Remember? (Random Bruins Related Junk)

[Fenway]

The check that helped usher in the Big, Bad Bruins - The Boston Globe


Long ago, in April 50 years ago to be precise, their paths also crossed in Round 1. It was a series turned infamous at 18:03 of the second period when Pat Quinn, then a truculent 26-year-old rookie defenseman for the Leafs, crushed 21-year-old phenom Bobby Orr with a menacing check along the boards in Boston’s end.

Orr, the most exciting player the sport had seen, was in the initial strides of winding into one of his patented, breathtaking rushes up the right side. Quinn eyed him from a couple of steps inside the blue line and closed on Orr, who momentarily dropped his head to recollect the puck.

The play, immediately whistled as a five-minute elbowing major, knocked Orr cold. Teammate Ken Hodge, first on the scene with Orr flat on his back, gently tucked one of his gloves under Orr’s head to keep it propped.

Some 15,000 fans inside the Garden, near silent over the gruesome scene, triggered to full-on crazy when Orr finally showed signs of consciousness. Lumbering to the penalty box, Quinn ducked a fan’s hurled shoe, was doused with drinks upon entry, and then came under further attack as fans clawed to scale the glass in an attempt to seek revenge.

Before the night’s pasting was finished, ex-Bruins forward Forbes Kennedy went full-goose looney, including a stick-swinging affair with Bruins goaltender Gerry Cheevers. Benches emptied (standard fare at the time) and even mild-mannered backup goalie Eddie Johnston mixed it up with Kennedy. Ultimately, the crazed Leafs forward was pummeled into submission by Johnny “Pie” McKenzie and was led off the ice, never again to play in the NHL. His antics included taking a swipe at one of the on-ice officials.

They were tough. They were characters. They were talented. They went on to win the Cup twice over the next three years. And though they didn’t have Quinn or the Leafs to thank, per se, it was that series, and the rally around Orr the wunderkind, that provided the Bruins with their greatest growth spurt in that era.

I was at that game watching in the unofficial standing room behind Section 98 in that balcony and it got scary.

I also went to Toronto for the games on April 5th and 6th and that entire weekend Toronto was closed - It was Easter weekend and back then Ontario simply closed down between Good Friday and Easter. If you wanted a drink you had to go to Buffalo. The game on Easter Sunday in Toronto was the very first time the Leafs had played a home game on a Sunday.

A week later the Bruins lost a playoff game in Montreal because Clarence Campbell ordered the officials that the game had to be over by 4 PM so CBS could go to the Masters golf tournament. The game had gone into overtime and guess what team got the penalty Mickey Redmond scored in OT at 3:59 PM ( how convenient )

The game was on CBS but if you are a golf fan like @Donnie Shulzhoffer you know that the Masters tell CBS what to do to this day. CBS was going to golf at 4 PM and the NHL made sure the game was over. Can you imagine the uproar in Boston if the game suddenly vanished for golf???

BTW notice the TV-Radio log for that day - The Celtics were also in the playoffs against the Knicks at the Garden and it was only on delayed TAPE on FM.

BTW my old friends who made that trip, and Toronto a week earlier, Al and Danny have done something for the past 30 years - We always go to the first weekday afternoon game in Pawtucket in April ( This year it is the 25th) - We don't prearrange it - we just show up.

The only plus from that disaster in Montreal was the bartender at the Sheraton Mount Royal took pity on us and gave us tickets to the Expos game the next afternoon - It was the very first MLB game played in Canada.