1942–43 Boston Bruins season



The 1942–43 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 19th season in the NHL. Despite losing many players to wartime service, the Bruins finished in second place and lost the Stanley Cup Finals to the Detroit Red Wings 4 games to 0.

Pre-season
The Bruins played a pre-season game against the Montreal Air Force.

Regular Season
The Bruins and the New York Rangers were the hardest hit teams by the loss of players to the Armed Forces. Both lost 16 players by November 1942. The Kraut Line was lost to war service in February 1942. Good players were so hard to find that the Bruins played the November 1, 1942 game versus the Detroit Red Wings with only 12 players, 3 under the league rules. As a result, on November 12, 1942, Bep Guidolin, at 16 years old, became the youngest player in NHL history when he was called up to play for the Bruins. Guidolin's linemates were 17 year old Don Gallinger and 19 year old Bill Shill.

After the November 15, 1942 game at Detroit, it was discovered that the jersey of Tony Graboski of the Montreal Canadiens was missing. With no extra jerseys and an impending game at the Boston Garden, the Canadiens borrowed the #16 jersey from the Red Wings which goalie Paul Bibeault wore for the November 17, 1942 game against the Bruins. Graboski wore Bibeault's #1 jersey for the game.

After losing the first four games, the Bruins went on a points streak that saw them only lose once in 17 games. The Bruins played the first afternoon game in their history on December 12, 1942 against the Montreal Canadiens. A blood drive was held during the first intermission and all proceeds from the game were given to the Red Cross.

Bill Cowley led the Bruins in scoring, having done so for five of the previous seven seasons. He finished second in league scoring by 1 point, was voted a First Team All-Star and won the Hart Memorial Trophy as League MVP. The Bruins defense was superb with Jack Crawford, Flash Hollett and goalie Frank Brimsek being voted to the Second All-Star Team along with coach Art Ross. Hollett would tie his own record for most goals in a season by a defenseman with 19.

Boston Bruins 4, Montreal Canadiens 1
In their fourth playoff meeting and first since 1930-31, the Bruins defeated the Habs in a tight series in which three games went to overtime. It would be another 45 years before the Bruins beat Montreal in a playoff series.

Game 1 saw the Habs take a 3-0 lead in the second period. Goals by Don Gallinger and a power play goal by Art Jackson cut the lead to 3-2 heading into the third. Dutch Hiller put Montreal up 4-2 but goals by Oscar Aubuchon (the only playoff goal of his career) and the indomitable Bill Cowley sent the game into overtime with a power play goal with 4 minutes left in regulation. Gallinger's second goal of the game 12:30 into the first OT was a wraparound that beat Paul Bibeault and sent the crowd home happy as the Bruins took a 1-0 lead in the series.

Game 2 was the reverse of game 1 in that the Bruins held a 4-0 lead in the third period on goals by Gallinger, Ab DeMarco, Jackson and Herb Cain. With a little less than 6 minutes remaining in the game, Jack Crawford took a minor penalty and Montreal mounted a furious comeback, scoring 3 power play goals in less than 2 minutes, two by Gordie Drillon and one by Toe Blake (NHL game sheets and newspaper accounts confirm this but it isn't noted in some other sources). But Jackson's second of the game with little over a minute remaining gave the Bruins a 5-3 win and a 2-0 lead in the series.

Game 3 saw the series switch to the Montreal Forum where encouraged by the home crowd, Elmer Lach and Drillon's third of the series spotted the Habs a 2-0 lead in the second period. Herb Cain cut the lead in half and Dit Clapper scored the tying goal in the last minute of the third period. Flash Hollett took a penalty 1:30 into the first overtime but veteran Busher Jackson was not deterred. While killing the penalty, he grabbed the puck at center ice, crossed the blue line and threw a shot which Bibeault couldn't control. Jackson pounced on the rebound and scored a shorthanded goal, giving the Bruins a 3-2 win and a 3-0 stranglehold on the series.

Game 4 would be the Habs only victory of the series. With Bruins all-star defenseman Jack Crawford out due to injury and Bill "Red" Anderson playing the only game of his NHL career subbing for Crawford, the Habs won handily 4-0 on goals by Jack Portland, Toe Blake (his 4th of the series), Buddy O'Connor and Joe Benoit. Paul Bibeault earned the shutout and the Bruins led the series 3-1.

Game 5 saw the series back in the Boston Garden where the teams traded goals. Montreal held a 4-3 lead going into the third period on goals by Elmer Lach, two by O'Connor and one by Drillon. Dit Clapper, Murph Chamberlain (assisted by Flash Hollett, his 8th assist of the series) and Cain's third of the series were Boston's counters. Cain scored his fourth at 9:49 of the third to tie the game and send it into overtime. 3:41 in the first OT, Ab Demarco scored his second of the series to win it for the Bruins.

Detroit Red Wings 4, Boston Bruins 0
The Wings eliminated the Bruins in the Semi-finals the year before and would sweep them in convincing fashion in the 1943 finals, 4 games to 0. Johnny Mowers would shutout the Bruins in games 3 and 4.

Game 1 saw goals traded by the Wings Jack Stewart and the Bruins Art Jackson. However, Mud Bruneteau would record a Hat trick in addition to a Shorthanded goal by Sid Abel and a goal by Joe Carveth, staking the Wings to a commanding 6-1 lead. A late goal by Ab DeMarco meant little and the Wings took a 1-0 series lead.

Game 2 had a scoreless first period and then the Bruins jumped out to their only lead of the series on goals by Jack Crawford and Art Jackson in the second period. A late goal by the Wings Les Douglas cut the lead to 2-1 going into the third which saw the Wings explode for three goals by Carveth, Carl Liscombe and Syd Howe. A late goal by Jackson (his 6th of the playoffs) wasn't enough and the Wings took game 2.

Game 3 saw the Wings dominate as Don Grosso posted a hat trick and Les Douglas added a goal. Mowers posted the shutout.

Game 4 resulted in the Wings completing the sweep on a first period goal by Carveth (his sixth) and Liscombe (also his sixth). Mowers posted his second shutout of the series in leading the Wings to the team's third Stanley Cup. Art Jackson led the playoffs in goal scoring with 6 while Flash Hollett led in assists with 9.

See also 1943 Stanley Cup Finals.

Regular Season

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Playoffs

 * Scoring
 * Goaltending

Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals

MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts

Awards and Records

 * Don Gallinger was 17 years old when he scored the overtime winner in Game 1 of the 1943 Stanley Cup Semi-finals versus the Montreal Canadiens, making him the youngest person in NHL history to score an overtime winner.
 * O'Brien Trophy: Boston Bruins
 * Hart Memorial Trophy: Bill Cowley (2nd win)
 * Bill Cowley, Centre, NHL First Team All-Star
 * Jack Crawford, Defence, NHL Second Team All-Star
 * Flash Hollett, Defence, NHL Second Team All-Star
 * Frank Brimsek, Goaltender, NHL Second Team All-Star
 * Art Ross, Coach, NHL Second Team All-Star

Transactions

 * Sell Phil Hergesheimer to the Chicago Black Hawks on July 1, 1942.
 * Sell Dutch Hiller to the Montreal Canadiens on August 15, 1942.
 * Obtain Buzz Boll and Murph Chamberlain from the defunct Brooklyn Americans.
 * Don Gallinger and Bep Guidolin brought up from the juniors. Guidolin was 16 and became the youngest player in NHL history.

Trivia

 * The Bruins inserted Ab DeMarco, Oscar Aubuchon and Norm Calladine into the line-up for the last 3 games of the season. DeMarco scores 4 goals and Aubuchon nets 3. DeMarco would add 3 goals in the playoffs, including the overtime winner that eliminates Montreal in the Semi-finals.
 * Don Gallinger was 17 years old when he scored the overtime winner in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Semi-finals, making him the youngest player in NHL history to score an overtime winner.
 * Jack Crawford missed the 4-0 loss to Montreal in Game 4 of the Semi-finals. Bill "Red" Anderson played his only NHL game subbing for Crawford.
 * Bill Cowley had a 6 point game during the 7-5 win over the New York Rangers on January 16, 1943.
 * Bruins who recorded a Hat trick this season include:
 * Art Jackson during the 7-6 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 22, 1942.
 * Bill Cowley during the 7-5 win over the New York Rangers on January 16, 1943.
 * Bill Cowley during the 5-3 win over the Chicago Black Hawks on February 2, 1943.
 * Busher Jackson during the 7-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on February 7, 1943.
 * Bill Cowley during the 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on March 2, 1943.