| 1973–74 Boston Bruins | |
| Division | 1st East |
|---|---|
| 1973–74 record | 52–17–9 |
| Goals for | 349 (1st) |
| Goals against | 221 (3rd) |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Harry Sinden |
| Coach | Bep Guidolin |
| Captain | Johnny Bucyk |
| Alternate captains | Phil Esposito Bobby Orr Dallas Smith |
| Arena | Boston Garden |
| Average attendance | 14,842 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Phil Esposito (68) |
| Assists | Bobby Orr (90) |
| Points | Phil Esposito (145) |
| Penalty minutes | Carol Vadnais (123) |
| Wins | Gilles Gilbert (34) |
| Goals against average | Ross Brooks (2.36) |
The 1973–74 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 50th season in the NHL. The Bruins finished first in the East Division and the league but lost in the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals to the Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 2.
Off-season
Jacques Plante knocked out of the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals by Fred Stanfield, May 3, 1970.
Goaltending had been an issue for the Bruins the previous season. In order to rectify this, Harry Sinden traded Fred Stanfield to the Minnesota North Stars for Gilles Gilbert. Eddie Johnston was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs to complete the Jacques Plante trade. Stanfield had centered the Bruins second line since coming to Boston in the blockbuster trade with Chicago prior to the 1967-68 season. An excellent two-way player and a power play specialist (where he played the point with Bobby Orr), Stanfield had been an integral part of Boston's two Stanley Cup winning teams. Gilbert would play excellently for the Bruins for seven seasons and become the number one goaltender until Gerry Cheevers returned from the WHA.
Mike Walton signed with the Minnesota Fighting Saints while Don Awrey was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
Since the 1967-68 season, the Bruins had operated with no captain, instead going with three or four alternate captains. Prior to the season start, John Bucyk was appointed captain. He'd been the Bruins last captain during the 1966-67 season. Phil Esposito and Dallas Smith remained alternate captains with Bobby Orr joining them.
Regular Season
Two changes were made to the Bruins jerseys to start the season. First, the laces were eliminated and the collar was modified to a V-neck. Second, a 50th anniversary patch was added to both shoulders on the white home and black road jerseys. The patch featured an upright, snarling bear. On January 4, 1974, for the first time in the Bruins history, the players' names were added to the back of the black road jerseys. These named black jerseys appeared occasionally (February 24 in Buffalo for example) and on January 27, 1974, names appeared on the white home jerseys. By March, the jerseys with no names were used until making a reappearance for Games 3 and 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals.
The Bruins line-up underwent its largest change since the 1967-68 season with five rookies playing on opening night. Besides Gilles Gilbert becoming the new starting goaltender (with Ross Brooks as his backup), the forward lines underwent an overhaul, with the exception of the first line of Phil Esposito centering Wayne Cashman and Ken Hodge remaining intact. Coming off a 50 point rookie season, Gregg Sheppard took Fred Stanfield's place centering the second line with John Bucyk and sophomore Terry O'Reilly. Don Marcotte remained on the third line and was joined by two rookies, André Savard and Chris Oddleifson. Savard was the Bruins number one draft pick in June 1973 and made the team right out of junior. Oddleifson was acquired for Ivan Boldirev in 1971 which also saw Rich LeDuc become a Bruin. Rookie LeDuc centered the fourth line with Fred O'Donnell and another rookie, Dave Forbes. An injured Derek Sanderson missed the first six weeks of the season.
Bobby Orr assists on Phil Esposito's 400th goal, October 10, 1973.
On defense, the first pairing of Bobby Orr and Dallas Smith remained unchanged. Carol Vadnais was joined by rookie Al Sims. Like Andre Savard, Sims was chosen in the 1973 Draft and made the Bruins straight from juniors. Gary Doak, who'd barely played the season before, became the fifth defenseman and was in the line-up for 69 games.
Opening night on October 10, 1973 against the Vancouver Canucks held some apprehension for Boston. Orr's knee hadn't been 100% during the 1973 playoffs in which Phil Esposito suffered torn knee ligaments. All fears were quickly laid to rest as Orr setup Esposito for a goal 4:41 into the game. In the second period, Orr assisted on Esposito's second goal, which was the 400th of his career. Esposito ended up with a Hat trick and five points while Chris Oddleifson had his first NHL goal and Andre Savard his first NHL point as Boston triumphed 6-4. The prodigious scoring continued on October 13 as Ken Hodge had six points, Esposito four, while Orr added three assists and Al Sims had his first NHL goal in a 9-4 thumping of the Detroit Red Wings.
Bobby Orr sets up Phil Esposito, October 27, 1973.
The next night, goalie Ken Broderick played his first game for the Bruins in a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. Broderick won again during the 8-2 walloping of the Pittsburgh Penguins in which Orr had three points. Boston had 40 goals in seven games after the 9-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres on October 25. Earlier that day, Nick Beverley was traded to Pittsburgh for Darryl Edestrand. With his acquisition, the Bruins regularly started six defensemen for the first time in their history. Edestrand played his first game for Boston on October 27 and had an assist during a tight 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in which Orr made an incredible pass to setup an Esposito goal. The Bruins finished October with a 5-0 blanking of the Minnesota North Stars on Halloween with Ross Brooks earning the shutout. In ten games, Esposito had 14 goals and 24 points while Orr had 5 goals and 18 points. The Bruins led the East Division with a 7-2-1 record and had scored 51 goals.
Phil Esposito switches hands and scores, November 4, 1973.
After losing 6-4 to the Islanders in New York on November 3, the Bruins faced the California Golden Seals the next night at home. Phil Esposito opened the scoring with an unique individual skill. Taking the puck down the right wing, he leaned into Bob Stewart, switched hands on his stick and scored with a right-handed shot on goalie Gilles Meloche. After Chris Oddleifson had a Darryl Edestrand point shot bounced off his leg and into the net, Terry O'Reilly scored his second goal of the season with a tap-in after a setup by Carol Vadnais. In the last minute of the game, Esposito whacked in a Ken Hodge centering pass as the Bruins won 4-1.
Bobby Orr sets up the winning goal by Dave Forbes, November 8, 1973.
After losing to the Rangers 7-3 on November 7, 1973, the team went on a sixteen game point streak that lasted past mid-December and began with eight straight wins. Gilles Gilbert had established himself as the starting goalie and played every game during the streak. Ross Brooks earned the backup goalie spot while Ken Broderick was sent to the minors. The streak was kicked off on November 8 with a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens with Bobby Orr setting up Dave Forbes' winning goal. After beating Vancouver 4-2 on November 11 and Montreal 4-3 on November 14, the Bruins met the New York Rangers on November 15 in Boston for what would be Bobby Orr's most productive career game. Boston went up 3-0 in the first period with Orr assisting on goals by Don Marcotte and Gregg Sheppard and scoring a power play goal of his own. Orr didn't factor in any goals in the second period as the Bruins took a 5-1 lead into the third.
Bobby Orr had a hat trick and 7 points, November 15, 1973.
Orr scored his second power play goal of the game at 2:53 of the third period, assisted on an Andre Savard goal at 6:18 and then completed his hat trick, on the power play, at 11:19. He then notched his fourth assist of the night on Savard's second goal of the night. Orr's 3 goals and 7 points powered the Bruins to a 10-2 demolition of the Rangers. He became the first (and only) Bruin and the first defenseman in NHL history to score 7 points in a game. It was the largest margin of victory for Boston over New York since the 1944-45 season when the Bruins won by 14-3 on January 14, 1945, the most goals Boston ever scored in a game. In Boston's next game, on November 17 against Detroit, Orr had four assists in an 8-0 blanking as Gilles Gilbert had his first shutout as a Bruin. Derek Sanderson played his first game of the season during the 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on November 22 and scored. To make room in the line-up, Doug Roberts was sold to Detroit. The Bruins ended the month with a 16-4-2 record, good for first place in the league.
Bobby Orr scores the winner from Don Marcotte, December 8, 1973.
The point streak continued in December with wins over the Islanders and Sabres on December 2 and 8. It nearly came to an end on December 9 in Philadelphia as Boston was trailing 3-1 with less than two minutes to play. Bobby Orr cut the deficit to 3-2 with 1:22 left before Phil Esposito tied it up with 32 seconds remaining with Gilbert pulled. Esposito and Ken Hodge each had two goals in the 4-2 win over Minnesota on December 13, their 30th and 21st goals of the season respectively. During the 7-2 win over Vancouver on December 15, Esposito had four points while Orr had five. One of Orr's goals was scored on a crazy deflection that hit a broken stick, then Bob Dailey and went in.
Crazy deflection on a Bobby Orr goal, December 15, 1973.
During the 6-5 win over Pittsburgh on December 20, Terry O'Reilly fought Bryan Watson and then Bryan Hextall in the second period. The streak was broken by Detroit on December 22 as Boston lost 4-2. Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr didn't scored in this game nor for the rest of the month. The Bruins beat Toronto the next night by 4-3 as Gilles Gilbert played his 18th consecutive game. Ross Brooks started the next game, a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on December 29, and then started the next night against California. Rookie Chris Oddleifson exploded for four goals while O'Reilly had four assists and Orr had three as the Bruins thumped the Seals 8-1. Ross Brooks started a winning streak in this game. Esposito led the league with 35 goals and 72 points while Orr had 57 points and Ken Hodge, 26 goals. The Bruins still led the league with a 24-6-3 record.
The Bruins wore jerseys with names on the back for the first time, January 4, 1974.
Phil Esposito scored Boston's first goal of 1974 on New Year's Day in very tame 2-2 tie game with Vancouver in which only two penalties were called. During the January 4, 1974 game versus the Rangers, the Bruins wore jerseys with the player's names on the back for the first time in their history. Trailing 2-0 in the second period, Bobby Orr started and ended a comeback with two goals as the Bruins won 4-2. John Bucyk had the second 4 goal game of his career on January 5 while Esposito chipped in a goal and three assists during the Bruins 6-2 win over the Islanders.
Phil Esposito ties the game in the last minute, January 10, 1974.
Trailing Chicago by 2-0 in the third period on January 10, Orr scored to make it 2-1. With Gilles Gilbert pulled, an Orr rush resulted in Phil Esposito tying the game on his brother Tony in the last minute. Esposito scored his 40th goal of the season during the 5-3 win over Pittsburgh on January 13. Bobby Orr had three assists including setting up the equalizer by Derek Sanderson during the 5-5 tie with Chicago on January 16. The Bruins embarrassed the Canadiens in the Montreal Forum, blanking them 8-0 on January 19. Boston hadn't beaten Montreal this badly since the 1932-33 season when they won 10-0.
Gregg Sheppard from Bobby Orr, January 24, 1974.
As the season progressed, Al Sims was paired more often with Bobby Orr while John Bucyk moved to Esposito's line and Wayne Cashman played with Derek Sanderson and Dave Forbes. After 5-2 and 1-0 wins over Los Angeles and St. Louis, the Bruins played the Black Hawks on January 24 in a signature match between two of the league's powerhouses. Tony Esposito was brilliant and stopped brother Phil on two breakaways in the first period. Pit Martin potted a power play goal off a Dick Redmond rebound and right after Boston failed to convert their only man advantage of the period, Randy Rota raced down the left wing and blasted a low slapshot past Gilbert for a 2-0 lead. Boston pressed in the second period and a brilliant rush by Bobby Orr sent Gregg Sheppard in to cut the lead to 2-1.
Bill White trips Bobby Orr who is ejected after protesting referee Wally Harris' non-call, January 24, 1974.
After Redmond tripped Orr, Derek Sanderson lost his temper with referee Wally Harris for not awarding a penalty shot and was ejected from the game. Boston held Chicago to only 3 shots in both the second and third periods. The Hawks lined up at their blueline every time Orr made a rush and with less than a minute left, Bill White tripped Orr as he skated into Chicago's zone. Harris refused to call a penalty on White and when Orr protested, Harris gave him a game misconduct. Orr had to restrained by his teammates and Harris added a bench minor penalty to the Bruins. Despite widely outshooting the Hawks, the Bruins lost 2-1. After beating the Islanders and Flyers, Gilles Gilbert, Dallas Smith, Ken Hodge, Wayne Cashman and Phil Esposito played in the the 27th All-Star Game on January 29, 1974. Bobby Orr sat out the game after suffering a knee injury from a dangerous leg check by Bill Barber on January 27 and missed the Bruins 4-2 win over the Flames on January 31 in which Dave Hynes played his first NHL game. Esposito had 45 goals and 91 points and the Bruins led the league with 74 points.
Bobby Orr sets up Don Marcotte, February 16, 1974.
After a 6-2 loss to Toronto on February 2, 1974, the Bruins went on a seven game winning streak. Ken Hodge had a hat trick during the 5-4 win over Pittsburgh on February 3 while Ross Brooks recorded his seventh consecutive win on February 7 as the Bruins beat St. Louis 5-3. After the game, Chris Oddleifson and Fred O'Donnell were traded to Vancouver for Bobby Schmautz. Schmautz had led the Canucks in scoring the previous season and bolstered the Bruins second line. Schmautz was given Derek Sanderson's jersey #17 as Sanderson had been out of the line-up since January 27. Bobby Orr returned to the line-up for the February 9 game against Philadelphia, showed no ill effects and controlled the entire game. He tallied three assists including setting up the winner as the Bruins won 5-3. John Bucyk had a hat trick while Orr and Gregg Sheppard had four points, and Schmautz scored his first goal as a Bruin during the 9-6 win over California on February 13. After beating Vancouver 4-2 on February 15, the Bruins swept their Western road trip the next night with a 5-2 victory over Los Angeles.
Phil Esposito scores his 50th goal of the season, February 20, 1974.
The Bruins tied Minnesota 5-5 on February 20 with Phil Esposito netting a hat trick including scoring the tying goal, which was his 50th of the season. In this game, Wayne Cashman was given a misconduct for charging at the referee and had to be restrained by his teammates. Ross Brooks recorded his 11th consecutive win on February 23 as Boston defeated the Penguins 6-2. The new second line of Gregg Sheppard centering John Bucyk and Bobby Schmautz scored the game winner with Orr adding a goal and two assists. The Bruins ended their six game road trip and their point streak with a 3-2 loss to Buffalo on February 24. Boston outshot Buffalo by a wide margin but superb goaltending by Dave Dryden gave the Sabres the win.
Phil Esposito from Ken Hodge, February 28, 1974.
Returning home for their last game of the month, the Bruins had a three day rest before taking on Detroit. Led by two goals each by Terry O'Reilly and Phil Esposito (who also had two assists), the Bruins walloped the Red Wings 8-1. Only two penalties were called in the game while Ross Brooks recorded his 13th straight win. Esposito led the scoring race by a wide margin with 53 goals and 112 points with Bobby Orr ranking second with 25 goals and 93 points. Ken Hodge finished the month with 41 goals and the Bruins led the league with 92 points.
Gregg Sheppard scores shorthanded, March 10, 1974.
The Bruins went winless for the first three games of March. A testament to the incredible season they were having, this was their worst stretch of 1973-74. Derek Sanderson returned to the line-up for a road trip and played in the March 6 game in St. Louis. With the departure of Fred O'Donnell, he wore his old jersey #16 and played on the third line. Boston responded with an 8-0 victory in which Wayne Cashman had a hat trick and five points while Phil Esposito had four points. On March 9 in Los Angeles, the Bruins were trailing 4-3 with less than four minutes to play made worse when Ken Hodge was assessed a major penalty. However, Sanderson set up Esposito for a shorthanded goal to tie the game, which ended 4-4. Sanderson's assist was his last point in his Bruins career. The next night in California, Ross Brooks had a chance to tie Tiny Thompson's NHL record of 14 consecutive wins. Former Bruin Reggie Leach played spoiler with a hat trick as Boston lost 6-2. Terry O'Reilly had a scrap with a Seals fan who shook a tambourine in his ear while he was in the penalty box.
After the game, O'Reilly and Sanderson had a fight in the dressing room, having shoved each other before the game. Sanderson refused to board the plane taking the team back to Boston and was suspended by Harry Sinden for this action and "other incidents." With the trading deadline on March 12, Sanderson had to be re-instated to the line-up or he'd be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season. The Bruins were at home to Buffalo on March 12 and O'Reilly took to the ice sporting a black eye, which he refused to discuss with the press.[1] Rich Leduc took Sanderson's place in the lineup and the Bruins responded with a 4-0 blanking of the Sabres with LeDuc scoring. The deadline came and went and Sanderson's time with the Bruins was over. He'd play several more NHL seasons for the Rangers, Blues and Canucks while fighting a losing battle with alcoholism and a wild lifestyle. He'd ultimately find recovery and redemption with significant help from Bobby Orr and others and become the Bruins TV colour analyst.
Final Standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 78 | 52 | 17 | 9 | 349 | 221 | 113 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 45 | 24 | 9 | 293 | 240 | 99 |
| New York Rangers | 78 | 40 | 24 | 14 | 300 | 251 | 94 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 35 | 27 | 16 | 274 | 230 | 86 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 78 | 32 | 34 | 12 | 242 | 250 | 76 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 29 | 39 | 10 | 255 | 319 | 68 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 24 | 43 | 11 | 224 | 296 | 59 |
| New York Islanders | 78 | 19 | 41 | 18 | 182 | 247 | 56 |
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Game Log
| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W | October 10, 1973 | 6–4 | Vancouver Canucks (1973–74) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | W | October 13, 1973 | 9–4 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1973–74) | 2–0–0 |
| 3 | W | October 14, 1973 | 3–2 | New York Islanders (1973–74) | 3–0–0 |
| 4 | L | October 17, 1973 | 3–4 | @ Atlanta Flames (1973–74) | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | W | October 21, 1973 | 8–2 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1973–74) | 4–1–0 |
| 6 | L | October 23, 1973 | 2–3 | @ St. Louis Blues (1973–74) | 4–2–0 |
| 7 | W | October 25, 1973 | 9–4 | Buffalo Sabres (1973–74) | 5–2–0 |
| 8 | W | October 27, 1973 | 3–2 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1973–74) | 6–2–0 |
| 9 | T | October 28, 1973 | 3–3 | Minnesota North Stars (1973–74) | 6–2–1 |
| 10 | W | October 31, 1973 | 5–0 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1973–74) | 7–2–1 |
| 11 | L | November 3, 1973 | 4–6 | @ New York Islanders (1973–74) | 7–3–1 |
| 12 | W | November 4, 1973 | 4–1 | California Golden Seals (1973–74) | 8–3–1 |
| 13 | L | November 7, 1973 | 3–7 | @ New York Rangers (1973–74) | 8–4–1 |
| 14 | W | November 8, 1973 | 2–1 | Montreal Canadiens (1973–74) | 9–4–1 |
| 15 | W | November 11, 1973 | 4–2 | Vancouver Canucks (1973–74) | 10–4–1 |
| 16 | W | November 14, 1973 | 4–3 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1973–74) | 11–4–1 |
| 17 | W | November 15, 1973 | 10–2 | New York Rangers (1973–74) | 12–4–1 |
| 18 | W | November 17, 1973 | 8–0 | Detroit Red Wings (1973–74) | 13–4–1 |
| 19 | W | November 18, 1973 | 5–2 | Atlanta Flames (1973–74) | 14–4–1 |
| 20 | W | November 22, 1973 | 4–2 | Philadelphia Flyers (1973–74) | 15–4–1 |
| 21 | W | November 25, 1973 | 3–1 | Los Angeles Kings (1973–74) | 16–4–1 |
| 22 | T | November 28, 1973 | 3–3 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1973–74) | 16–4–2 |
| 23 | W | December 2, 1973 | 5–3 | New York Islanders (1973–74) | 17–4–2 |
| 24 | W | December 8, 1973 | 5–2 | Buffalo Sabres (1973–74) | 18–4–2 |
| 25 | T | December 9, 1973 | 3–3 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1973–74) | 18–4–3 |
| 26 | W | December 13, 1973 | 4–2 | Minnesota North Stars (1973–74) | 19–4–3 |
| 27 | W | December 15, 1973 | 7–2 | Vancouver Canucks (1973–74) | 20–4–3 |
| 28 | W | December 16, 1973 | 5–3 | California Golden Seals (1973–74) | 21–4–3 |
| 29 | W | December 20, 1973 | 6–5 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1973–74) | 22–4–3 |
| 30 | L | December 22, 1973 | 2–4 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1973–74) | 22–5–3 |
| 31 | W | December 23, 1973 | 4–3 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1973–74) | 23–5–3 |
| 32 | L | December 29, 1973 | 1–4 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1973–74) | 23–6–3 |
| 33 | W | December 30, 1973 | 8–1 | @ California Golden Seals (1973–74) | 24–6–3 |
| 34 | T | January 1, 1974 | 2–2 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1973–74) | 24–6–4 |
| 35 | W | January 4, 1974 | 4–2 | @ New York Rangers (1973–74) | 25–6–4 |
| 36 | W | January 5, 1974 | 6–2 | @ New York Islanders (1973–74) | 26–6–4 |
| 37 | T | January 10, 1974 | 2–2 | Chicago Black Hawks (1973–74) | 26–6–5 |
| 38 | L | January 12, 1974 | 3–7 | Montreal Canadiens (1973–74) | 26–7–5 |
| 39 | W | January 13, 1974 | 5–3 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1973–74) | 27–7–5 |
| 40 | T | January 16, 1974 | 5–5 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1973–74) | 27–7–6 |
| 41 | W | January 19, 1974 | 8–0 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1973–74) | 28–7–6 |
| 42 | W | January 20, 1974 | 5–2 | Los Angeles Kings (1973–74) | 29–7–6 |
| 43 | W | January 22, 1974 | 1–0 | @ St. Louis Blues (1973–74) | 30–7–6 |
| 44 | L | January 24, 1974 | 1–2 | Chicago Black Hawks (1973–74) | 30–8–6 |
| 45 | W | January 26, 1974 | 4–0 | @ New York Islanders (1973–74) | 31–8–6 |
| 46 | W | January 27, 1974 | 5–3 | Philadelphia Flyers (1973–74) | 32–8–6 |
| 47 | W | January 31, 1974 | 4–2 | Atlanta Flames (1973–74) | 33–8–6 |
| 48 | L | February 2, 1974 | 2–6 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1973–74) | 33–9–6 |
| 49 | W | February 3, 1974 | 5–4 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1973–74) | 34–9–6 |
| 50 | W | February 7, 1974 | 5–3 | St. Louis Blues (1973–74) | 35–9–6 |
| 51 | W | February 9, 1974 | 5–3 | Philadelphia Flyers (1973–74) | 36–9–6 |
| 52 | W | February 10, 1974 | 4–0 | Minnesota North Stars (1973–74) | 37–9–6 |
| 53 | W | February 13, 1974 | 9–6 | @ California Golden Seals (1973–74) | 38–9–6 |
| 54 | W | February 15, 1974 | 4–2 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1973–74) | 39–9–6 |
| 55 | W | February 16, 1974 | 5–2 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1973–74) | 40–9–6 |
| 56 | T | February 20, 1974 | 5–5 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1973–74) | 40–9–7 |
| 57 | W | February 23, 1974 | 6–2 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1973–74) | 41–9–7 |
| 58 | L | February 24, 1974 | 2–3 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1973–74) | 41–10–7 |
| 59 | W | February 28, 1974 | 8–1 | Detroit Red Wings (1973–74) | 42–10–7 |
| 60 | T | March 2, 1974 | 4–4 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1973–74) | 42–10–8 |
| 61 | L | March 3, 1974 | 4–6 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1973–74) | 42–11–8 |
| 62 | L | March 5, 1974 | 1–4 | @ Atlanta Flames (1973–74) | 42–12–8 |
| 63 | W | March 6, 1974 | 8–0 | @ St. Louis Blues (1973–74) | 43–12–8 |
| 64 | T | March 9, 1974 | 4–4 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1973–74) | 43–12–9 |
| 65 | L | March 10, 1974 | 2–6 | @ California Golden Seals (1973–74) | 43–13–9 |
| 66 | W | March 12, 1974 | 4–0 | Buffalo Sabres (1973–74) | 44–13–9 |
| 67 | W | March 14, 1974 | 4–3 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1973–74) | 45–13–9 |
| 68 | W | March 16, 1974 | 5–2 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1973–74) | 46–13–9 |
| 69 | W | March 17, 1974 | 5–2 | New York Rangers (1973–74) | 47–13–9 |
| 70 | W | March 21, 1974 | 7–0 | St. Louis Blues (1973–74) | 48–13–9 |
| 71 | L | March 23, 1974 | 3–4 | Atlanta Flames (1973–74) | 48–14–9 |
| 72 | W | March 24, 1974 | 6–3 | Montreal Canadiens (1973–74) | 49–14–9 |
| 73 | W | March 27, 1974 | 3–2 | @ New York Rangers (1973–74) | 50–14–9 |
| 74 | L | March 30, 1974 | 3–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1973–74) | 50–15–9 |
| 75 | W | March 31, 1974 | 6–1 | Detroit Red Wings (1973–74) | 51–15–9 |
| 76 | L | April 3, 1974 | 2–6 | @ Chicago Black Hawks (1973–74) | 51–16–9 |
| 77 | L | April 6, 1974 | 2–6 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1973–74) | 51–17–9 |
| 78 | W | April 7, 1974 | 6–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1973–74) | 52–17–9 |
Playoffs
Boston Bruins 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 0
Boston Bruins 4, Chicago Black Hawks 2
| # | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Record |
| 1 | April 18 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–2 | Boston Bruins | 1-0 |
| 2 | April 21 | Chicago Black Hawks | 6–8 | Boston Bruins | 1-1 |
| 3 | April 23 | Boston Bruins | 3–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1-2 |
| 4 | April 25 | Boston Bruins | 5–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2-2 |
| 5 | April 28 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–6 | Boston Bruins | 2-3 |
| 6 | April 30 | Boston Bruins | 4–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4-2 |
Philadelphia Flyers 4, Boston Bruins 2
Player Stats
Regular Season
- Scoring
| # | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Phil Esposito | C | 78 | 68 | 77 | 145 | 58 | 51 | 14 | 4 | 9 |
| 4 | Bobby Orr | D | 74 | 32 | 90 | 122 | 82 | 84 | 11 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | Ken Hodge | RW | 76 | 50 | 55 | 105 | 43 | 40 | 15 | 0 | 11 |
| 12 | Wayne Cashman | LW | 78 | 30 | 59 | 89 | 111 | 49 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | John Bucyk | LW | 76 | 31 | 44 | 75 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 9 |
| 10 | Carol Vadnais | D | 78 | 16 | 43 | 59 | 123 | 35 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Don Marcotte | LW | 78 | 24 | 26 | 50 | 18 | 44 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 19 | Gregg Sheppard | C | 75 | 16 | 31 | 47 | 21 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 24 | Terry O'Reilly | RW | 76 | 11 | 24 | 35 | 94 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Andre Savard | C | 72 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 39 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Dallas Smith | D | 77 | 6 | 21 | 27 | 64 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Dave Forbes | LW | 63 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 41 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 22 | Chris Oddleifson | C | 49 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 25 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16, 17 | Derek Sanderson | C | 29 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 48 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Bobby Schmautz | RW | 27 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Fred O'Donnell | RW | 43 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 43 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Al Sims | D | 76 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 22 | 64 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Darryl Edestrand | D | 52 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Rich LeDuc | C | 28 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Gary Doak | D | 69 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 44 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Ken Broderick | G | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Doug Roberts | RW | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Gilles Gilbert | G | 54 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Nick Beverley | D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Bob Gryp | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Doug Gibson | C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Dave Hynes | LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Al Simmons | D | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Ross Brooks | G | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilles Gilbert | 3210 | 54 | 34 | 12 | 8 | 158 | 2.95 | 6 |
| Ross Brooks | 1170 | 21 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 2.36 | 3 |
| Ken Broderick | 300 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 3.20 | 0 |
| Team: | 4680 | 78 | 52 | 17 | 9 | 220 | 2.82 | 9 |
Playoffs
- Scoring
| # | Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PPG | SHG | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Gregg Sheppard | C | 16 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | John Bucyk | LW | 16 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Bobby Orr | D | 16 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 8 | Ken Hodge | RW | 16 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Phil Esposito | C | 16 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | Wayne Cashman | LW | 16 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 10 | Carol Vadnais | D | 16 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Bobby Schmautz | RW | 16 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Dallas Smith | D | 16 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Terry O'Reilly | RW | 16 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Don Marcotte | LW | 16 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Andre Savard | C | 16 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Darryl Edestrand | D | 16 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Gilles Gilbert | G | 16 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Dave Forbes | LW | 16 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Doug Gibson | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Al Simmons | D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Rich LeDuc | C | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Al Sims | D | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilles Gilbert | 977 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 43 | 2.64 | 1 |
| Team: | 977 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 43 | 2.64 | 1 |
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; 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
- Bobby Orr had the only seven point game in Bruins history, and the first by an NHL defenseman, during the 10-2 win over the New York Rangers on November 15, 1973.
- Prince of Wales Trophy: Boston Bruins (13th win)
- Art Ross Trophy: Phil Esposito (5th win)
- Hart Memorial Trophy: Phil Esposito (2nd win)
- James Norris Memorial Trophy: Bobby Orr (7th win)
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: John Bucyk
- NHL Goal Scoring Leader: Phil Esposito (5th win)
- Phil Esposito, Center, NHL First Team All-Star
- Bobby Orr, Defence, NHL First Team All-Star
- Ken Hodge, Right Wing, NHL First Team All-Star
- Wayne Cashman, Left Wing, NHL Second Team All-Star
Transactions
- Trade Fred Stanfield to the Minnesota North Stars for Gilles Gilbert on May 22, 1973.
- Lose Ron Jones to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the intra-league draft on June 12, 1973.
- Trade Don Awrey to the St. Louis Blues for Jake Rathwell and a second round draft pick (Mark Howe) on October 5, 1973.
- Trade Nick Beverley to Pittsburgh for Darryl Edestrand on October 25, 1973.
- Sell Doug Roberts to the Detroit Red Wings on November 23, 1973.
- Trade Chris Oddleifson and Fred O'Donnell to the Vancouver Canucks for Bobby Schmautz on February 7, 1974.
Draft Picks
- See also: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | André Savard |  Canada |
Québec Remparts (QMJHL) |
| 2 | 31 | Jimmy Jones | Canada |
Peterborough Petes (OHA) |
| 3 | 36 | Doug Gibson | Canada |
Peterborough Petes (OHA) |
| 3 | 47 | Al Sims | Canada |
Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) |
| 4 | 63 | Steve Langdon | Canada |
London Knights (OHA) |
| 5 | 79 | Peter Crosbie | Canada |
London Knights (OHA) |
| 6 | 95 | Jean-Pierre Bourgouyne | Canada |
Shawinigan Bruins (QMJHL) |
| 7 | 111 | Walter Johnson | Canada |
Oshawa Generals (OHA) |
| 8 | 127 | Virgil Gates | Canada |
Swift Current Broncos (WCHL) |
| 9 | 142 | Jim Pettie | Canada |
St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) |
| 10 | 157 | Yvon Bouillon | Canada |
Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) |
Trivia
- Ken Hodge had a six point game during the 9-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings on October 13, 1973.
- Bobby Orr had the only seven point game in Bruins history, and the first by an NHL defenseman, during the 10-2 win over the New York Rangers on November 15, 1973.
- Bobby Orr had a six point game during the 6-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 7, 1974.
- Bruins who recorded a Hat trick this season include:
- Phil Esposito during the 6-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks on October 10, 1973.
- Bobby Orr during the 10-2 win over the Rangers on November 15, 1973.
- Chris Oddleifson had a 4 goal game during the 8-1 win over the California Golden Seals on December 30, 1973.
- John Bucyk had a 4 goal game during the 6-4 win over the New York Islanders on January 5, 1974.
- Ken Hodge during the 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 3, 1974.
- John Bucyk during the 9-6 win over California on February 9, 1974.
- Phil Esposito during the 5-5 tie with the Minnesota North Stars on February 20, 1974.
- Wayne Cashman during the 8-0 win over the St. Louis Blues on March 6, 1974.
- Bobby Orr during the 7-0 win over St. Louis on March 21, 1974.
Gallery
Video
Ten minutes of highlights of the Bruins-North Stars game on February 20, 1974.
Bruins-Flyers Game 1 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals on May 7, 1974.
Bruins-Flyers Game 2 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals on May 9, 1974.
Bruins-Flyers Game 4 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals on May 14, 1974.
Bruins-Flyers Game 5 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals on May 16, 1974.
Bruins-Flyers Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals on May 19, 1974.
References
- ↑ Derek Blames Coach.
- ↑ 1973-74 Boston Bruins Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com. hockey-reference.com. Retrieved on 2009-06-09.
| Boston Bruins | |
|---|---|
| The Franchise | Franchise • Original Six • Team History • All-time Roster • Seasons • Players • Records • GMs • Head Coaches |
| Arenas | Boston Arena • Boston Garden • TD Garden |
| Head Coaches | Ross • Denneny • Patrick • Weiland • Clapper • Boucher • Patrick • Schmidt • Watson • Sinden • Johnson • Guidolin • Cherry • Creighton • Cheevers • Goring • O'Reilly • Milbury • Bowness • Sutter • Kasper • Burns • Keenan • Ftorek • O'Connell • Sullivan • Lewis • Julien • Cassidy • Montgomery |
| Retired Numbers | 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 15 • 16 • 22 • 24 • 77 • 99 |
| Affiliates | Providence Bruins • Maine Mariners |
| Rivals | Montreal Canadiens • Toronto Maple Leafs • Philadelphia Flyers • New York Rangers |
| Stanley Cups | 1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011 |
| 1973–74 NHL season by team | |
|---|---|
| East | Boston • Buffalo • Detroit • Montreal • NY Islanders • NY Rangers • Toronto • Vancouver |
| West | Atlanta • California • Chicago • Los Angeles • Minnesota • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • St. Louis |
| See also | 1973 NHL Amateur Draft • All-Star Game • 1974 Stanley Cup Finals |