We've arrived at the first Original Six franchise in the All-Time Teams series. Here's the roster for the Boston Bruins:
The Bruins have won six Stanley Cups, most recently in 2011. They lost to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the 2019 Final.
1st Line
Center - Phil Esposito Legendary scorer led the NHL in goals six straight seasons from 1970-75. Shattered the single-season goals record with 76 in '70-71. Two-time Hart trophy winner as NHL MVP and four-time Art Ross trophy winner as leading point-scorer.
Right Wing - Rick Middleton Point-a-game player over his dozen seasons with the Bruins. Only Bucyk and Esposito have scored more goals for the franchise. Frequently a Lady Byng trophy finalist, Middleton won the award in 1981-82.
2nd Line
Left Wing - Cam Neely Hall of Fame power forward posted three 50-goal seasons in an injury-shortened career. Scored 590 points in 525 games for Boston, helping the Bruins reach two Stanley Cup finals. Played his last game at age 30. Currently serves as the Bruins' team president.
Center - Patrice Bergeron
An exceptional two-way player, Bergeron continues to climb up the Bruins' leader boards entering his 17th season. Ranks third in career games played, fifth in goals and assists, and just 20 points away from passing Bobby Orr for fifth in franchise history. The four-time Selke trophy winner has been a finalist for the award in each of the past nine seasons.
Right Wing - Ken Hodge Two-time Stanley Cup champion scored 105 points in 1970-71 and again in 1974-75. Top ten in team history in several offensive categories including goals (eighth) plus/minus (sixth) and points (ninth). Traded to the Rangers for Rick Middleton in 1976. His son Ken Hodge made the NHL's all-rookie team after a 30 goal season in 1990-91.
3rd Line
Left Wing - Brad Marchand Notorious for his on-ice antics, Marchand has matured into one of the game's top point-producers. The Bruins' leading scorer three straight seasons from 2017-19 has placed in the NHL's top six in three of the past four seasons. Ranks seventh in B's history with 290 goals.
Center - Milt Schmidt Hall of Fame center won two Cups with Boston in 1939 and 1941. Led the league in scoring with 52 points in a 48-game season in 1940. Earned league MVP honors in 1951 after scoring 61 points in 62 games. Coached the Bruins for eleven seasons and was the first general manager of the expansion Washington Capitals in 1974-75.
Right Wing - Terry O'Reilly Leading tough guy of the "Big, Bad Bruins" O'Reilly holds the franchise record for career penalty minutes with 2,095. He also used his hands to pass the puck, racking up 402 assists - the ninth-highest total in team history. Served as Boston's head coach after his playing days ended, directing the B's to a conference championship in 1988.
4th Line
Left Wing - Wayne Cashman A career Bruin, Cashman ranks fifth on the franchise's games played list with 1,027. His 793 points over 17 seasons ranks seventh in team annals, and he ranks just below Bergeron for sixth with 516 career assists. Succeeded Bucyk as Boston's captain in 1977, serving until his retirement in 1983.
Center - David Krejci 15-year veteran has spent his entire career with the Bruins. Led the league in postseason scoring in 2011 when Boston won the Stanley Cup and in 2013 when they lost to Chicago in the final. Eighth in team history in assists and points. NHL's leader in plus/minus in 2009 and 2014.
Right Wing - Keith Crowder Third in Bruins' history with 1,267 penalty minutes in just 607 games. Also chipped in 30+ goals in three seasons from 1983-86. Only two players scored more goals for the franchise in fewer games. I considered David Pastrnak here, before deciding that four good seasons isn't enough to earn a spot on an Original Six franchise's All-Time roster.
Cowley starred in the late 1930s and '40s, earning two MVP awards and totaling exactly a point a game in his Hall of Fame career. McNab nearly did the same, scoring 587 points for Boston in 595 games. His seven straight 70-point seasons earned him the last forward spot over Don Marcotte, Glen Murray, and Hall of Famer Woody Dumart. What a difference this is from the first two All-Time rosters.
Defense Pair 1
Holy hell this is a strong unit! You could make the case that Orr and Bourque are the two greatest defensemen in NHL history (though Nicklas Lidstrom might come in between) Orr led the league in points twice, assists five times, and plus/minus six times - including an incredible +124 in 1971. He's well ahead of Bourque for the team record, while Ray leads the B's in career games played, assists, and points. Orr was basically done at age 26. Bourque went to Colorado to capture the Cup at age 40.
Defense Pair 2
This would be a top pair for many other franchises. Chara ranks sixth in Bruins history in games played and penalty minutes. The 2009 Norris trophy winner led Boston to three Stanley Cup finals including the 2011 title. He recently signed with Washington for his 23rd NHL season. Eddie Shore played old time hockey in the Bruins' early years, leading the league in penalty minutes in 1927 and 1928. The four-time NHL MVP and Hall of Famer won two Stanley Cups ten years apart and was known as "the Babe Ruth of hockey."
Defense Pair 3
I have to admit I didn't know anything about Dallas Smith before this project. That's because he 1) retired before I was born, 2) never coached and 3) only appeared in one mainstream card set after 1977. He wasn't even featured in the comprehensive Franchises set made by In The Game. However I selected him for this roster based on his +331 rating for the Bruins (third in team history) and that Defensive Point Shares stat, which ranks him ahead of Shore for fifth in team annals. Clapper, a Hall of Fame rearguard, served as Bruins captain for 14 seasons and won three Stanley Cups.
Spare - Don Sweeney
The Bruins' current general manager, Don Sweeney was never a superstar - or even an All-Star. So why did I choose him over Hall of Famers Leo Boivin and Fern Flaman? Boivin never won an award or made an All-Star team. He was a minus -139 in his dozen seasons with the Bruins, and scored 51 fewer points than Sweeney (albeit in 335 fewer games.) Flaman was a physical defenseman who didn't score much. Sweeney didn't score much, either, but he was a +90 and earned 56.7 Defensive Points over 15 seasons in Beantown. It would be hard to leave off a guy who's played the fourth-most games in franchise history.
Goalies
Starter - Tuukka Rask
Backup - Tiny Thompson
It seems a bit odd to say this about a 96 year-old franchise, but the Bruins' current goalie is their greatest ever. Tuukka Rask has won a Vezina trophy (top goalie), a Jennings trophy (lowest goals against average) and a Stanley Cup. He holds franchise records for wins, save percentage, and goalie point shares. Tiny Thompson (who stood 5' 10" so that must have been a joke) ranks ahead of Rask for the franchise lead in goals against average and shutouts, and behind Rask for second place in wins and minutes played. The four-time Vezina trophy winner rarely missed a start in his Hall of Fame career.
Hall of Famer Frank Brimsek and two-time Vezina winner Tim Thomas couldn't top this tandem. Brimsek in particular has a chance to break camp with the Rovers, our "best of the rest" roster.
Head Coach: Art Ross Captain: Ray Bourque
The namesake of the trophy awarded to the NHL's leading point-producer, Ross was behind the Bruins' bench for two Stanley Cups. Claude Julien has a strong case here; his winning percentage was higher and he also coached a Cup-winning Bruins team. But his name's not on a trophy.
I hope you'll join us tomorrow for our next All-Time Team, the Buffalo Sabres.
Thanks for reading!
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Jeez, an embarrassment of riches for Boston, but I guess that's what you get when you're an Original Six team! I bet Night Owl's excited for your next post.
ReplyDeleteI got to see a game at the fleet center the year after neely was forced to retire, which was too bad. I did get to see borque play along with adam oates - thought he might crack this lineup. Lots of great players here though!
ReplyDeleteCertainly not leading off this series with any of my favorites! Bruins are right there at the bottom for me. But you'll make up for it with the next post.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that Bergeron's been in the league for 17 years. That went fast. ... Oh and Marchand can still F right off.
Is winning the Lady Byng Trophy a good thing?
ReplyDeleteStaying out of the penalty box is good, yes.
DeleteWow, I'll be impressed if there's another top 4 defensive unit in the entire remainder of this series that can compete with this one! Loving this series so far, keep 'em coming!
ReplyDeleteA. Glad to see Big Joe is gonna land on the Sharks.
ReplyDeleteB. That Orr/Bourque tandem will be difficult to beat.
C. Heck... even the Shore/Chara combo is going to be up there.
Cowley, Clapper and Thompson have yet to appear in my collection, and I don't remember on Crowder. I suspect Pasternak will make the list if you do an update in the future, if he can stay healthy. I know he's kind of a jerk but I like Marchand. The "NHL tells Marchand to stop licking opponents" headline is still my favorite sports headline in history.
ReplyDeleteThe day after I left this comments I opened a box of 2004-05 In The Game Franchises and added Clapper and Thompson straight to my collection.
DeleteHah, nice timing :)
DeleteBig Bruins Fan. Neely played more RW than LW I. Believe. Maybe Woody Dumart at LW. I would find aspot for Brad Park on D. Tough team to pick.
ReplyDeleteGood point about Neely (I thought of him as an LW) but this way the lines are stronger. Dumart was a tough cut.
DeleteI would have guessed Pasternak would already have made it, but that just might mean I don't know what I'm talking about. Certainly some familiar names from my childhood here, not just Espo and Orr but guys like Bucyk and Middleton you don't hear much about. Gerry Cheevers was the goalie then but I guess he wasn't that good.
ReplyDeleteBrad Park for my Rangers, I figure.
You're not wrong, Pasta was close. I was surprised that Cheevers' stats weren't as good - he's probably fifth in line on this stacked team. And once I saw the Bruins' top four defenseman I assigned Park elsewhere ;)
DeleteAs impressive as that first line is, I think the second line could be even tougher to play against. They've got a great blend of physicality, defense, and offense. Get them out on the ice at the same time as Bourque and Orr, and the other team would probably never touch the puck.
ReplyDelete