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When the NHL introduced the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players of All Time‘ Bobby Orr was, of course, one of the easiest choices. In a truly remarkable Hall of Fame career, Orr not only re-wrote the record books but reinvented the way hockey was played.
In honour of the NHL 100 and the incredible hockey memories it evokes, we bring you this recap of Orr’s unbelievable 1969-70 season that culminated in ‘The Goal’ and a Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup.
Written by former THW contributor Mike Moore and initially printed Jan. 30, 2011.
When Bobby Orr was at his peak, he was the perfect hockey participant on the earth. No different human was shut. It was unbelievable how significantly better he was than anybody else within the pack behind. The NHL wasn’t adequate for Orr. Too unhealthy there was no larger league.
Around the start of this century, Bobby Orr’s 1969-70 season was voted an important and important full-season contribution to NHL historical past by a panel of extremely revered consultants and hockey historians. Orr’s ’69-70 was ranked number one, forward of any of Wayne Gretzky’s magnificent seasons, forward of all people else. The major cause: Orr singlehandedly modified the way in which the sport was performed.
He already owned the report for many factors in a season by a defenseman of 64 set in 1968-69. With 120 factors in 1969-70, he grew to become the first-ever defenseman to win an NHL scoring title and bested his personal report by a whopping 88%. It was a super-human feat of single-season athleticism, by no means witnessed earlier than within the skilled sporting world. These issues have been remarkable. It was ridiculous.
The following is an in depth account of how Orr’s unbelievable 1969-70 season unfolded.
Bobby Orr’s Incredible Season Starts
The Boston Bruins’ season begins on October 12 at residence in opposition to the New York Rangers. Every time defenseman Bobby Orr is on the ice, the Bruins play with a four-man ahead line. Orr attracts an help on Fred Stanfield’s season-opening objective and units up John “Pie” McKenzie’s game-winner. The Bruins win 2-1. Orr has two factors.
On October 19, the Bruins play the second of back-to-back video games in opposition to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston wins 4-0. Orr will get his first objective of the season. Last 12 months, he set a report for a defenseman with 21 objectives. The Bruins are in first place and undefeated after 4 video games. Orr already has 7 factors.
The Bruins journey to the West Coast on October 25 and defeat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. New Kings’ coach Hal Laycoe witnesses Bobby Orr for the primary time and may’t imagine what he sees. “Everything I read about him was underwritten.” Orr attracts his second help on the game-winning objective by Johnny Bucyk. The scorching tempo he has set is unprecedented. In seven video games, he has two objectives and 12 assists. No defenseman has ever led the league in scoring after two weeks and Orr has a five-point bulge. The Bruins stay undefeated. Orr is rising as essentially the most dominant particular person within the recreation.
On November 1, the Bruins are thumped 9-2 by the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Montreal Canadiens. Number 4 information one help, however the expertise is humbling. The subsequent night time, he picks up three assists in opposition to the final place Toronto Maple Leafs. Veteran hockey executives throughout the league are shaking their heads. Orr has no equal.
On November 15th and 16th the Bruins play back-to-back video games in opposition to the Rangers and Kings. Orr scores two objectives on All-Star goalie Eddie Giacomin. The subsequent night time he picks up 4 extra assists in opposition to the Kings. It’s a six-point weekend. Everyone is remarking how Orr is main the league offensively, however nonetheless will get again to do his job defensively. He’s all around the ice. After 16 video games, he leads the league with 4 objectives and 25 assists.
It’s U.S. Thanksgiving, November 27, 1969 and Boston followers have quite a bit to be grateful for. Bobby Orr scores two objectives and provides an help on the game-winning objective because the Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4. Never up to now 25 years has a defenseman completed larger than 6th in scoring, however Bobby Orr, the sandy-haired marvel leads the league. His level manufacturing is double what it was on the similar time final 12 months when he set information. On November 30 the Bruins beat the Leafs 4-1. Orr has 11 photographs on internet and collects one other objective and help. The Bruins are in a troublesome division with Montreal and New York forward. But Orr is on hearth.
By mid-December, the Bruins are the primary group within the NHL to attain 100 objectives. Bobby Orr is establishing everybody on the group. On December 20th, he picks up 5 assists in a 6-4 Bruins win over the Penguins, his finest output of the season. He leads the NHL scoring race and he received’t be caught. Phil Goyette of the St. Louis Blues is having a profession 12 months, however his numbers are quickly buried behind Bobby Orr.
New Year, New Bobby Orr Records
On January 15, 1970, the Bruins host the L.A. Kings and win 6-3. Orr information two extra assists. The season is barely half over, but Orr breaks the report for many assists in a single season by a defenseman with 51. Three nights later, he breaks his personal complete factors report by registering his 65th level, most ever in a season by a defenseman. This boy wunderkind is in his fourth season, however he’s nonetheless solely 21 years previous. He’s conquering the NHL like nobody earlier than.
On January 29th, the Bruins play at residence in opposition to the Minnesota North Stars. Orr picks up a objective and three assists. Last 12 months’s scoring champion and Orr’s teammate Phil Esposito is now in second place within the particular person scoring race. Bruins’ followers debate whether or not Esposito can catch Orr. Only one participant can win. Bobby and Esposito are on the ice collectively quite a bit and sometimes get factors on the identical objectives. Boston coach Harry Sinden is glad to have such downside. After 48 video games, Orr’s lead over Esposito is 13 factors.
Coaches and General Managers across the NHL name Bobby Orr one of many hardest gamers within the league. He fights his personal battles when he has to and he backs down from no person. By mid-February, Orr leads the league in scoring, however nobody else within the high 25 in scoring is even near Orr’s penalty minute complete of 109 PIM’s thus far. This child does all of it.
On Wednesday, February 18, the Bruins and the Kings conflict to a 5-5 tie. Bobby Orr scores the twond Boston objective and his 22nd of the season. With that objective, he as soon as once more breaks his personal single-season report of objectives by a defenseman. But there are nonetheless 20 extra common season video games to play. How many objectives will he rating? Awestruck hockey followers don’t but absolutely grasp the enormity of the exceptional season he is having.
John McKenzie of the Bruins is the NHL participant of the week for the primary week of March 1970. Bobby Orr makes all of his teammates that significantly better. On March 8, the Bruins shut out the Canadiens at residence 2-0. McKenzie scores the primary Bruins’ objective assisted by Orr. Ken Hodge provides an insurance coverage marker, assisted by Orr. The Boston Bruins are actually in first place within the NHL with 85 factors after 64 video games. Orr leads the scoring race by 14 factors over his teammate Phil Esposito.
Orr Surpasses 100 Points by Mid-March
It’s Sunday, March 15, 1970. Gordie Howe, Frank Mahovlich, Alex Delvecchio and the Detroit Red Wings are on the town to face the “Big Bad Bruins.” Detroit scores first, however Bobby Orr shortly solutions for Boston. Orr is blazing scorching. The contest ends in a 5-5 draw. He collects two objectives and two assists. He turns into the first-ever defenseman to report 100 factors in a season. Already, his 27 objectives, 74 assists and 101 factors are all information for a defenseman. He leads the league with a 16-point bulge over the following finest man, teammate Phil Esposito. The Bruins soar with Bobby Orr.
The Minnesota North Stars go to the Bruins in Boston per week later. They’re fortunate to witness the best participant within the recreation enjoying at his absolute biggest. The North Stars will not be so fortunate on the scoreboard. The Bruins win 5-0. Bobby Orr scores the primary and final Bruins’ objectives and provides a pair of assists. Now, the only season report for assists by an NHL participant at any place belongs solely to Mr. Orr.
Boston’s season ends with a Saturday-Sunday residence and residential collection in opposition to the lowly, last-place Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins win each video games and tie Chicago with 99 factors however lose out on first place on account of fewer wins. Orr collects three extra factors and finishes with 33 objectives and 87 assists. He has gathered 120 factors in 76 video games whereas no person else has as many as 100. The Bruins’ surprise boy has completed it. He turns into the primary defenseman in historical past to win an NHL scoring title and the Art Ross trophy with greater than twice as many factors as any defenseman ever earlier than. Some are already arguing that on the tender age of twenty-two, Bobby Orr is the best participant of all time.
Playoffs: More Points, More Awards for Orr
In the opening spherical of the playoffs, the New York Rangers truly handle to beat the Bruins twice. As it seems, they’re the one group to problem the mighty Bruins. In Game 6 at New York on April 16, 1970, the Bruins finish the Rangers’ season with a 4-1 victory. Orr scores two of Boston’s 4 objectives. He and Phil Esposito are sensible and show to be the distinction within the collection.
In the twond spherical, Boston unleashes Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito on the primary place Chicago Black Hawks. Esposito faces his brother Tony, the eventual Calder trophy winner, however the collection is not any contest. The Bruins hold a pissed off Bobby Hull untracked and sweep the Hawks in 4 straight. After 10 playoff video games thus far, Orr has 8 objectives and seven assists for 15 factors. The Bruins can scent victory and their first Stanley Cup in 29 years. Only the St. Louis Blues stay of their means.
In early May, the NHL Writer’s Association votes and provides two extra prestigious trophies to celebrity defenceman. He captures the Norris once more because the league’s high defenseman, and he additionally provides the Hart trophy because the league’s MVP. As the Finals get underway, there is just one remaining main particular person award left, and Bobby Orr is a major candidate. Nobody has ever received 4 particular person trophies in a single season.
The St. Louis Blues are winners of the NHL’s West Division for the threerd consecutive 12 months, however they’re no match for the Boston Bruins within the Stanley Cup ultimate. The Bruins manhandle the outclassed Blues. The solely shut contest is Game 4 on May tenth when the Blues handle to pressure extra time. Orr has already demolished two playoff information for many objectives and most factors by a defenseman. The stage is ready after which… there was little doubt who was successful the Conn Smythe trophy when at 40 seconds into the primary extra time interval Bobby Orr scores “The Goal”.
It was a dream season for Bobby Orr from starting to complete capped with 4 particular person trophies, a number of new information and a Stanley Cup. [here is a full list of Norris Trophy winners]
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