1969β70 Boston Bruins | |
---|---|
Stanley Cup champions | |
Division | 2nd East |
1969β70 record | 40β17β19 |
Home record | 27β3β8 |
Road record | 13β14β11 |
Goals for | 277 (1st) |
Goals against | 216 (6th) |
Team information | |
General manager | Milt Schmidt |
Coach | Harry Sinden |
Captain | Vacant |
Alternate captains |
Johnny Bucyk Phil Esposito Ed Westfall |
Arena | Boston Garden |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Phil Esposito (43) |
Assists | Bobby Orr (87) |
Points | Bobby Orr (120) |
Penalty minutes | Bobby Orr (125) |
Wins | Gerry Cheevers (24) |
Goals against average | Gerry Cheevers (2.72) |
The 1969β70 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 46th season in the NHL. The Bruins were coming off of a successful season in 1968β69, as they finished with a franchise record 100 points, sitting in 2nd place in the Eastern Division, however, they would lose to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Division finals. This year, the Bruins would go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and win the Stanley Cup.
The year was marred by an infamous incident in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues, when veteran Ted Green had an ugly stick fight with Wayne Maki of the Blues. Green suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury as a result of the fight, necessitating a permanent steel plate put in his head and missing the entirety of the season. Both were charged with assault as a result of the incident, the first time NHL players faced criminal charges as a result of on-ice violence, and were eventually acquitted. [1]
Boston got off to a quick start, going unbeaten in their first 7 games (6β0β1), which immediately was followed by a 5-game winless streak. The Bruins though would snap out of their mini-slump, and never have a 2-game losing streak for the remainder of the season, finishing the year with a 40β17β19 record, earning 99 points, which tied the Chicago Black Hawks for 1st place in the Eastern Division. Chicago was awarded 1st place though due to having more wins than Boston, as the Hawks recorded 45.
Bobby Orr had a breakout season, leading the league with 120 points, becoming the first defenseman in league history to record over 100 points, while setting an NHL record with 87 assists. Orr also scored 33 goals, which also was a record by a defenseman. Orr also provided toughness, leading the Bruins with 125 PIM. Phil Esposito had another very strong season, scoring 43 goals and earning 99 points, while John McKenzie registered 70 points. Thirty-four-year-old John Bucyk scored a career high 31 goals and tied his career best with 69 points.
In goal, Gerry Cheevers received the majority of playing time, winning a team high 24 games, and having a team best 2.72 GAA and 4 shutouts. Eddie Johnston was his backup, as he won 16 games, had a 2.98 GAA, and 3 shutouts.
GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 45 | 22 | 9 | 250 | 170 | +80 | 99 |
2 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 277 | 216 | +61 | 99 |
3 | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 40 | 21 | 15 | 246 | 199 | +47 | 95 |
4 | New York Rangers | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 246 | 189 | +57 | 92 |
5 | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 244 | 201 | +43 | 92 |
6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 29 | 34 | 13 | 222 | 242 | β20 | 71 |
|
|
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
1 | October 12 | New York Rangers | 1β2 | Boston Bruins | 1β0β0 | 2 |
2 | October 15 | Oakland Seals | 0β6 | Boston Bruins | 2β0β0 | 4 |
3 | October 18 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2β0β1 | 5 |
4 | October 19 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 0β4 | Boston Bruins | 3β0β1 | 7 |
5 | October 22 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 | Minnesota North Stars | 4β0β1 | 9 |
6 | October 24 | Boston Bruins | 4β2 | Oakland Seals | 5β0β1 | 11 |
7 | October 25 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 | Los Angeles Kings | 6β0β1 | 13 |
8 | October 29 | Boston Bruins | 2β4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6β1β1 | 13 |
9 | November 1 | Boston Bruins | 2β9 | Montreal Canadiens | 6β2β1 | 13 |
10 | November 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4β4 | Boston Bruins | 6β2β2 | 14 |
11 | November 5 | St. Louis Blues | 4β4 | Boston Bruins | 6β2β3 | 15 |
12 | November 8 | Boston Bruins | 2β3 | Detroit Red Wings | 6β3β3 | 15 |
13 | November 10 | Oakland Seals | 3β8 | Boston Bruins | 7β3β3 | 17 |
14 | November 13 | Detroit Red Wings | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 8β3β3 | 19 |
15 | November 15 | New York Rangers | 6β5 | Boston Bruins | 8β4β3 | 19 |
16 | November 16 | Los Angeles Kings | 4β7 | Boston Bruins | 9β4β3 | 21 |
17 | November 21 | Boston Bruins | 2β2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 9β4β4 | 22 |
18 | November 23 | Montreal Canadiens | 2β2 | Boston Bruins | 9β4β5 | 23 |
19 | November 26 | Boston Bruins | 0β3 | New York Rangers | 9β5β5 | 23 |
20 | November 27 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4β6 | Boston Bruins | 10β5β5 | 25 |
21 | November 29 | Boston Bruins | 2β2 | Montreal Canadiens | 10β5β6 | 26 |
22 | November 30 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1β4 | Boston Bruins | 11β5β6 | 28 |
23 | December 4 | Boston Bruins | 4β4 | Detroit Red Wings | 11β5β7 | 29 |
24 | December 6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β6 | Boston Bruins | 12β5β7 | 31 |
25 | December 7 | Minnesota North Stars | 2β2 | Boston Bruins | 12β5β8 | 32 |
26 | December 10 | Boston Bruins | 2β5 | New York Rangers | 12β6β8 | 32 |
27 | December 11 | New York Rangers | 1β2 | Boston Bruins | 13β6β8 | 34 |
28 | December 13 | Boston Bruins | 5β3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 14β6β8 | 36 |
29 | December 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1β2 | Boston Bruins | 15β6β8 | 38 |
30 | December 18 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | St. Louis Blues | 15β6β9 | 39 |
31 | December 20 | Boston Bruins | 6β4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 16β6β9 | 41 |
32 | December 21 | Montreal Canadiens | 5β2 | Boston Bruins | 16β7β9 | 41 |
33 | December 25 | Los Angeles Kings | 1β7 | Boston Bruins | 17β7β9 | 43 |
34 | December 28 | Boston Bruins | 5β4 | Philadelphia Flyers | 18β7β9 | 45 |
35 | December 31 | Boston Bruins | 1β5 | Detroit Red Wings | 18β8β9 | 45 |
36 | January 3 | Boston Bruins | 6β2 | Los Angeles Kings | 19β8β9 | 47 |
37 | January 7 | Boston Bruins | 6β1 | Oakland Seals | 20β8β9 | 49 |
38 | January 10 | Boston Bruins | 3β4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 20β9β9 | 49 |
39 | January 11 | Oakland Seals | 3β6 | Boston Bruins | 21β9β9 | 51 |
40 | January 15 | Los Angeles Kings | 3β6 | Boston Bruins | 22β9β9 | 53 |
41 | January 17 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β0 | Boston Bruins | 22β10β9 | 53 |
42 | January 18 | Montreal Canadiens | 3β6 | Boston Bruins | 23β10β9 | 55 |
43 | January 22 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3β3 | Boston Bruins | 23β10β10 | 56 |
44 | January 24 | Boston Bruins | 1β8 | New York Rangers | 23β11β10 | 56 |
45 | January 25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 24β11β10 | 58 |
46 | January 29 | Minnesota North Stars | 5β6 | Boston Bruins | 25β11β10 | 60 |
47 | January 31 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | Montreal Canadiens | 25β11β11 | 61 |
48 | February 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6β7 | Boston Bruins | 26β11β11 | 63 |
49 | February 4 | Boston Bruins | 4β8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 26β12β11 | 63 |
50 | February 5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1β5 | Boston Bruins | 27β12β11 | 65 |
51 | February 7 | Detroit Red Wings | 2β2 | Boston Bruins | 27β12β12 | 66 |
52 | February 8 | St. Louis Blues | 1β7 | Boston Bruins | 28β12β12 | 68 |
53 | February 11 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 | St. Louis Blues | 29β12β12 | 70 |
54 | February 14 | Boston Bruins | 3β0 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 30β12β12 | 72 |
55 | February 17 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | Oakland Seals | 30β12β13 | 73 |
56 | February 18 | Boston Bruins | 5β5 | Los Angeles Kings | 30β12β14 | 74 |
57 | February 21 | Boston Bruins | 4β2 | Minnesota North Stars | 31β12β14 | 76 |
58 | February 22 | Boston Bruins | 3β6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 31β13β14 | 76 |
59 | February 26 | New York Rangers | 3β5 | Boston Bruins | 32β13β14 | 78 |
60 | February 28 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0β3 | Boston Bruins | 33β13β14 | 80 |
61 | March 1 | St. Louis Blues | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 34β13β14 | 82 |
62 | March 4 | Boston Bruins | 1β3 | St. Louis Blues | 34β14β14 | 82 |
63 | March 7 | Boston Bruins | 5β5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 34β14β15 | 83 |
64 | March 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 0β2 | Boston Bruins | 35β14β15 | 85 |
65 | March 11 | Boston Bruins | 0β0 | Chicago Black Hawks | 35β14β16 | 86 |
66 | March 14 | Boston Bruins | 1β2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 35β15β16 | 86 |
67 | March 15 | Detroit Red Wings | 5β5 | Boston Bruins | 35β15β17 | 87 |
68 | March 19 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 36β15β17 | 89 |
69 | March 21 | Boston Bruins | 4β5 | Minnesota North Stars | 36β16β17 | 89 |
70 | March 22 | Minnesota North Stars | 0β5 | Boston Bruins | 37β16β17 | 91 |
71 | March 25 | Boston Bruins | 3β1 | New York Rangers | 38β16β17 | 93 |
72 | March 28 | Detroit Red Wings | 5β5 | Boston Bruins | 38β16β18 | 94 |
73 | March 29 | Boston Bruins | 2β2 | Detroit Red Wings | 38β16β19 | 95 |
74 | April 1 | Boston Bruins | 3β6 | Montreal Canadiens | 38β17β19 | 95 |
75 | April 4 | Boston Bruins | 4β2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 39β17β19 | 97 |
76 | April 5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 40β17β19 | 99 |
In the playoffs, Boston faced the New York Rangers in the quarterfinals, which finished in 4th place in the Eastern Division with 92 points, seven less than the Bruins. The series opened at the Boston Garden, and the Bruins continued their winning ways at home, taking the first two games to take an early series lead. The series then moved to Madison Square Garden in New York for the next two games, and the Rangers responded with two close wins, tying the series up at two games each. Boston returned home for game 5, and took a 3β2 series lead with a hard-fought 3β2 win, going on to beat the Rangers in game 6 on the road 4β1 to advance to the Eastern Division finals.
The Bruins opponent for the division finals was the Chicago Black Hawks, which finished with 99 points (the same as Boston, but with more wins, so Chicago was awarded home ice for the series). Boston surprised the Chicago fans by taking the first two games held at Chicago Stadium with relative ease to take a 2β0 series lead. Boston then won game 3 by a 5β2 score at the Boston Garden, taking a commanding 3β0 lead in the series. The Black Hawks kept game 4 close, but lost the game 5β4, as Boston swept Chicago to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1958.
Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues
Boston faced the winner of the Western Division, the St. Louis Blues, making its 3rd straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The Blues had been swept by the Montreal Canadiens in both their previous appearances in the Finals. St. Louis defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the Finals. The series opened at the St. Louis Arena, and the Bruins had no problems at all in their first two games, defeating the Blues by scores of 6β1 and 6β2 to take a 2β0 series lead. The series shifted to Boston for the next two games, and the Bruins dominated game 3, winning 4β1. St. Louis forced the 4th game into sudden death; however the Bruins, on an overtime goal by Bobby Orr, won 4β3, thus winning an NHL record 10th straight playoff game and their first Stanley Cup since 1941. The still photo of Orr flying through the air after scoring "The Goal" β he had been tripped in the act of shooting by Blues defenseman Noel Picard β became one of the most iconic images of hockey history, and was the basis of a bronze sculpture [4] of the event outside the TD Garden's main entrance in 2010, the date of the event's 40th anniversary.
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
1 | April 8 | New York Rangers | 2β8 | Boston Bruins | 1β0 |
2 | April 9 | New York Rangers | 3β5 | Boston Bruins | 2β0 |
3 | April 11 | Boston Bruins | 3β4 | New York Rangers | 2β1 |
4 | April 12 | Boston Bruins | 2β4 | New York Rangers | 2β2 |
5 | April 14 | New York Rangers | 2β3 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 |
6 | April 16 | Boston Bruins | 4β1 | New York Rangers | 4β2 |
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
1 | April 19 | Boston Bruins | 6β3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β0 |
2 | April 21 | Boston Bruins | 4β1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2β0 |
3 | April 23 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2β5 | Boston Bruins | 3β0 |
4 | April 26 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4β5 | Boston Bruins | 4β0 |
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
1 | May 3 | Boston Bruins | 6β1 | St. Louis Blues | 1β0 |
2 | May 5 | Boston Bruins | 6β2 | St. Louis Blues | 2β0 |
3 | May 7 | St. Louis Blues | 1β4 | Boston Bruins | 3β0 |
4 | May 10 | St. Louis Blues | 3β4 | Boston Bruins | 4β0 |
Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bobby Orr | D | 76 | 33 | 87 | 120 | 125 | 11 | 4 | 3 |
Phil Esposito | C | 76 | 43 | 56 | 99 | 50 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
John McKenzie | RW | 72 | 29 | 41 | 70 | 114 | 9 | 1 | 6 |
John Bucyk | LW | 76 | 31 | 38 | 69 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
Fred Stanfield | LW | 73 | 23 | 35 | 58 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
Ken Hodge | RW | 72 | 25 | 29 | 54 | 87 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
Derek Sanderson | C | 50 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 118 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
Ed Westfall | D/RW | 72 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wayne Cashman | LW | 70 | 9 | 26 | 35 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wayne Carleton | LW | 42 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Dallas Smith | D | 75 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 119 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Jim Lorentz | C/RW | 68 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Garnet Bailey | LW | 58 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 82 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Don Awrey | D | 73 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Don Marcotte | LW | 35 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Rick Smith | D | 69 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Gary Doak | D | 44 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Ron Murphy | LW | 20 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Jim Harrison | C | 23 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bill Speer | D | 27 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eddie Johnston | G | 37 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tom Webster | RW | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nick Beverley | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gerry Cheevers | G | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Lesuk | LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Frank Spring | RW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Barry Wilkins | D | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerry Cheevers | 2384 | 41 | 24 | 8 | 8 | 108 | 2.72 | 4 |
Eddie Johnston | 2176 | 37 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 108 | 2.98 | 3 |
Team: | 4560 | 76 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 216 | 2.84 | 7 |
Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Esposito | C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Bobby Orr | D | 14 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
John Bucyk | LW | 14 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
John McKenzie | RW | 14 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Fred Stanfield | LW | 14 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Ken Hodge | RW | 14 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wayne Cashman | LW | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Derek Sanderson | C | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 72 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Ed Westfall | D/RW | 14 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wayne Carleton | LW | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Don Awrey | D | 14 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rick Smith | D | 14 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dallas Smith | D | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Don Marcotte | LW | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Jim Lorentz | C/RW | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Speer | D | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gerry Cheevers | G | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gary Doak | D | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eddie Johnston | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Lesuk | LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Danny Schock | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerry Cheevers | 781 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 29 | 2.23 | 0 |
Eddie Johnston | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 |
Team: | 841 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 33 | 2.35 | 0 |
Boston's draft picks at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft
Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | Don Tannahill | ![]() |
Niagara Falls Flyers (OHA) |
1 | 4 | Frank Spring | ![]() |
Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) |
1 | 11 | Ivan Boldirev | ![]() |
Oshawa Generals (OHA) |
2 | 22 | Art Quoquochi | ![]() |
Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) |
3 | 34 | Nels Jacobson | ![]() |
Winnipeg Jets (WCHA) |
4 | 46 | Ron Fairbrother | ![]() |
Saskatoon Blades (WCHL) |
5 | 58 | Jeremy Wright | ![]() |
Calgary Centennials (WCHL) |
6 | 69 | Jim Jones | ![]() |
Peterborough Petes (OHA) |
![]() |
1969β70 Boston Bruins | |
---|---|
Stanley Cup champions | |
Division | 2nd East |
1969β70 record | 40β17β19 |
Home record | 27β3β8 |
Road record | 13β14β11 |
Goals for | 277 (1st) |
Goals against | 216 (6th) |
Team information | |
General manager | Milt Schmidt |
Coach | Harry Sinden |
Captain | Vacant |
Alternate captains |
Johnny Bucyk Phil Esposito Ed Westfall |
Arena | Boston Garden |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Phil Esposito (43) |
Assists | Bobby Orr (87) |
Points | Bobby Orr (120) |
Penalty minutes | Bobby Orr (125) |
Wins | Gerry Cheevers (24) |
Goals against average | Gerry Cheevers (2.72) |
The 1969β70 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 46th season in the NHL. The Bruins were coming off of a successful season in 1968β69, as they finished with a franchise record 100 points, sitting in 2nd place in the Eastern Division, however, they would lose to the Montreal Canadiens in the Eastern Division finals. This year, the Bruins would go all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals and win the Stanley Cup.
The year was marred by an infamous incident in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues, when veteran Ted Green had an ugly stick fight with Wayne Maki of the Blues. Green suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury as a result of the fight, necessitating a permanent steel plate put in his head and missing the entirety of the season. Both were charged with assault as a result of the incident, the first time NHL players faced criminal charges as a result of on-ice violence, and were eventually acquitted. [1]
Boston got off to a quick start, going unbeaten in their first 7 games (6β0β1), which immediately was followed by a 5-game winless streak. The Bruins though would snap out of their mini-slump, and never have a 2-game losing streak for the remainder of the season, finishing the year with a 40β17β19 record, earning 99 points, which tied the Chicago Black Hawks for 1st place in the Eastern Division. Chicago was awarded 1st place though due to having more wins than Boston, as the Hawks recorded 45.
Bobby Orr had a breakout season, leading the league with 120 points, becoming the first defenseman in league history to record over 100 points, while setting an NHL record with 87 assists. Orr also scored 33 goals, which also was a record by a defenseman. Orr also provided toughness, leading the Bruins with 125 PIM. Phil Esposito had another very strong season, scoring 43 goals and earning 99 points, while John McKenzie registered 70 points. Thirty-four-year-old John Bucyk scored a career high 31 goals and tied his career best with 69 points.
In goal, Gerry Cheevers received the majority of playing time, winning a team high 24 games, and having a team best 2.72 GAA and 4 shutouts. Eddie Johnston was his backup, as he won 16 games, had a 2.98 GAA, and 3 shutouts.
GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 76 | 45 | 22 | 9 | 250 | 170 | +80 | 99 |
2 | Boston Bruins | 76 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 277 | 216 | +61 | 99 |
3 | Detroit Red Wings | 76 | 40 | 21 | 15 | 246 | 199 | +47 | 95 |
4 | New York Rangers | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 246 | 189 | +57 | 92 |
5 | Montreal Canadiens | 76 | 38 | 22 | 16 | 244 | 201 | +43 | 92 |
6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 76 | 29 | 34 | 13 | 222 | 242 | β20 | 71 |
|
|
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record | Pts |
1 | October 12 | New York Rangers | 1β2 | Boston Bruins | 1β0β0 | 2 |
2 | October 15 | Oakland Seals | 0β6 | Boston Bruins | 2β0β0 | 4 |
3 | October 18 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 2β0β1 | 5 |
4 | October 19 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 0β4 | Boston Bruins | 3β0β1 | 7 |
5 | October 22 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 | Minnesota North Stars | 4β0β1 | 9 |
6 | October 24 | Boston Bruins | 4β2 | Oakland Seals | 5β0β1 | 11 |
7 | October 25 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 | Los Angeles Kings | 6β0β1 | 13 |
8 | October 29 | Boston Bruins | 2β4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6β1β1 | 13 |
9 | November 1 | Boston Bruins | 2β9 | Montreal Canadiens | 6β2β1 | 13 |
10 | November 2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 4β4 | Boston Bruins | 6β2β2 | 14 |
11 | November 5 | St. Louis Blues | 4β4 | Boston Bruins | 6β2β3 | 15 |
12 | November 8 | Boston Bruins | 2β3 | Detroit Red Wings | 6β3β3 | 15 |
13 | November 10 | Oakland Seals | 3β8 | Boston Bruins | 7β3β3 | 17 |
14 | November 13 | Detroit Red Wings | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 8β3β3 | 19 |
15 | November 15 | New York Rangers | 6β5 | Boston Bruins | 8β4β3 | 19 |
16 | November 16 | Los Angeles Kings | 4β7 | Boston Bruins | 9β4β3 | 21 |
17 | November 21 | Boston Bruins | 2β2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 9β4β4 | 22 |
18 | November 23 | Montreal Canadiens | 2β2 | Boston Bruins | 9β4β5 | 23 |
19 | November 26 | Boston Bruins | 0β3 | New York Rangers | 9β5β5 | 23 |
20 | November 27 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4β6 | Boston Bruins | 10β5β5 | 25 |
21 | November 29 | Boston Bruins | 2β2 | Montreal Canadiens | 10β5β6 | 26 |
22 | November 30 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1β4 | Boston Bruins | 11β5β6 | 28 |
23 | December 4 | Boston Bruins | 4β4 | Detroit Red Wings | 11β5β7 | 29 |
24 | December 6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β6 | Boston Bruins | 12β5β7 | 31 |
25 | December 7 | Minnesota North Stars | 2β2 | Boston Bruins | 12β5β8 | 32 |
26 | December 10 | Boston Bruins | 2β5 | New York Rangers | 12β6β8 | 32 |
27 | December 11 | New York Rangers | 1β2 | Boston Bruins | 13β6β8 | 34 |
28 | December 13 | Boston Bruins | 5β3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 14β6β8 | 36 |
29 | December 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1β2 | Boston Bruins | 15β6β8 | 38 |
30 | December 18 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | St. Louis Blues | 15β6β9 | 39 |
31 | December 20 | Boston Bruins | 6β4 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 16β6β9 | 41 |
32 | December 21 | Montreal Canadiens | 5β2 | Boston Bruins | 16β7β9 | 41 |
33 | December 25 | Los Angeles Kings | 1β7 | Boston Bruins | 17β7β9 | 43 |
34 | December 28 | Boston Bruins | 5β4 | Philadelphia Flyers | 18β7β9 | 45 |
35 | December 31 | Boston Bruins | 1β5 | Detroit Red Wings | 18β8β9 | 45 |
36 | January 3 | Boston Bruins | 6β2 | Los Angeles Kings | 19β8β9 | 47 |
37 | January 7 | Boston Bruins | 6β1 | Oakland Seals | 20β8β9 | 49 |
38 | January 10 | Boston Bruins | 3β4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 20β9β9 | 49 |
39 | January 11 | Oakland Seals | 3β6 | Boston Bruins | 21β9β9 | 51 |
40 | January 15 | Los Angeles Kings | 3β6 | Boston Bruins | 22β9β9 | 53 |
41 | January 17 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β0 | Boston Bruins | 22β10β9 | 53 |
42 | January 18 | Montreal Canadiens | 3β6 | Boston Bruins | 23β10β9 | 55 |
43 | January 22 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3β3 | Boston Bruins | 23β10β10 | 56 |
44 | January 24 | Boston Bruins | 1β8 | New York Rangers | 23β11β10 | 56 |
45 | January 25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 24β11β10 | 58 |
46 | January 29 | Minnesota North Stars | 5β6 | Boston Bruins | 25β11β10 | 60 |
47 | January 31 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | Montreal Canadiens | 25β11β11 | 61 |
48 | February 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6β7 | Boston Bruins | 26β11β11 | 63 |
49 | February 4 | Boston Bruins | 4β8 | Chicago Black Hawks | 26β12β11 | 63 |
50 | February 5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1β5 | Boston Bruins | 27β12β11 | 65 |
51 | February 7 | Detroit Red Wings | 2β2 | Boston Bruins | 27β12β12 | 66 |
52 | February 8 | St. Louis Blues | 1β7 | Boston Bruins | 28β12β12 | 68 |
53 | February 11 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 | St. Louis Blues | 29β12β12 | 70 |
54 | February 14 | Boston Bruins | 3β0 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 30β12β12 | 72 |
55 | February 17 | Boston Bruins | 3β3 | Oakland Seals | 30β12β13 | 73 |
56 | February 18 | Boston Bruins | 5β5 | Los Angeles Kings | 30β12β14 | 74 |
57 | February 21 | Boston Bruins | 4β2 | Minnesota North Stars | 31β12β14 | 76 |
58 | February 22 | Boston Bruins | 3β6 | Chicago Black Hawks | 31β13β14 | 76 |
59 | February 26 | New York Rangers | 3β5 | Boston Bruins | 32β13β14 | 78 |
60 | February 28 | Chicago Black Hawks | 0β3 | Boston Bruins | 33β13β14 | 80 |
61 | March 1 | St. Louis Blues | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 34β13β14 | 82 |
62 | March 4 | Boston Bruins | 1β3 | St. Louis Blues | 34β14β14 | 82 |
63 | March 7 | Boston Bruins | 5β5 | Philadelphia Flyers | 34β14β15 | 83 |
64 | March 8 | Montreal Canadiens | 0β2 | Boston Bruins | 35β14β15 | 85 |
65 | March 11 | Boston Bruins | 0β0 | Chicago Black Hawks | 35β14β16 | 86 |
66 | March 14 | Boston Bruins | 1β2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 35β15β16 | 86 |
67 | March 15 | Detroit Red Wings | 5β5 | Boston Bruins | 35β15β17 | 87 |
68 | March 19 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 36β15β17 | 89 |
69 | March 21 | Boston Bruins | 4β5 | Minnesota North Stars | 36β16β17 | 89 |
70 | March 22 | Minnesota North Stars | 0β5 | Boston Bruins | 37β16β17 | 91 |
71 | March 25 | Boston Bruins | 3β1 | New York Rangers | 38β16β17 | 93 |
72 | March 28 | Detroit Red Wings | 5β5 | Boston Bruins | 38β16β18 | 94 |
73 | March 29 | Boston Bruins | 2β2 | Detroit Red Wings | 38β16β19 | 95 |
74 | April 1 | Boston Bruins | 3β6 | Montreal Canadiens | 38β17β19 | 95 |
75 | April 4 | Boston Bruins | 4β2 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 39β17β19 | 97 |
76 | April 5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1β3 | Boston Bruins | 40β17β19 | 99 |
In the playoffs, Boston faced the New York Rangers in the quarterfinals, which finished in 4th place in the Eastern Division with 92 points, seven less than the Bruins. The series opened at the Boston Garden, and the Bruins continued their winning ways at home, taking the first two games to take an early series lead. The series then moved to Madison Square Garden in New York for the next two games, and the Rangers responded with two close wins, tying the series up at two games each. Boston returned home for game 5, and took a 3β2 series lead with a hard-fought 3β2 win, going on to beat the Rangers in game 6 on the road 4β1 to advance to the Eastern Division finals.
The Bruins opponent for the division finals was the Chicago Black Hawks, which finished with 99 points (the same as Boston, but with more wins, so Chicago was awarded home ice for the series). Boston surprised the Chicago fans by taking the first two games held at Chicago Stadium with relative ease to take a 2β0 series lead. Boston then won game 3 by a 5β2 score at the Boston Garden, taking a commanding 3β0 lead in the series. The Black Hawks kept game 4 close, but lost the game 5β4, as Boston swept Chicago to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1958.
Boston Bruins vs. St. Louis Blues
Boston faced the winner of the Western Division, the St. Louis Blues, making its 3rd straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. The Blues had been swept by the Montreal Canadiens in both their previous appearances in the Finals. St. Louis defeated the Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the Finals. The series opened at the St. Louis Arena, and the Bruins had no problems at all in their first two games, defeating the Blues by scores of 6β1 and 6β2 to take a 2β0 series lead. The series shifted to Boston for the next two games, and the Bruins dominated game 3, winning 4β1. St. Louis forced the 4th game into sudden death; however the Bruins, on an overtime goal by Bobby Orr, won 4β3, thus winning an NHL record 10th straight playoff game and their first Stanley Cup since 1941. The still photo of Orr flying through the air after scoring "The Goal" β he had been tripped in the act of shooting by Blues defenseman Noel Picard β became one of the most iconic images of hockey history, and was the basis of a bronze sculpture [4] of the event outside the TD Garden's main entrance in 2010, the date of the event's 40th anniversary.
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
1 | April 8 | New York Rangers | 2β8 | Boston Bruins | 1β0 |
2 | April 9 | New York Rangers | 3β5 | Boston Bruins | 2β0 |
3 | April 11 | Boston Bruins | 3β4 | New York Rangers | 2β1 |
4 | April 12 | Boston Bruins | 2β4 | New York Rangers | 2β2 |
5 | April 14 | New York Rangers | 2β3 | Boston Bruins | 3β2 |
6 | April 16 | Boston Bruins | 4β1 | New York Rangers | 4β2 |
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
1 | April 19 | Boston Bruins | 6β3 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1β0 |
2 | April 21 | Boston Bruins | 4β1 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2β0 |
3 | April 23 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2β5 | Boston Bruins | 3β0 |
4 | April 26 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4β5 | Boston Bruins | 4β0 |
# | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
1 | May 3 | Boston Bruins | 6β1 | St. Louis Blues | 1β0 |
2 | May 5 | Boston Bruins | 6β2 | St. Louis Blues | 2β0 |
3 | May 7 | St. Louis Blues | 1β4 | Boston Bruins | 3β0 |
4 | May 10 | St. Louis Blues | 3β4 | Boston Bruins | 4β0 |
Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bobby Orr | D | 76 | 33 | 87 | 120 | 125 | 11 | 4 | 3 |
Phil Esposito | C | 76 | 43 | 56 | 99 | 50 | 18 | 1 | 5 |
John McKenzie | RW | 72 | 29 | 41 | 70 | 114 | 9 | 1 | 6 |
John Bucyk | LW | 76 | 31 | 38 | 69 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 6 |
Fred Stanfield | LW | 73 | 23 | 35 | 58 | 14 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
Ken Hodge | RW | 72 | 25 | 29 | 54 | 87 | 6 | 0 | 5 |
Derek Sanderson | C | 50 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 118 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
Ed Westfall | D/RW | 72 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wayne Cashman | LW | 70 | 9 | 26 | 35 | 79 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wayne Carleton | LW | 42 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Dallas Smith | D | 75 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 119 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Jim Lorentz | C/RW | 68 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Garnet Bailey | LW | 58 | 11 | 11 | 22 | 82 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Don Awrey | D | 73 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Don Marcotte | LW | 35 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Rick Smith | D | 69 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Gary Doak | D | 44 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 63 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Ron Murphy | LW | 20 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Jim Harrison | C | 23 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bill Speer | D | 27 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eddie Johnston | G | 37 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tom Webster | RW | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nick Beverley | D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gerry Cheevers | G | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Lesuk | LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Frank Spring | RW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Barry Wilkins | D | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerry Cheevers | 2384 | 41 | 24 | 8 | 8 | 108 | 2.72 | 4 |
Eddie Johnston | 2176 | 37 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 108 | 2.98 | 3 |
Team: | 4560 | 76 | 40 | 17 | 19 | 216 | 2.84 | 7 |
Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Esposito | C | 14 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Bobby Orr | D | 14 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
John Bucyk | LW | 14 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
John McKenzie | RW | 14 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Fred Stanfield | LW | 14 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Ken Hodge | RW | 14 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Wayne Cashman | LW | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Derek Sanderson | C | 14 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 72 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Ed Westfall | D/RW | 14 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wayne Carleton | LW | 14 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Don Awrey | D | 14 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rick Smith | D | 14 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dallas Smith | D | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Don Marcotte | LW | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Jim Lorentz | C/RW | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Speer | D | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gerry Cheevers | G | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gary Doak | D | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Eddie Johnston | G | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bill Lesuk | LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Danny Schock | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gerry Cheevers | 781 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 29 | 2.23 | 0 |
Eddie Johnston | 60 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 |
Team: | 841 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 33 | 2.35 | 0 |
Boston's draft picks at the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft
Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | Don Tannahill | ![]() |
Niagara Falls Flyers (OHA) |
1 | 4 | Frank Spring | ![]() |
Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) |
1 | 11 | Ivan Boldirev | ![]() |
Oshawa Generals (OHA) |
2 | 22 | Art Quoquochi | ![]() |
Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) |
3 | 34 | Nels Jacobson | ![]() |
Winnipeg Jets (WCHA) |
4 | 46 | Ron Fairbrother | ![]() |
Saskatoon Blades (WCHL) |
5 | 58 | Jeremy Wright | ![]() |
Calgary Centennials (WCHL) |
6 | 69 | Jim Jones | ![]() |
Peterborough Petes (OHA) |
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