2-1 wins in Game 1 and Game 3, stopping 29 of 30 shots each time.
Low points: Seven goals against at home in Game 2. Five goals against in the pivotal Game 5 - at home, and the Hawks had scored three goals.
Overall: The Hawks appear to have been outplayed overall, and Hall certainly didn't play well either.
1967
Chicago's strongest regular season team yet lost to the geriatric Maple Leafs in the semifinal. While they were finally able to outshoot an opponent (222-206) they couldn't outscore them (14-18).
Hall was a platoon goalie at this point in his career, with Denis DeJordy playing most of the regular season games. Hall started games 3 and 6, and took over for Denis DeJordy early in Game 4. He went 1-2, with a GAA of 2.73 and a SV% of 0.924. Nothing special either way.
1968
Hall got a chance to be a starter again on the expansion St. Louis Blues. He led them to two playoff series wins in the expansion division, beating Philadelphia and Minnesota in seven games and posting a 2.35 GAA. But the Montreal Canadiens were a formidable opponent for an expansion team, and they swept Hall and the Blues in a four game series.
High point: A 44 save overtime win against Minnesota in Game 7.
Low point: Allowed two overtime goals in a combined three minutes in Games 1 and 3 of the Finals.
Overall: Won the Conn Smythe on a team that had little chance of beating a real NHL team in the final. Strong performance.
1969 and 1970
Part-time goaltender, nothing special about his performance.
Career
Overall, it looks as if Hall had more shaky playoff performances than strong playoff performances. He had some tough matchups in the late 1950s against the dynasty Canadiens, but other than that his teams lost some very winnable series.
One thing to consider is that his teams were almost always outshot, so there's certainly blame to go around.
