1957–58 Boston Bruins season



The 1957–58 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 34th season in the NHL. The Bruins finished 4th in the league and lost in the 1958 Stanley Cup Finals to the Montreal Canadiens 4 games to 2.

Off-season
GM Lynn Patrick made one of the most important trades in Bruins history during the summer of 1957. After Terry Sawchuk indicated he was coming out of retirement, he was traded back to the Detroit Red Wings for John Bucyk and Larry Hillman. Bucyk would be reunited with Edmonton Flyers teammates Vic Stasiuk and Bronco Horvath (who Patrick claimed from the Montreal Canadiens in the summer intra-league draft) to form the "Uke Line" (all three being of Ukrainian heritage). The line would immediately become the Bruins top scoring trio. Bucyk would play 20 seasons for the Bruins, captain them to two Stanley Cup championships and have his #9 retired.

After four solid seasons for the Bruins, Cal Gardner was relegated to the minors where he'd play four more and then retire.

The 11th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held at Montreal on October 5, 1957. A team of all-stars that included four Bruins, Fern Flaman, Allan Stanley, Real Chevrefils and Don McKenney played against the Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Milt Schmidt coached the All-Stars to a 5-3 with Chevrefils assisting on the winning goal.

Regular Season
For the 1957-58 season, the Bruins dropped the black jersey but it would return two years later. The gold jersey was used primarily for home games and the white jersey for road games.

The "Uke Line" debuted in the Bruins first game of the season on October 12, 1957 versus the Chicago Black Hawks. They produced immediately with Vic Stasiuk scoring, assisted by John Bucyk and Bronco Horvath in a 3-1 win. Along with the line of Don McKenney, Fleming Mackell and Jerry Toppazzini, the Bruins had two high scoring combinations. Horvath, McKenney and Mackell all finished in top 10 of league scoring while all six members of the two lines had 20 or more goals with Horvath potting 30. The Bruins trailed only the Canadiens in goal scoring.

With Allan Stanley having recovered from the injury that kept him out of the 1957 playoffs, the Bruins had a great defense led by captain Fern Flaman, offensive threat Doug Mohns and feared checker Leo Boivin. However, Boivin was injured on October 31, 1957 and missed nearly 40 games. With Bob Armstrong missing over 30 games and Mohns breaking his jaw on December 8, the acquisition of Larry Hillman in the Buyck trade provided defensive depth. Hillman played all 70 games and chipped in 22 points.

By December 29, 1957, the Bruins were 13-14-8 and battling the New York Rangers for second place in the league. Visiting the Detroit Red Wings, goalie Don Simmons suffered a separated shoulder at 8:20 of the first period with the score tied 1-1. The Red Wings trainer, Ross "Lefty" Wilson, played goal for the Bruins and stopped 23 shots in a 2-2 tie. The Bruins then put in Al Millar who played the only 6 games of his NHL career but after going 1-4-1 with a 4.17 GAA, GM Lynn Patrick purchased former Vezina Trophy winner Harry Lumley from Detroit. Lumley played his first game for the Bruins on January 16, 1958, went 11-10-3 with 3 shutouts and stablized the goaltending situation. Gerry Ehman was called up and played his first NHL game on January 16, 1958 and scored.

Midway through his second minor-league season with the Quebec Aces, Willie O'Ree was called up to the Bruins. He made his NHL debut with the Bruins on January 18, 1958 in a 3-0 win against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the first black player in league history. He played on a line with Don McKenney and Jerry Toppazzini and wore jersey #18. He played the next game, also against Montreal, scoring no points before returning to the minors. He'd play 43 games for the Bruins in the 1960-61 season.

By March 1958, the Bruins were firing on all cylinders. Claude Evans played one game in goal on March 6, 1958 in a 3-3 tie with Chicago. Don Simmons returned to action on March 8 and he and Lumley split playing the remaining games. Don McKenney and John Bucyk both had a 4 point game in a 7-0 thrashing of the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 9.

During the second period of the March 13 game at home versus Montreal, Habs Doug Harvey knocked Vic Stasiuk into goalie Jacques Plante. Plante's head hit the crossbar, resulting in a gash and a concussion. Harvey was given a misconduct and Plante couldn't continue playing. With no backup goalie, Boston's practice goalie, John Aiken, was called in to play his only NHL game. The score was 1-0 Bruins but Aiken wasn't up to the task as the Bruins pumped 4 goals past him in less than five minutes to make it 5-0. Montreal scored once before John Bucyk potted his 20th of the season making it 6-1 Boston. Aiken had a better third period and only let in one but the game ended in a 7-3 Bruins win. Jerry Toppazzini sustained an eye injury in this game and lost for the remainder of the regular season.

Montreal's next meeting with the Bruins on March 22 didn't go much better with Charlie Hodge in net. Larry Regan had a 5 point game as the Bruins won 8-5, despite Montreal taking 48 shots at Harry Lumley. The Bruins had a 6-2-3 record in March and finished in fourth place, one point out of third. This was fortuitous as they avoided playing first place Montreal in the playoff Semi-finals.

Boston Bruins 4, New York Rangers 2
The Bruins and Rangers last met in the 1940 Semi-finals where New York prevailed 4 games to 2 on their way to winning in the 1940 Stanley Cup Finals. Due to the circus performing at Madison Square Garden, after Game 2, the remaining games were played in Boston. The line of Fleming Mackell (4 goals, 14 points), Jerry Toppazzini (8 goals, 10 points) and Don McKenney (5 goals, 12 points) powered the Bruins to a 4 games to 2 triumph.

Game 1 at Madison Square Garden saw Harry Lumley play his only game of the 1958 playoffs in goal for the Bruins. After Fleming Mackell put Boston up 1-0 in the first minute of the game, the Rangers Larry Popein tied it up at 4:40. Jerry Toppazzini countered three minutes later but then the Rangers special teams took over the game. With Jean-Guy Gendron in the box for charging, Andy Hebenton scored a Shorthanded goal to tie it 2-2. Later in the period, Vic Stasiuk was sent off for hooking and Camille Henry scored on the Power play for a 3-2 Rangers lead at the end of the first. Former Bruins Dave Creighton scored another power goal in the second period, countered by Bronco Horvath. Creighton scored again in the third as Gump Worsley earned the 5-3 Rangers win.

Game 2 at New York had Don Simmons in net for the Bruins. In the first period, Doug Mohns scored on a point shot but Andy Bathgate responded with 2 goals. Don McKenney tied it up late in the period on a solo rush. Cutting to the left of a Ranger defenseman, he shot against the grain and beat Worsley to the top right corner. The Rangers Jean-Guy Gendron scored the only goal of the second period. The Bruins pressed in the third period. At 11:13, Mackell took the puck into the Rangers right corner and passed to Mohns at the left point. He quickly passed to McKenney who was to the left of the net. McKenney slid a backhand shot through Worsley's legs to send the game into overtime. Fleming Mackell sent Jerry Toppazzini in for the winner which he celebrated with a Bronx salute. Mackell's 3 assists led the Bruins to a 4-3 victory.

Game 3 at Boston Garden was dominated by the Bruins. They pumped 36 shots on Gump Worsley and the Rangers took nine penalties. In the first period, the Bruins scored 3 power play goals, one by Doug Mohns and two by Don McKenney to take a 3-0 lead. In the second period, playing with John Bucyk and Vic Stasiuk, Carl "Buddy" Boone added an even strength goal. Norm Johnson scored the first playoff goal of his career, shorthanded, in the third period. Don Simmons made 28 saves and earned the shutout as the Bruins romped to a 5-0 win.

Game 4 at Boston saw the Bruins again out shoot the Rangers, sending 41 shots on Worsley and force the Rangers into taking eight penalties. However, the Rangers would open the scoring with a shorthanded goal by Dean Prentice and then Dave Creighton would add a power play goal for a 2-0 Ranger lead at the end of the first period. In the second period, Jerry Toppazzini cut the lead to 2-1 on the power play but Andy Hebenton countered at 10:17. Andy Bathgate then scored the Rangers second shorthanded goal of the game to make it 4-1. In the third period, Toppazzini scored shorthanded but another Bathgate goal saw the Rangers win 5-2 and tie the series at two games apiece.

Game 5 at Boston was a Bruins romp where Worsley was peppered with 42 shots. After first period goals by Fleming Mackell, Bronco Horvath and Don McKenney, Leo Boivin took a tripping penalty at 3:18 of the second period. Toppazzini and Mackell outworked three Rangers behind Worsley's net, resulting in a Mackell shot from the right side which Worsley kicked out. Fern Flaman slammed in the rebound for a 4-0 Bruins lead. Five minutes later, a John Bucyk pass from the left corner back to Flaman at the right point saw his shot hit the skate of Rangers Bill Gadsby and trickle in for a 5-0 lead. Two minutes later, Parker MacDonald got the Rangers on the board as he flipped a rebound over Simmons. In the third period, on a 5-3 power play, Toppazzini ripped home a shot from the point for a 6-1 Bruins win and a 3-2 series lead.

Game 6 at Boston saw Worsley face more than 40 shots for the third straight game. A power play goal by Larry Regan in the game's first minute, followed by a shorthanded goal by Toppazzini and another man advantage goal by Norm Johnson staked the Bruins to a 3-0 lead. Harry Howell responded at 14:33 but Fleming Mackell countered three minutes later putting the Bruins up 4-1. In the second period, Andy Bathgate and Doug Mohns traded goals. In the third period, a goal by Mackell and two by Toppazzini for the Hat trick saw the Bruins cruise to a 8-2 win and a series victory.

Montreal Canadiens 4, Boston Bruins 2
The teams met the previous year in the 1957 Stanley Cup Finals where the Canadiens defeated the Bruins 4 games to 1. Fleming Mackell had a record 14 assists during the 1958 playoffs while Maurice Richard scored 11 goals. The 1958 Finals was closer with Montreal winning Game 5 in overtime and prevailing 4 games to 2.

Game 1 at the Montreal Forum saw a penalty filled first period with 13 infractions called. Boston killed off two early penalties and then nearly scored as a Leo Boivin shot trickled past Jacques Plante and was cleared off the goal line by Claude Provost. After a fight between Boivin and Henri Richard, Boston was given a too many men penalty. Bernie Geoffrion scored on the Power play with a slap shot on a rebound despite Beliveau being in the crease behind Simmons and interfering with him. In the second period, with Jean Béliveau off for tripping, the Bruins tied it up when a screen shot by Allan Stanley sailed past Plante. The parade to the box continued as Leo Labine took the game's 18th penalty at 12:45. A scramble in front of the Bruins net saw Maurice Richard shoot the puck wide. The puck bounced off the boards and Don Simmons came out of the net and missed freezing it. Beliveau slid the puck to Dickie Moore who backhanded it into the open net for a 2-1 Habs lead. The third period saw only two penalties called but the Bruins couldn't sink one as Montreal fired 44 shots on Don Simmons and took Game 1 by a 2-1 score.

Game 2 at Montreal was again penalty filled with 17 called. The Bruins Norm Johnson opened the scoring just 20 seconds in as he fired a shot over Plante's glove on a behind the net pass from Leo Labine. Three minutes later, Bernie Geoffrion's slap shot beat Simmons low to the stick side on the power play to tie the game. Montreal then took two penalties and Plante's clearing attempt went to Larry Regan at the point who passed it to Mackell in the right corner. His pass in front of the net was deflected in by Don McKenney for a 2-1 lead. Late in the period, the Habs again took two penalties and the Bruins capitalized on the 5-3 power play. A pass from Doug Mohns to Bronco Horvath to the right of the net saw him slide the puck past Plante for a 3-1 lead (for some reason, Carl "Buddy" Boone was given the assist). Five minutes into the second period, Larry Regan stickhandled around Claude Provost and Phil Goyette and fired a screen shot past Plante for a 4-1 lead. Two minutes later, Doug Harvey scored on a solo rush to make it 4-2. The Canadiens pressed in the third period but Simmons stopped several good chances, including a Geoffrion breakaway. Horvath scored on a Stasiuk rebound with three minutes left and the series was tied with a 5-2 Bruins win.

Game 3 at the Boston Garden was much cleaner than the first two games with only seven penalties called. Maurice Richard opened the scoring late in the first period with a low shot that beat Simmons on the stick side. After a scoreless second period, Simmons let in a weak goal. With Henri Richard driving down the right wing, Simmons expected him to pass the puck but he floated it into the top left corner. At 15:06, Maurice drove another low shot to the stick side and Montreal took a 2-1 lead in the series with a 3-0 win.

Game 4 at Boston saw the Bruins play their best defensive game of the series as the Canadiens managed only 24 shots. With Dollard St. Laurent off for holding, Don McKenney took the puck from Fleming Mackell in the slot and backhanded the game's opening goal at 5:35. In the second period, a shot by Stasiuk with deflected in by McKenney for his 8th goal of the playoffs. St. Laurent suffered a broken cheekbone on a hit by Leo Labine and was out for the series. In the third period, Mackell was in the left corner and passed to Toppazzini in the slot who fired a low shot past Plante for a 3-0 lead. A backhand pass across the slot from John Beliveau found Claude Provost open at the left of the net and he fired home Montreal's only goal. Late in the period, Toppazzini tipped McKenney's pass into the top right corner but the puck bounced out so quickly that it wasn't counted. The Bruins evened the series with a 3-1 win.

Game 5 at Montreal was a goaltender's duel as Simmons faced 47 shots while Plante had 40. With Beliveau in the box, Fleming Mackell swatted in a rebound on an Allan Stanley shot to make it 1-0 Boston at 18:43 of the first period. At 2:20 of the second period, Beliveau won a face-off by flipping the puck to the slot where Geoffrion shot it in. Less than a minute later, Geoffrion backhanded a pass into the slot where Beliveau fired it in for a 2-1 Canadiens lead. At 10:35 of the third period, Bronco Horvath raced down the right wing and beat Plante to the stick side to send the game into overtime. Maurice Richard scored the winner as he weaved into the Bruins zone and fired a shot over Simmons' glove for a 3-2 victory.

Game 6 at Boston saw Beliveau win a puck battle at the left boards and pass to Geoffrion whose one-timer beat Simmons stick side for a 1-0 lead 46 seconds into the game. A little over a minute later, Maurice Richard beat Simmons low to the stick side to make it 2-0. At 18:35, Doug Mohns broke into the Habs zone, dropped a pass to Don McKenney who beat Plante five-hole to narrow the lead to 2-1. At 6:42 of the second period, Simmons let in a weak goal as Beliveau beat him with a long, low shot to the glove side. Late in the period, Boivin's giveaway to Geoffrion resulted in a partial breakaway and his backhand shot beat Simmons to the glove side. In the third period, Boston clawed their way back. Rookie Norm Johnson potted a rebound off a Larry Regan shot and then Regan's pass from behind the net went in off Plante. The Bruins pulled Simmons but Doug Harvey stopped Doug Mohns at the Habs blueline and potted an empty netter for a 5-3 win and Montreal's tenth Stanley Cup.

See also 1958 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

 * For the first time in team history, the Bruins had six players who scored 20 goals or more in a season.
 * Fleming Mackell had a record 14 assists during the 1958 playoffs and led all playoff scorers with 19 points.
 * Fern Flaman, Defense, NHL Second Team All-Star

Transactions

 * Obtain Norm Johnson and Bronco Horvath in the June 5, 1957 intra-league draft.
 * Sell Guyle Fielder to the Detroit Red Wings on June 15, 1957.
 * Trade Terry Sawchuk to Detroit for John Bucyk on July 10, 1957.
 * Purchase Harry Lumley from Detroit in January 1958.

Trivia

 * GM Lynn Patrick attended the 1958 World Hockey Championship and scouted several players. He was particularly interested in Soviet centerman Veniamin Alexandrov and believed there was a chance he could attend training camp in 1958. Patrick also noted that he loaned a book on hockey tactics to the Russians which they never returned.
 * Larry Regan wore jersey #15 for the season, the only Bruins player to wear it after the retirement of Milt Schmidt. The Bruins wouldn't retire #15 until March 13, 1980.
 * Don McKenney had a 5 assist game during the 8-2 win over the New York Rangers during Game 6 of the Semi-finals on April 5, 1958.
 * Bruins who recorded a hat trick this season include:
 * John Bucyk during the 7-4 win over the Rangers on January 4, 1958.
 * Jerry Toppazzini during the 8-2 win over the Rangers, Game 6 of the 1959 Semi-final, April 5, 1958.

Video
One minute clip of Marc Reaume hitting Don McKenney resulting in Reaume being knocked out, November 30, 1957.