1927–28 Boston Bruins season



The 1927–28 Boston Bruins season was the team's 4th in the NHL. The Bruins finished 1st in the American Division, marking its first division title in franchise history and first win of the Prince of Wales Trophy. Making its second playoff appearance, the team lost in the Semi-finals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers 5 goals to 2.

Regular Season
The Ross goal, developed by Bruins General Manager Art Ross is adopted as the official net of the league.

For the second straight season, Harry Oliver led the Bruins in scoring. Although the team's attack was relatively anemic, the Bruins finished with 77 goals, leading only the last-place teams in both divisions, the Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Americans, they cut down sharply in goals allowed, leading the division behind the goaltending of Hal Winkler. Eddie Shore was the team's star, finishing just one point behind Oliver in scoring and leading the league in penalty minutes by a wide margin.

Winkler in his own turn had fifteen shutouts, tied with Alex Connell for the league lead and a new NHL record. Winkler's mark remains the Bruins' single-season record for shutouts, eighty years later. Although veteran Sprague Cleghorn was fading and missed a quarter of the season with injuries, Shore and defense partner Lionel Hitchman were ironmen, playing most of each game.

Prominent newcomers included Dutch Gainor and Dit Clapper, both of whose rights were purchased from the minor leagues, and who would make a significant impact with the Bruins down the years. Both would be part of the "Dynamite Line" that would play a big part in the Bruins Stanley Cup victory the next season. Clapper would become the first player in NHL history to play 20 seasons, all for the Bruins, coach the team and have his #5 jersey retired.

With Boston winning the American Division, the Bruins became the first team to win the Prince of Wales Trophy, awarded for the first time in this season.

New York Rangers 5 Goals, Boston Bruins 2 Goals
The Bruins gained a first-round bye by virtue of winning the division, and played the New York Rangers in the second round in a two-game, total goal series. Their scoring problems of the regular season continued, exacerbated by a flu bug going through the dressing room and various minor injuries. Eddie Shore, Dit Clapper, Dutch Gainor and Harry Connor were particularly affected.

Boston tied the first game 1-1 in New York, the Rangers' final home game of the playoffs - this was the first of perennial disruptions to the Rangers' playoff schedule due to Madison Square Garden hosting the circus in the spring. The Bruins lost the second match in Boston 4-1, on three Ranger third-period goals as the weakened Brown-and-Gold folded at last, to drop the total-goal series five goals to two. Harry Oliver, who scored a goal in each game, was the sole offensive threat.

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

 * Prince of Wales Trophy: Boston Bruins (1st win)

Transactions

 * Acquire Dutch Gainor from Minneapolis of the American Hockey Association for Red Stuart, cash and future considerations on October 24, 1927.
 * Purchase Dit Clapper from Boston of the Canadian-American League on October 25, 1927.
 * Sell the rights to Duke Keats to Chicago, Carson Cooper to Detroit and Billy Boucher to the Americans.
 * Trade Jimmy Herberts to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rights to Eric Pettinger and $15,000 on December 21, 1927.

Farm Teams

 * Boston Tigers, Canadian American Hockey League

Trivia

 * Hal Winkler recorded 15 shutouts, still a Bruins record for most shutouts in a season.
 * Although Dit Clapper would later wear #5 for Bruins (and have it retired), he wore #12 for both the 1927-28 and 1928-29 seasons.
 * Bruins who recorded a hat trick this season include:
 * Harry Connor during the 3-3 tie against the New York Rangers on March 10, 1928.