1969–70 Boston Bruins season



The 1969–70 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 46th season in the NHL. The Bruins finished tied with the Chicago Black Hawks for first in the East Division and won their fourth Stanley Cup defeating the St. Louis Blues in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals 4 games to 0.

Off-season
With an incredible amount of talent in the Bruins farm system, GM Milt Schmidt made several trades for future draft picks in May 1969. Barry Gibbs and Tom Williams went to the Minnesota North Stars for a 1st round pick in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft while Ross Lonsberry and Eddie Shack went to the Los Angeles Kings for a 1st round pick in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft and a 1st round pick in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. Glen Sather was lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Grant Erickson to Minnesota in the intra-league draft. With the exception of Erickson, all players lost would have long NHL careers. For Williams this was particularly bitter as he would miss out on two Stanley Cups after being a top scorer for the Bruins for seven seasons. After suffering a major knee injury in the 1968–69 season, he was replaced by Wayne Cashman as there was concern he wouldn't fully recover.

Pre-season
Training camp opened on September 11, 1969 in London, Ontario and the Bruins played eleven exhibition games.

The Bruins played the St. Louis Blues in an exhibition game on September 21, 1969 at the Ottawa Civic Center. At the 13-minute mark of the first period, the Blues Wayne Maki shot the puck over the blue line into the Bruins corner. Ted Green played the puck with his skate and Maki hit him from behind. Green shoved Maki to the ice and the referee, Ken Bodendistel, raised his arm for a penalty to Green. From his knees, Maki speared Green in the genitals. Green swung his stick and slashed Maki on the arm, once again knocking him to the ice. As he turned away to go to the penalty box, Maki smacked him over the head with his stick, crushing part of his skull. The left side of Green's body was paralyzed and his speech slurred. Bobby Orr jumped over the boards and pummelled Maki while his teammates carried Green to the dressing room. Green had emergency surgery and missed the entire 1969-70 season. Maki was suspended for a month. Criminal charges were laid against both but resulted in acquittals. Green returned for the 1970-71 season. Maki played for several seasons until diagnosed with brain cancer. He died in 1974.

1969
One change was made to the Bruins uniforms for the 1969-70 season adding gold socks, which were worn with the mainly home black jersey. White socks were worn with the white jersey which was mainly worn for away games.

The Bruins started the season with the same top two lines as in the 1968-69 season, Phil Esposito centering Ron Murphy and Ken Hodge while Fred Stanfield centered John Bucyk and John McKenzie. Derek Sanderson and Ed Westfall were the top penalty killers and played with Wayne Cashman during October 1969. With the departure of Williams and Shack, Jim Lorentz, Jim Harrison and Garnet Bailey made up the fourth line.

Goaltending was set with Eddie Johnston and Gerry Cheevers. With Ted Green out for the season, Rick Smith and Gary Doak saw increased played time from the previous season along with Don Awrey. Dallas Smith and Bobby Orr formed the top defense pair. The 1969-70 season could be aptly described as belonging to Bobby Orr. His exploits far surpassed anything an NHL defenseman had ever accomplished. In 1999, a panel of experts chosen by The Hockey News selected Orr's 1969-70 as the most important regular season performance in NHL history. For the first time in his career, Orr played every game in a season.

The Bruins had a fine start to the season, going 6-1-1 in October. In the home opening 2-1 win versus the New York Rangers on October 12, Don Awrey wore a helmet after suffering a head injury in pre-season. He'd continue to wear it throughout the month. Derek Sanderson suffered a knee injury during the 6-0 win on October 15 against the Oakland Seals and wouldn't return to the line-up until mid-November. Orr had 6 assists in the first three games and during the October 19, 1969 game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, Orr dominated. He killed nearly an entire penalty single handed, constantly swooping into the Penguins zone with the puck and then turning back. Wayne Cashman scored on an end-to-end rush before Orr added a Power play marker while Gerry Cheevers earned a shutout in Boston's 4-0 win. On October 22 against the Minnesota North Stars, Orr opened the scoring, won a fight with former Bruin Bill Goldsworthy and assisted on Phil Esposito's goal. Ed Johnston stopped Goldsworthy on a breakaway late in the game to preserve a 3-2 win. Orr had 5 assists in the next two games before the Bruins had their first loss of the season, 4-2, on October 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Esposito hit two goal posts and Orr's point streak ended. However, Orr led the league in scoring with 2 goals and 14 points.

The loss to Toronto started the longest winless streak of the season, five games, as the Bruins tied two and lost two to begin November. Orr had 4 assists and then in the November 8, 1969 game against the Detroit Red Wings, Ron Murphy aggravated a shoulder injury he'd played with for years. Murphy missed several months of action and Jim Lorentz took his spot on the top line. The streak ended with an 8-3 win over Oakland on November 10, 1969 in which Orr had 3 assists. Don Marcotte was recalled and saw limited action for the next three games before being sent back to the Hershey Bears. During those three games, Orr had 2 goals and 5 assists. In the second period of the November 21, 1969 match versus the Chicago Black Hawks, Orr intentionally shot the puck off the boards for a rebound which Fred Stanfield fired past Tony Esposito to tie the game 1-1. Orr then fought Keith Magnuson and later a large melee broke out in which Derek Sanderson (who returned to the line-up that game) had a scrap with Randy McKay in which he pulled McKay's jersey off and flung it into the crowd. Chicago tied the game 2-2 with Esposito pulled with 10 seconds left in the match.

During the November 23, 1969 game versus the Montreal Canadiens, Derek Sanderson put the Bruins ahead by scoring right off a face-off in the Habs zone. Yvan Cournoyer, wearing a helmet with a jaw protector, scored to tie the game, which ended 2-2. November 26 saw Boston play the league leading New York Rangers. Eddie Giacomin was brilliant, twice robbing John Bucyk, as the Rangers shutout the Bruins 3-0. Orr and Esposito got the Bruins back on track the next night in a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers as they had 3 and 4 points respectively. Another tight game against Montreal ensued on November 29. With the Habs leading 2-1, Jacques Laperriere was assessed a high-sticking penalty with less than two minutes to go in the game. Furious, he pushed referee Bill Friday and was also give a misconduct. Sanderson scored on the power play and the game ended in a 2-2 tie. The Bruins ended the month with a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs in which Orr had a goal and an assist.

Bobby Orr continued to lead the team in December. During the game on the 4th versus Detroit, he had two assists and a fight with Pete Stemkowski. Don Awrey had a tough night as a Frank Mahovlich shot bounced in off him. With the Bruins leading 4-2, Awrey had two clearing passes picked off that resulted in goals and the game ended in a 4-4 tie. It was also Jim Harrison's last game as a Bruin as he was traded to Toronto for Wayne Carleton. Playing with only nine forwards on December 6 against Chicago, the newly formed third line of Sanderson centering Wayne Cashman and Garnet Bailey notched two goals and chased Tony Esposito from the net in favour of Denis DeJordy in a 6-1 win.

During the 2-2 tie with Minnesota on December 7, brilliant forechecking by Derek Sanderson gave Boston a 2-1 lead. Excellent goaltending by Cesare Maniago held the North Stars in the game, as they were outshot 44-29. Bob Barlow evened the score with five minutes left. Boston Orr had a short handed goal and an assist on December 10 versus the Rangers but the Bruins couldn't stop New York's "GAG Line" of Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield and Rod Gilbert who scored three times in a 5-2 Rangers win. Boston got its revenge the next night, beating New York 2-1. Wayne Carleton took Cashman's place on Sanderson's line with Ed Westfall and scored both Bruin goals. This would become the third line for the rest of the season.

The new Sanderson line continued to score, potting two goals during the 5-3 win over Philadelphia on December 13. Orr had an assist and a fight with Earl Heiskala. Wayne Cashman missed this game and the 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on December 14 as he was suspended for breaking team rules. On December 20 in Pittsburgh, Orr had 5 assists and John Bucyk scored 5 points as the Bruins won 6-4. Orr scored during the 5-2 loss to Montreal on December 21 and was cut on the lip by the skate of J.C. Tremblay. He finished his shift and then went for repairs, which required 12 stitches. The Bruins celebrated Christmas with a 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings led by Phil Esposito's 4 points. Orr had 4 points during the 5-4 win over Philadelphia on December 28 in which there were several melees. Orr ended the year leading the scoring race while the Bruins were tied for the league lead with the Rangers.

1970
1970 started with a road trip to California in which Bill Speer was added to the defense, replacing Gary Doak, and the Bruins won both games. During the January 7, 1970 game versus Oakland, Orr had two assists. In addition, Jim Lorentz picked off a Seals clearing pass and found John Bucyk alone in front of the Oakland net. Bucyk deked out Gary Smith and scored his 300th career goal. Ron Murphy returned to the line-up for the January 10, 1970 match against the Maple Leafs. Orr marked a goal and two assists but had two Toronto shots bounce in off his feet in a 4-3 loss. Phil Esposito had the Bruins first hat trick of the season during the 6-3 win over Oakland on January 11, 1970. Wayne Carleton had 4 assists during the 6-3 win over Los Angeles on January 15.

On January 18, Orr collected an assist in the first period of the game versus Montreal. He then scored in the second period for his 65th point, breaking his own record for most points in a season by a defenseman with 33 games left in the season. Orr, Esposito, Bucyk and McKenzie represented the Bruins at the 23rd NHL All-Star Game on January 20. Boston continued to have trouble with New York, losing 8-1 on January 24. Having played eight games in January with no points and still bothered by his lingering shoulder injury, Ron Murphy retired after the game versus Pittsburgh on January 25. Murphy's NHL career began in 1952 and he played nearly 900 games. During the January 29 game versus Minnesota, the Bruins fired 24 shots on goal in the first period on route to a 6-5 victory, powered by Esposito's four points.

Don Marcotte was recalled, would stick with the Bruins and play 13 seasons for them. Gary Doak returned to the line-up for the January 31, 1970 game versus Montreal. Orr had an assist and a brilliant goal while Gerry Cheevers stopped 41 shots, including a breakaway by Yvan Cournoyer to preserve a 3-3 tie. Orr led the league in scoring with 74 points while the Bruins trailed the Rangers by 3 points for first place.

The Bruins went on a goal scoring tear to start February, marking 16 goals in the first three games. Jim Lorentz was hurt during the 5-1 win over Philadelphia on February 5 which resulted in Don Marcotte being promoted to the first line. He promptly scored during the February 7 game against Detroit and then had his first hat trick during the 7-1 romp over St. Louis the next night. During the rematch at St. Louis on February 11, the Bruins were losing 2-1 in the third period. Orr rushed into the Blues zone, drew three players to him, made a hard stop and a beautiful seam pass to Fred Stanfield who tied the game. Orr then found Sanderson who set up John McKenzie for the game winner. During the February 14 game versus Pittsburgh, Orr was everywhere, blunting the Penguins attack and making rushes. On one rush, he swerved at the Penguins blueline and fired a slapshot across the grain that beat Arnie Brown in the Bruins 3-0 win.

Orr had an assist during the 3-3 tie with Oakland on February 17 and the next night in Los Angeles, had an another assist and a goal, his 22nd of the season. This broke his own league record for most goals in a season by a defenseman. During the February 21 game versus Minnesota, Orr powered by two checkers and slid a shot past Cesare Maniago to open the scoring. In the third period, Orr slid another one past Maniago and Derek Sanderson scored on a bouncer he flipped from center ice in the Bruins 4-2 win. Fred Stanfield had a three point game in a big 5-3 win over the Rangers on February 26 before Boston finished the month with a 3-0 win over Chicago with Gerry Cheevers getting the shutout. A melee broke out in the third period in which Derek Sanderson fought Tony Esposito. Orr was held off the score sheet but still led the league with 24 goals and 93 points. The Bruins were in second place and trailed the Rangers by eight points.

During the March 7, 1970 game versus Philadelphia, Garnet Bailey broke his ankle and was lost for the rest of the season and playoffs. A wild melee broke out after the Flyers Reg Fleming sucker punched Derek Sanderson. John McKenzie and John Bucyk both had four points as the match ended in a 5-5 tie. With Bailey out, Jim Lorentz, who'd been in and out of the line-up in February, became a regular again but on the fourth line with Don Marcotte. Bill Speer and Gary Doak rotated as the fifth defenseman. Ed Johnston played most of the games in March including consecutive shutouts on March 8 and 11. Bobby Orr had 97 points starting the March 15 game versus Detroit. In the first period, after a give and go with Ken Hodge, Orr beat Roy Edwards to glove side. Eight minutes later on the power play, John McKenzie tipped in an Orr point shot. The second period started with the Bruins short handed. Orr picked off a cross-ice pass and Ed Johnston tipped it behind the Bruins net for Orr to retrieve. A quick give and go with Derek Sanderson sent Orr on a rush into the Red Wings zone. Beating a defender to the outside, he slipped a backhand under Edwards for a 3-2 Bruins lead and his 100th point of the season. The crowd gave Orr a standing ovation for his historic goal which Johnston received an assist on. For good measure, Orr had an assist on a third period power play goal.

The race for first place in the East Division changed as March progressed. The Rangers went on multiple losing streaks and won only two games in the month while the Black Hawks only lost twice. The March 19, 1970 versus Chicago was a chippy affair as the teams fought for dominance. After Derek Sanderson scored a short handed goal, Orr blocked a great chance by Bobby Hull which led to John Bucyk scoring on the power play. Bucyk added another goal, with Tom Webster picking up his first NHL assist, as the Bruins won 3-1 and earned two important points.

Orr had 3 goals and 3 assists during a home and home series with Minnesota on March 21 and 22. In the first game, Orr scored and set up two goals by Derek Sanderson, including the winner as Boston triumphed 5-4. In the second game, Orr scored the opening goal (which proved to be the winner), set up two goals and then scored the last goal as the Bruins won 5-0 with Ed Johnston picking up the shutout. The Bruins contributed towards the Rangers woes with a 3-1 victory over them on March 25. Orr had 5 points and Esposito 4 during back-to-back games, both ties, with Detroit to end March. Orr had 31 goals and 114 points while the Bruins and Black Hawks were tied for first with 95 points each.

The Bruins and Black Hawks both lost their first games in April and had two games left to play each. Chicago had a home and home series with Montreal while the Bruins were set to face the Maple Leafs. Orr had a goal and an assist on April 4 in a 4-2 win but Chicago also won. On April 5, Orr had an assist as the Bruins won 3-1, however, Chicago beat Montreal 10-2. Despite being tied with 99 points, Chicago was awarded first place as they had more wins than Boston. Orr finished with 33 goals and 120 points, shattering his own record for goals and points by a defenseman by wide margins. His 77 assists set a new NHL record for any position and he became the first and only defenseman to win the scoring title. Phil Esposito finished second in scoring with 99 points, was a First Team All-Star (along with Orr) while John McKenzie was a Second Team All-Star. Orr was awarded the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and his third straight James Norris Memorial Trophy. He'd win one more trophy, becoming the only NHL player in history to win four major awards in a season, after the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Boston Bruins 4, New York Rangers 2
The Bruins and Rangers last met in the 1958 Semi-finals which Boston won in six games. Gerry Cheevers played five games in the series while the Rangers Eddie Giacomin was spelled off by Terry Sawchuk for two games. The Bruins were powered by 10 points by Phil Esposito and 7 goals by Bobby Orr and took the series in six games.

Game 1 at the Boston Garden was a wide-open, fight-filled game dominated by Phil Esposito. He opened the scoring 3:51 into the first period with a goal mouth tap-in and then scored on the power play from the slot. Jack Egers scored on a long slapshot to make it 2-1. In the second period, Bobby Orr rushed out of the Bruins zone and after a give and go with John McKenzie, fired a low shot glove side that beat Eddie Giacomin at 4:56. Don Marcotte took a tripping penalty but Orr wasn't dissuaded, deking three Rangers and scoring with a low slapshot to Giacomin's stick side to make it 4-1 Boston. The Rangers then gave up another shorthanded goal on the same power play to Derek Sanderson, who scored on a breakaway. Before the period ended, Esposito scored his hat trick goal and Wayne Cashman added another. Terry Sawchuk went in the net for the Rangers in the third period, which degenerated in multiple fights. Fred Stanfield and Bob Nevin traded power play goals as the Bruins romped to an 8-2 victory.

Game 2 at Boston saw Terry Sawchuk start for the Rangers. After Jim Lorentz scored on a beautiful passing play with Ed Westfall and Wayne Carleton, the Rangers took their first lead of the series with goals by Jack Eger and Rod Gilbert. In the second period, John McKenzie tied it up with a one-timer from a great feed from Fred Stanfield. John Bucyk gave Boston the lead when he squeaked a shot from a sharp angle past Sawchuk. Early in the third period, Ken Hodge stripped Ab DeMarco, Jr. of the puck at the Rangers blueline and scored the game winner on a breakaway. A few minutes later, Orr sent Westfall into the Rangers zone and he beat Sawchuk with a low backhander. Tim Horton got one back but the Bruins triumphed 5-3 and took a two games to none lead in the series.

Game 3 at Madison Square Garden saw Giacomin back in goal and the Rangers target Derek Sanderson early. A massive brawl broke out two minutes into the game which resulted in six fighting majors as well as Sanderson and Dave Balon receiving game misconducts. Police dealt with fans attacking the Bruins bench and showering the ice with debris. It took nearly 20 minutes to restart the game. Bill Speer opened the scoring with a point shot, his only career playoff goal. Gary Doak and Jack Egers fought before Jean Ratelle tied the game on a rebound. Wayne Cashman and Orland Kurtenbach fought and a penalty to Speer resulted in Walt Tkaczuk scoring on the power play. The second period was calmer and Gilbert put the Rangers up 3-1 as he took a goal mouth pass and put it into the open net. In the third period, Ted Irvine put the Rangers up 4-1 with a goal mouth rebound. Bobby Orr scored on a point shot before Cashman and Bill Fairbairn fought. With eight minutes left in the game, Fred Stanfield tipped in a Dallas Smith point shot to trim the deficit to a goal. The Rangers held on and nipped the Bruins 4-3 in a game that saw 174 penalty minutes and New York out shoot Boston 42-29.

Game 4 at New York saw the Bruins Eddie Johnston play his only game of the 1970 playoffs and Danny Schock play his only career playoff game. Rod Gilbert staked the Rangers to a 2-0 lead with a pair of first period goals. In the second period, an Orr rush into the Rangers zone resulted in Phil Esposito shovelling a goal in from the edge of the crease. Less than a minute later, Derek Sanderson turned over the puck at the Bruins blueline and Dave Balon skated in alone and beat Johnston for a 3-1 New York lead. Wayne Cashman and Tim Horton fought before Giacomin robbed Sanderson on a breakaway. At 8:41 of the third period, Bobby Orr scored from the point on a power play to make it 3-2. Hard work by Dave Balon in the Bruins zone resulted in Walt Tkaczuk firing a one-timer past Johnston for a 4-2 Rangers win. New York again out shot Boston and the series was tied at two games each.

Game 5 at Boston saw Cheevers back between the pipes for the Bruins. A melee broke out on the first shift of the game. Two minutes later, Bobby Orr rounded the Bruins net and skated through the entire Ranger team to open the scoring. Phil Esposito sent Wayne Cashman in on a breakaway but he was stopped by Ed Giacomin before Jack Egers tied the game up on the power play. In the second period, Orr was tripped on a rush but no penalty was called. The puck was fed to Orland Kurtenbach who scored on a breakaway to make it 2-1 Rangers. At 2:20 of the third period, Cashman won a puck battle in the Rangers zone and fed it to Esposito in the slot who scored to tie the game 2-2. At 7:59, Orr fed a brilliant pass to Esposito, who was in full flight. Esposito evaded the New York defense and fired the winner past Giacomin. Cheevers preserved the lead making several excellent stops, including a point blank chance by Dave Balon as the Bruins won 3-2 and took the series lead.

Game 6 at New York saw Brad Park open the scoring on the power play after a give and go with Rod Gilbert. In the second period, Orr broke into the Rangers zone, passed it back to the blueline, headed for the Ranger net and tipped in a John McKenzie shot to tie the game. Two minutes later, Wayne Cashman pounced on a Tim Horton turnover and scored stick side on a surprised Ed Giacomin. At 3:09 of the third period, Orr slapped one in from the point through a screen to make it 3-1 Bruins. Four minutes later, Derek Sanderson deflected a corner pass from Ed Westfall for an insurance goal. Boston blunted New York's attack, even once they pulled Giacomin and the Bruins won 4-1 to take the series in six games.

Boston Bruins 4, Chicago Black Hawks 0
This was the third meeting in the playoffs for the teams. Chicago was the first team Boston ever met in the post season, in 1927. The Bruins defeated the Hawks then and repeated it in the 1942 Quarter-finals, two games to one. The series featured Boston's Phil Esposito out-dueling his brother, Chicago goalie Tony Esposito.

Game 1 at the Chicago Stadium saw the teams trade chances in the first period until, while cutting around a defenseman, Phil Esposito's backhand shot surprised Tony Esposito for a 1-0 Bruins lead. Minutes later on the power play, Bobby Orr took a pass at the point, deked a Chicago defender, drifted to the left boards and passed to Phil Esposito in the slot whose one-timer made it 2-0 Boston. In the second period at 5:11, John Bucyk intercepted a clearing pass by Tony Esposito and fired a goal five-hole to make it 3-0. Three minutes later, Dennis Hull put a rebound past Gerry Cheevers to cut the lead to 3-1. With five minutes left in the period, on the power play, Phil Esposito shovelled in a rebound of an Orr point shot to restore Boston's two goal advantage. Two minutes later, Jim Pappin responded by tipping a Bobby Hull shot past Cheevers. A minute into the third period, John McKenzie tipped a Bucyk shot in for a 5-2 Bruins lead. Ken Hodge scored off a Wayne Carleton rebound and Stan Mikita scored a consolation goal in Boston's 6-3 victory.

Game 2 at Chicago saw Boston play an excellent defensive game, limiting the Black Hawks to 23 shots. Bobby Orr scored the only goal of the first period on a give and go rush with Fred Stanfield. At 10:32 of the second period, a great forecheck by Stanfield led to him one-timing a John Bucyk pass past Tony Esposito for a 2-0 Bruins lead. Don Marcotte, playing on Phil Esposito's line, banged in his first career playoff goal on a cross-crease pass by Ken Hodge to pad Boston's lead. Bill White scored on a rebound early in the third period after which Wayne Carleton and Keith Magnuson had a protracted fight. Phil Esposito stripped Dennis Hull of the puck in the corner of the Hawks zone, moved across the slot and scored for a 4-1 Bruins win and a two games to none series lead.

Game 3 at the Boston Garden was the first game of the series where Chicago had lead as Cliff Koroll opened the scoring at 6:33 of the first period. A little over two minutes later, Wayne Carleton wristed a great pass from Ed Westfall past Tony Esposito to even the score 1-1. Late in the period, Jim Pappin's centering pass from behind the Bruins net was fired in by Pit Martin. The rest of the game belonged to the Bruins. After incredible pressure on the power play, John Bucyk put in a cross crease pass at 3:28 to tie the game 2-2. Several minutes later, Phil Esposito won a face-off in the Hawks zone, resulting Wayne Cashman cutting left to right in front of Tony Esposito and beating him stick side. On the power play, Orr rushed into Chicago's zone, rounded behind the net and drew three Hawk defenders to him in the corner. His pass to Phil Esposito was relayed to John Bucyk who smacked it into the open net. In the third period, both goalies made great saves, preventing any scoring. Phil Esposito stripped Pit Martin of the puck and scored an empty net goal in the last minute for a 5-2 Boston victory and a stranglehold on the series.

Game 4 at Boston was the closest game of the series as Chicago fought to stave off elimination. Tony Esposito was brilliant as the Bruins peppered him with 54 shots. With Derek Sanderson off for hooking, Bobby Orr won a puck battle in the Bruins zone and backhanded a long pass to Phil Esposito on the left wing. His long shot was kicked out by Tony Esposito right to Don Marcotte who scored a shorthanded goal at 13:14 of the first period. John Bucyk made it 2-0 on the power play, scoring off his own rebound which Tony Esposito protested vigorously didn't cross the goal line. In the second period, the Hawks furious forechecking produced results as Keith Magnuson scored his first career playoff goal on a shot from the point. Tony Esposito stopped point blank chances by brother Phil and Derek Sanderson before Cliff Koroll made a nice pass to Dennis Hull, who tied the game 2-2. Dennis Hull made it 3-2 after picking off a pass at the Hawks blueline and potting a shot over Gerry Cheever's glove. Several minutes later, Fred Stanfield raced down the left wing and blasted a low shot in to tie the game 3-3. On the power play in the third period, Bryan Campbell scored at 4:10. Boston turned up the pressure which paid dividends eleven minutes later when Ken Hodge tipped a Phil Esposito pass in to tie it 4-4. With less than two minutes left to play, John McKenzie picked off a clearing pass and after a give and go with Fred Stanfield, fired a high shot stick-side while John Bucyk was screening Tony Esposito. As time ticked down, Tony Esposito made a last save, which he covered up. Phil skated over and mussed his hair before celebrating the Bruins sweep in four games.

Boston Bruins 4, St. Louis Blues 0
This was the first playoff meeting for the teams. Although the series is famous for "The Goal", Bobby Orr's overtime winner in Game 4, Orr had (for him) a relatively quiet series from a scoring standpoint with the goal and five points. This could be credited to checking by the Blues Jim Roberts. John Bucyk had six goals and if not for his tying goal in Game 4, there would have been no Orr heroics. Phil Esposito had two goals and eight points in the series, for a record playoff total of 27 points. Gerry Cheevers played every minute in goal for the Bruins.

Game 1 at the St. Louis Arena saw Jacques Plante start in net for the Blues. He and Cheevers were stalwarts in the first period, stopping everything until with 15 seconds left, John Bucyk pulled up in the slot and fired a shot past Plante through a screen. Two minutes into the second period, Jim Roberts took a pass in the slot and fired a spinning backhand past Cheevers to tie the game 1-1. Tragedy struck St. Louis two minutes later when a Fred Stanfield slapshot was tipped by Phil Esposito, which struck Plante in the mask. He was knocked unconscious and lost for the remainder of the series. Ernie Wakely replaced Plante and it didn't take the Bruins long to score on him. Esposito retrieved the puck behind the Blues net, passed to John McKenzie whose spinning backhand pass found Bucyk alone at the left side of the net where he potted his second of the game.

After a confrontation in the first period, Wayne Cashman and Noel Picard fought at 12:52 then, Cheevers robbed Bob Plager who had a clear shot in the slot. With three minutes left in the period, Dallas Smith took a penalty, followed 1:20 later by one to Phil Esposito. The Blues couldn't capitalize on the 5 on 3. Five minutes into the third period, Derek Sanderson stripped Andre Boudrias of the puck. His pass to Don Awrey was relayed to Wayne Carleton who snapped it over Wakely's shoulder. Less than a minute later, Bucyk scored his hat trick goal after an up-ice rush that ended with him tapping in a rebound. With less than three minutes left while killing a penalty, Bobby Orr sent Sanderson on a breakaway. He fired a high shot on Wakely's stick side to make it 5-1 Boston. With a minute left, Phil Esposito stole the puck at the St. Louis blueline, rounded Noel Picard and then deked Wakely to make it 6-1 and give the Bruins the series lead.

Game 2 at St. Louis saw Wakely back in the net for the Blues. Unlike Game 1, where the Blues largely held the Bruins high-powered offense in check in the first period, Boston scored three in the opening frame. First on the power play, Phil Esposito's net drive was stopped but he passed the rebound to Fred Stanfield in the slot who made no mistake. Right after killing a John McKenzie penalty, Rick Smith fired a shot at Wakely and Ed Westfall scored on the rebound. With two minutes left in the period, the Bruins were given a too many men on the ice penalty, served by Bill Lesuk. Bobby Orr wielded his magic, blocking a shot and turning it into an up-ice rush. He dished a backhand to Ed Westfall who scored his second of the period to make it 3-0 Boston. With over nine minutes played, Westfall hit his head on the boards after being tripped by Bob Plager. On the ensuing power play, Phil Esposito carried the puck into the Blues zone and fired a hard pass into the slot which Derek Sanderson tipped in. At 17:36 on the power play, Terry Gray tipped in a Noel Picard shot to trim the Bruins lead to 4-1. In the first minute of the third period, Sanderson tapped in a rebound from a Dallas Smith point shot to extend the Bruins lead to 5-1. After Frank St. Marseille made it 5-2, John Bucyk skated through three Blues, deked Wakely and put a backhander into the top right corner. The Bruins took a two games to none series lead with a 6-2 win.

Game 3 at the Boston Garden saw Glenn Hall replace Wakely in the Blues net. If not for his outstanding play, the score would've been much worse as the Bruins poured 46 shots on him. St. Louis opened the scoring for the only time in the series when at 5:32 on the power play, Frank St. Marseille's centering pass deflected in off Dallas Smith. Later on a Bruins 4 on 3 power play, Glenn Hall's clearing pass was picked off by Fred Stanfield, who passed it to Phil Esposito. Hall stopped Esposito's shot but John Bucyk scored on the rebound to tie the game 1-1. At 18:23, a turnover in the Blues zone led to John McKenzie slapping a pass from Fred Stanfield in to make it 2-1 Boston. The second period was the only scoreless one in the series. Hall held the Blues in the game, turning aside 17 shots. A little over three minutes into the third period, Phil Esposito was stopped inside the Blues zone where Ken Hodge picked up the loose puck. His pass to Wayne Cashman sent him in alone and he beat Hall high to the glove side. Cashman marked again after retrieving the puck behind the Blues net, passing it out front, collecting the puck out of the scramble and scoring on his own rebound. Boston took a stranglehold on the series with a 4-1 win.

Game 4 at Boston was held on a Sunday afternoon, Mother's Day, and was the closest game of the series. Shots were nearly even and neither team led the score by more than a goal. At 5:28 of the first period, Derek Sanderson made a brilliant, no-look pass to the high slot where Rick Smith fired a one-timer over Glenn Hall's shoulder to make it 1-0 Boston. In the last minute of the period, Red Berenson scored off a rebound shot by Bob Plager to tie the game. At 3:22 of the second period, Gary Sabourin picked up a loose puck on the right wing and beat Cheevers low to the stick side. After the Blues Larry Keenan missed an open net, Phil Esposito won a face-off in the Blues zone and tied the game 2-2. In the first minute of the third period, on the power play, Keenan put a shot off Cheever's mask and into the net for a 3-2 Blues lead. After Fred Stanfield won a face-off in the St. Louis zone, John McKenzie fired a shot at Hall which John Bucyk tipped in to tie the game 3-3. Bobby Orr nearly scored on a wrap around with time winding down but the game went into overtime. Derek Sanderson's line, with Wayne Carleton and Ed Westfall, started OT for the Bruins with Orr and Don Awrey. Sanderson dumped the puck into the Blues zone and Boston had several unsuccessful shots. Sanderson fired a shot which went wide and hit the right side boards. Keenan retrieved it, tried to shoot the puck out but it went off a pinching Orr who gained control. Orr executed a give and go with Sanderson, who was behind the net, and fired the Cup winning goal through Hall's pads. Just as he was raising his arms in triumph, he was tripped by Noel Picard. Orr flew through the air with his arms raised, landed and was mobbed by his teammates. Orr was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, becoming the only player in NHL history to win four major awards in a season.

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

 * Most assists in a season: Bobby Orr, 87
 * Most goals (33), assists (87) and points (120) by a defenseman in a season: Bobby Orr
 * Highest plus/minus in a season: Bobby Orr, +124
 * Most goals in a post season: Phil Esposito, 13
 * Most points in a post season: Phil Esposito, 27
 * Most points by a defenseman in a post season: Bobby Orr, 20
 * Art Ross Memorial Trophy: Bobby Orr (1st win)
 * Hart Memorial Trophy: Bobby Orr (1st win)
 * Norris Trophy: Bobby Orr (3rd win)
 * Conn Smythe Trophy: Bobby Orr (1st win)
 * NHL Goal Scoring Leader: Phil Esposito (1st win)
 * Phil Esposito, NHL First Team All-Star
 * Bobby Orr, NHL First Team All-Star
 * John McKenzie, NHL Second Team All-Star

Transactions

 * Trade Barry Gibbs and Tom Williams to the Minnesota North Stars for a 1st round pick in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft (Don Tannahill) and future considerations on May 7, 1969.
 * Trade Ross Lonsberry and Eddie Shack to the Los Angeles Kings for a 1st round pick in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft (Ron Jones) and a 1st round pick in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft (André Savard) on May 14, 1969.
 * Lose Glen Sather to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Grant Erickson to the Minnesota North Stars, claim Bill Speer from Pittsburgh in the intra-league draft on June 11, 1969.
 * Trade Jim Harrison to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Wayne Carleton on December 8, 1969.

Draft Picks
The 1969 NHL Amateur Draft involved picking 20 year olds. Several of those selected played for the Bruins for a few games including Frank Spring and Ivan Boldirev (who had a long NHL career).

Trivia

 * Bruins who recorded a hat trick this season include:
 * Phil Esposito during the 6-3 win over the Oakland Seals on January 11, 1970.
 * Don Marcotte during the 7-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on February 8, 1970.
 * Phil Esposito during the 8-2 win over the New York Rangers, Game 1 of the 1970 Quarter-finals, April 8, 1970.
 * Phil Esposito during the 6-3 win over the Chicago Black Hawks, Game 1 of the 1970 Semi-finals, April 19, 1970.
 * John Bucyk during the 6-2 win over St. Louis, Game 1 of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, May 3, 1970.

Video
Over 3 hours of video featuring highlights from over a dozen regular season Bruins games. The video repeats several times.