This Day in Hockey History – April 8, 1970 – Bruins Build a Snowman

Apr 8, 2020

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It’s true what they say—playoff hockey is a completely different style of hockey. During the regular season there is a knowledge of the months of hockey yet to be played, however, once the puck drops to start the playoff rounds, it’s win or face going home.

For the Bruins master scorer Phil Esposito the thought of not continuing to play keeps him up the night before the first game of the first round of playoffs.

“It’s the first game of the Stanley Cup playoff that bugs me a bit. I’m excited. This is six years in a row that I have been in the Stanley Cup and I still get excited before the opening game. I try not to let it bother me, but it does, I have trouble getting to sleep. I’m thinking about what we have to do. I worry. If we don’t win, it could be over in less than a week. I don’t want that to happen. Heck, four games and we could be back home in Canada,” Esposito shared.

Esposito need not have worried this particular playoff run. And he most definitely didn’t need to worry about how things would go in the first game of the quarterfinals between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers on April 8, 1970.

Esposito got things going 3:51 into the opening period and then followed that up with his second of the night while on the power play at 9:32. The Rangers managed to snag one back with one minute remaining in the first from Jack Egars. As games went, the score of 2-1 in favor of the Bruins going into the first intermission was nothing to raise an eyebrow at.

However, the second period was all Boston as they beat down the New York Rangers by adding five goals in 10:21 of playing time which included two short-handed goals scored in just 44 seconds, a new NHL record. Bobby Orr got things started 4:56 into the second. While Don Marcotte sat for a tripping call Orr added his second of the game, the first short hander at 7:35. Derek Sanderson got himself in the goals’ column on the score sheet at 8:19 with the second shortie. Esposito apparently didn’t want to be left out of the fun. He popped a power play goal in at 11:44 and then went on to assist Wayne Cashman on his goal at 15:07 which was also assisted by Orr.

“As if the National Hockey League still wasn’t convinced that Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito are its top scorers, the two Boston Bruins marksmen Wednesday night combined for a total of seven points to set the pace in their drive for the Stanley Cup.”

The third period saw the Bruins notch their eighth goal of the game. This time is was Fred Stanfield once again while Boston was on the power play at 2:20 of the final frame. Bob Nevin gave the Rangers a second goal with 4:29 remaining in regulation. When the buzzer sounded, the Bruins had outscored the Rangers 8-2.

Esposito’s hat trick and assist gave him four points while Orr’s two goals and assist gave him three. Cashman had his goal and two assists and Ken Hodge and John “Pie” McKenzie each had two assists. When it was all said and done the Bruins had ten players with at least one point and netminder Gerry Cheevers had stopped 36 of the 38 shots he saw from the Rangers.

The Rangers didn’t fare so well. True, they managed to get two goals, but starting goalie Ed Giacomin was replaced in the third period with Terry Sawchuk. Giacomin stopped just 19 of the 26 shots he saw in the first two periods, for an unimpressive .731 save percentage.

When the Bruins weren’t putting pucks in the net they were skating and making sure they were finishing their checks. Skating and hitting were two ingredients that head coach Harry Sinden said created their best playing.

“They skated better than they had since two weeks ago last night, the time they beat the Rangers in Madison Sqaure Garden. They hit better than they have hit since Teddy Green was injured. [Billy] Speer made sure of that,” wrote John Ahern of The Boston Globe.

It was just the first game of the run to the 1970 Stanley Cup, but the Bruins made sure they hit the ice skating hard, and for Esposito that meant it wouldn’t be over in four games. In fact, the Bruins had many more games to look forward to during the Stanley Cup playoffs of 1970.

Additional Sources

Kevin Walsh, “Playoff hocley Espo-style … it’s a 24-hour proposition,” The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts), Thursday, April 9, 1970, p. 21, 24.
John Ahern, “’Twas the Knight of the Speer,” The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts), Thursday, April 9, 1970, p. 21, 24.
“Espo, Orr Shell-Shock Rangers; Favorites Advance,” The Calgary Herald (Calgary, Alberta) Thursday, April 9, 1970, p. 51.