Brad Park and Bobby Orr in 1976 - did they actually share the ice?

[reckoning]

Going through the summaries on HSP for those ten games, it appears that Boston's power-play was 13/37 (35.1%). Admittedly a small sample, and it was an easy stretch for them (no games against the Habs, Flyers or Sabres), but it does make you wonder how good they could've been if they had a whole season to get used to each other.

In those 10 games Boston scored a total of 41 goals. Orr was on the ice for 32 of them.

 

[The Panther]

It would be interesting to know how much of the 60:00 (or, I guess 600:00+ total) Orr or Park (together or alone) were on the ice for. The mid-70s is sort-of the end of the 4-Dmen era, isn't it? You'd have to think one or both was on the ice for at least 45:00 of all those games, if not much more.

The stats show that only 3 Bruins' D-men played 60+ games that season (those being Edestrand, Dallas Smith, and Zanussi), and nine played at least 10 games, so clearly they had some injury issues that season. Park dressed for 43 games, in which he had 53 points.

 

[brianscot]

Was lucky enough to be at one of those 10 games, against the Kings I believe.

Tough to get the puck out against that power play.

That Kings game was Orr's last game in Boston Garden as a Bruin.

He played the next night in MSG against the Rangers and then had to get off the plane going to Chicago because of his knee.

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19750188

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

That Kings game was Orr's last game in Boston Garden as a Bruin.

He played the next night in MSG against the Rangers and then had to get off the plane going to Chicago because of his knee.

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19750188

Really?

That's an enhancement to my barroom repertoire.

Thanks.

 

[Hardyvan123]

Really?

That's an enhancement to my barroom repertoire.

Thanks.

Finally someone is honest about being here eh?

 

[04' hockey]

IMHO.....take that to the bank and I say that knowing there's limitless "if's" in this world but those two, Orr AND Park, together.....

I can remember reading reports about how very well they both played together; you wonder if Montreal might have had one or two fewer Cup titles between 1976 and 1979 had Orr's knee not given out the way it did.

 

[Voight]

I can remember reading reports about how very well they both played together; you wonder if Montreal might have had one or two fewer Cup titles between 1976 and 1979 had Orr's knee not given out the way it did.

I almost guarantee they win another one or at least make another finals.

 

[kytem2]

Does anybody know what team they're playing against in this picture? I don't recognize the colour scheme or design on what can be seen of the jersey on #8 beside Park.

Game summary here...a very good site:

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19750159

OOPS...post 28 beat me to it.

 

[David McConnor]

Here's one...

circa, 1979, Ray Bourque rookie year.

Mario Lemieux looks weird in a Caps uniform.

 

[IComeInPeace]

Mario Lemieux looks weird in a Caps uniform.

That's funny!

Is that Darren Veitch???

 

[brianscot]

According to wikipedia, it's Errol Rausse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Errol_Rausse

Apparently it's Errol's birthday on 5/18, so wish him a happy one and good luck in the Mario look-alike contest.

 

[Budddy]

That Kings game was Orr's last game in Boston Garden as a Bruin.

He played the next night in MSG against the Rangers and then had to get off the plane going to Chicago because of his knee.

http://www.flyershistory.com/cgi-bin/poboxscore.cgi?H19750188

Cool...is there any video of these games?

 

[GarbageGoal]

Great pic. Brad Park is still my all time fave Bruin. Making it my avy.

 

[brianscot]

Cool...is there any video of these games?

If WSBK TV38 in Boston didn't dispose of the tapes they do exist, but I only saw them on the original broadcast nights.

Orr played the right point on the PP and Park flipped over to the left.

 

[Budddy]

If WSBK TV38 in Boston didn't dispose of the tapes they do exist, but I only saw them on the original broadcast nights.

Orr played the right point on the PP and Park flipped over to the left.

Ok....thanks....would be very cool to see

 

[rfournier103]

They played on the PP and PK together, but different regular defensive pairings. I believe Boston went 6-1-3 in the ten games.

Great pics! Thanks for sharing!

 

[rfournier103]

Harry Sinden was a cheapskate but he did do some things right. He longed to have the best defenseman in the NHL on the Bruins. He had Orr for so long and when he realized that wouldn't be for much longer he traded for Park, who you could argue was the next best defenseman in the NHL. Or had been several years running (Potvin during that year seemed to overtake him though).

That's why he drafted Bourque as well. Part of what has made the Bruins great for decades, or at least competitive, is having a star defenseman on their team.

I've always felt that having a top-flight defenseman in hockey is akin to having a top-flight left tackle in football. It's hard to get anywhere without one.

Sinden was cheap, but he wasn't stupid.

 

[The Panther]

There's something about Brad Park's body/stance that always makes him look non-athletic. If you didn't know he was a hockey player, you'd think he was the chubby guy in blue overalls who sells wrenches at the tool shop downtown.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

He does have a bit of an "I'm the lead singer of Molly Hatchet" vibe to him.

 

[SealsFan]

Here's the breakdown of their 10 games together...

It appears that they collaborated on a goal 4 times in those 10 games.

Nov. 8 - BOS 2 @ VAN 4
Orr and Park assist on a PP goal by Bucyk

Nov. 9 - BOS 6 @ CAL 3
Park PP goal, assisted by Orr

Nov. 13 - MIN 0 @ BOS 6
Orr scores his 1st of the season on the penalty kill. In fact, the Bruins last 3 goals of the game were shorthanded, the other two by Dave Forbes!

Nov. 15 - BOS 5 @ ATL 3
Orr PP goal assisted by Park
Park PP goal assisted by Orr

Nov. 16 - KC 2 @ BOS 4
Park with a PP assist

Nov. 19 - BOS 3 @ DET 3
Orr PP goal

Nov. 20 - NYI 2 @ BOS 2
Orr PP assist

Nov. 23 - TOR 3 @ BOS 3
Orr unassisted PP goal

Nov. 25 - LA 2 @ BOS 4
Park PP assist
Orr EV assist

Nov. 26 - BOS 6 @ NYR 4
Orr's last goal as a Bruin, EV vs. John Davidson
Orr PP assist
Park PP assist
ironically the last game is against the Rangers

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Here's the breakdown of their 10 games together...

It appears that they collaborated on a goal 4 times in those 10 games.

Nov. 8 - BOS 2 @ VAN 4
Orr and Park assist on a PP goal by Bucyk

Nov. 9 - BOS 6 @ CAL 3
Park PP goal, assisted by Orr

Nov. 13 - MIN 0 @ BOS 6
Orr scores his 1st of the season on the penalty kill. In fact, the Bruins last 3 goals of the game were shorthanded, the other two by Dave Forbes!

Nov. 15 - BOS 5 @ ATL 3
Orr PP goal assisted by Park
Park PP goal assisted by Orr

Nov. 16 - KC 2 @ BOS 4
Park with a PP assist

Nov. 19 - BOS 3 @ DET 3
Orr PP goal

Nov. 20 - NYI 2 @ BOS 2
Orr PP assist

Nov. 23 - TOR 3 @ BOS 3
Orr unassisted PP goal

Nov. 25 - LA 2 @ BOS 4
Park PP assist
Orr EV assist

Nov. 26 - BOS 6 @ NYR 4
Orr's last goal as a Bruin, EV vs. John Davidson
Orr PP assist
Park PP assist
ironically the last game is against the Rangers

Didn't exactly face the iron of the NHL in that stretch, eh?

 

[SealsFan]

Didn't exactly face the iron of the NHL in that stretch, eh?

Yeah, but they faced Kansas City at home a few weeks prior and LOST 3-2 on two goals in the last 5 minutes!

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Yeah, but they faced Kansas City at home a few weeks prior and LOST 3-2 on two goals in the last 5 minutes!

Yeah, that one still hurts.

 

[jefrey195762]

three years since the last remark here and still no has come up with any videos of any of those ten games. what a cryin' shame...please inform if anything shows up...

 

[rfournier103]

The man to ask would be Fenway. He’s probably the top Boston Bruins historian on earth. If he can’t find it, no one can.

If they’re still in tact, the old WSBK TV38 archives might have something. I think NESN might have custody of them now.

I think this is worth looking into. Too bad the NHL doesn’t have anything like NFL Films. The NFL records every play of every game from several angles. They don’t save the network broadcast, they record their own video and archive it. They have every play of every game going back to the 1960s. Here’s a little nugget- as of the 1990s, there was more film footage of pro football than any other topic except for WWII. Eventually pro football will surpass that.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have every minute of Wayne Gretzky’s, Bobby Orr’s, and Mario Lemieux’s careers preserved on high quality film? If they had played in the NFL, we would have that.