Erik's findings (below) after consulting contemporary (but perhaps not unbiased) accounts do resolve some of the improbabilities that have always stood out to me whenever I hear Ed's tale.   The primary one being: if plotting to get another team's star player thrown out of the game, I always imagined it would be wise to use as bait a third- or fourth-line forward, rather than causing one's own team to play short one defenseman, and at that a defenseman gifted enough to have a 10-year NHL career ahead of him.  The other being that Meagher was penalized and then ejected from the game despite his complete innocence.

-Pam Sweeney

3.  Anderson and Meagher were ejected for leaving the penalty box during the
altercation, not for slashing each other.  This contradicts Ed's assertion
that Coach Brooks sent Russ Anderson to remove Terry Meagher from the game.
That is, unless it was a particularly devious plan that required Anderson to
take a penalty then wait to ambush Meagher in the penalty box.

4. Meagher should not have spat on Smith.  Smith should not have grabbed
Meagher's stick.  No one should have resorted to slurs and epithets.