Series Talk: Bruins vs Maple Leafs - An older Bruins fan's perspective

[Fenway]

When I was a teenager growing up in Boston the Bruins were the laughing stock of the NHL as they failed to make the playoffs from the 1959-60 season thru 1966-67. Toronto at the same time was a dynasty, and I can remember listening to games on the radio with my Dad from CBL 740 Toronto. The highlight of that era came when the Bruins beat the Leafs 11-0 at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1964,

The Bruins have not lost a playoff series to Toronto since 1959 but that is partly due to the Leafs playing in the Western Conference for many years. The worst hurt Toronto put on Boston happened in 1976.

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5 years ago was the last time the Bruins and Leafs met in the postseason and the late Dave Strader said it was the most memorable hockey game he ever called.

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The reality is the Leafs have not hurt the Bruins since 1959 but that could change in the next 2 weeks.

But there is one thing Bruins and Leafs fans can cherish the next 2 weeks - fans from Poutineville were not invited to the dance this year.

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[Jim Turcotte]

Like you, I’m a bit older. Because the Bruins were so bad in the early sixties the Leafs were my go to team. I still have a soft spot for the Maple Leafs today. Just because their fans are so rabid and hungry I do hope that they have a deep SC run one of these years. Not at the Bruins expense however, so it will have to wait a bit longer. Should be a fun series.

 

[DKH]

The 11-0 game was maybe the most unlikely game in professional sports history

The Bruins missed the playoffs in a 6 team league in 1964 and the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup.

It was also in Toronto.

I believe the Bruins played Montreal that same week in Montreal and beat them good as well.

It is as bizarre as it gets.

The 2013 game I was sitting right there and the girl jumping up was next to me. She was a college kid from Panama with her friend who got out of dance and bought the tickets at Ace Tickets during first period as something to do.

Neither of them had never been to a game. They were a few years older than my daughter and they were asking her questions about the game.

When it was 4-1 the one next to me asked if the Bruins could come back and I said it would be a miracle they are toast.

The outcome probably altered both teams and especially the Bruins.

but we are here and both teams look like they are set up for years of success and a great rivalry

 

[Spirit of 67]

When I was a teenager growing up in Boston the Bruins were the laughing stock of the NHL as they failed to make the playoffs from the 1959-60 season thru 1966-67. Toronto at the same time was a dynasty, and I can remember listening to games on the radio with my Dad from CBL 740 Toronto. The highlight of that era came when the Bruins beat the Leafs 11-0 at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1964,

The Bruins have not lost a playoff series to Toronto since 1959 but that is partly due to the Leafs playing in the Western Conference for many years. The worst hurt Toronto put on Boston happened in 1976.

​

5 years ago was the last time the Bruins and Leafs met in the postseason and the late Dave Strader said it was the most memorable hockey game he ever called.

​

The reality is the Leafs have not hurt the Bruins since 1959 but that could change in the next 2 weeks.

But there is one thing Bruins and Leafs fans can cherish the next 2 weeks - fans from Poutineville were not invited to the dance this year.

Well, we may not agree on who will win. Which team is better. Whether Marner is better than Pasta. Or perhaps anything else.
Save for the common loathing we both share for the Toilet Seats. I think the Emperor has been exposed there. They've been a lousy franchise for quite some time. I think people are finally realizing it now.

 

[Kate08]

The 11-0 game was maybe the most unlikely game in professional sports history

The Bruins missed the playoffs in a 6 team league in 1964 and the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup.

It was also in Toronto.

I believe the Bruins played Montreal that same week in Montreal and beat them good as well.

It is as bizarre as it gets.

The 2013 game I was sitting right there and the girl jumping up was next to me. She was a college kid from Panama with her friend who got out of dance and bought the tickets at Ace Tickets during first period as something to do.

Neither of them had never been to a game. They were a few years older than my daughter and they were asking her questions about the game.

When it was 4-1 the one next to me asked if the Bruins could come back and I said it would be a miracle they are toast.

The outcome probably altered both teams and especially the Bruins.

but we are here and both teams look like they are set up for years of success and a great rivalry

Bless your daughter.

If someone was asking me questions during that game I would have wanted to stab them.

 

[sooshii]

Bless your daughter.

If someone was asking me questions during that game I would have wanted to stab them.

That's what I thought too.

 

[Fenway]

@DKH

Looking back at that 11-0 game it might have been 'in the bag'.

The Bruins had bought time on Channel 9 in Manchester the next morning to show a one hour replay of that game. Fred Cusick worked with the CBC to edit the game down to an hour with his play by play on the HNIC tape and then drove from Toronto to Manchester. It was the first time the Bruins had been on local TV in 4 years and it drew a huge rating as viewers were looking for anything to watch besides yet another tribute to the fallen JFK who has been assassinated 2 months earlier. The Bruins made quite the impression.

 

[FREDERIC82FAN]

I grew up on an apple farm in rural Nova Scotia. We all listened to “Hockey Night In Canada” on the radio. There were only 6 teams and it seemed it was an even split of fans between Montreal and Toronto in the county. My family had strong ties to New England and I decided to cheer for Boston. I still have my great grandfather”s business card from the 1800’s He was a saddle and harness maker at 269 Commercial St., Boston. It seemed Boston and the Rangers never made the playoffs but that really didn’t matter to me. At school I took a lot of heat, but when Boston won I had something to cheer about, when they lost, it was no big deal. Montreal fans were the worst and dyed in the wool. One of my friends had been named Maurice Richard Davidson by his father. I remember listening to the Boston hockey games on a Hartford radio station. There was talk of a kid named Orr who was going to come and change everything. Really, it was the Montreal Canadian fans I learned to loathe the most. Over the years I have followed hockey Toronto had their days until 1967 and then seemed to drop out of the picture. Without Montreal in the picture it just doesn’t seem the same. In the last few years, I came here to lurk during the Vachon Cake wars led by Johnny V, and to pick up ammunition to use against Montreal Canadian fans. I feel more confident now about this team then I have since the days of Bobby Orr.

 

[Fenway]

I went up to Toronto for the first round in 1974 and after flying up Saturday morning I met some others who had driven up and we checked into the Royal York Hotel. (The Bruins actually got us a decent rate ) and Tom Johnson gave us our tickets and wouldn't take any money as he knew we were regulars.

Now we have 9 hours to kill before game time ( the games were Sat and Sun ) and we asked the bell captain where was the best place to go.

He replied - BUFFALO

Toronto was closed for Easter weekend and I mean closed. Toronto was still a sleepy city in 1974 and about the same size as Boston but it was about to explode in size. We actually did drive to Buffalo after Game 3 and found a bar and wound up bring back a few cases of beer for Sunday and we were very popular with other Bruins fans.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Thanks for writing this. Your first article, on the last place Bruins beating the Cup Champs last 11-0. Don Simmons was the Leaf goalie. The Leafs played the next night (Sunday) in Chicago to play the very good Hawks team. Simmons in net again, and Leafs won 2-0. Quite a weekend for the Leaf goalie and former Bruin subbing for the injured goalie Bower. Two games, 11 goals against, one shutout, and a split one win, one loss.

Five years ago, when the Leafs had taken a 4-1 lead in game third period, the TV showed Bruins fans walking out of the arena. My thought was, "They don't know the Leafs."

 

[ODAAT]

Thanks for writing this. Your first article, on the last place Bruins beating the Cup Champs last 11-0. Don Simmons was the Leaf goalie. The Leafs played the next night (Sunday) in Chicago to play the very good Hawks team. Simmons in net again, and Leafs won 2-0. Quite a weekend for the Leaf goalie and former Bruin subbing for the injured goalie Bower. Two games, 11 goals against, one shutout, and a split one win, one loss.

Five years ago, when the Leafs had taken a 4-1 lead in game third period, the TV showed Bruins fans walking out of the arena. My thought was, "They don't know the Leafs."

I turned the game off, the B`s were doing nothing and I thought it was over so I sulked my way into bed. The phone rang, Mrs Odaat picked it up and came into the bedroom and asked if I was still watching the game? I thought it was one of my buddies starting a parade in Toronto calling to rub it in. Had no faith the boys could have done what they did