41-Year-Old Gump Worsley Turns Back 63 Bruins Shots In Stunning 1971 Performance

The 1970-71 Boston Bruins were one of the NHL’s most explosive offensive teams ever assembled. With stars like Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito leading the attack, Boston overwhelmed opponents night after night. But on February 7, 1971, the Bruins ran into a veteran goaltender who simply refused to crack.

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Highlights

• Gump Worsley stopped 63 of 67 shots against the Bruins in 1971

• The 41-year-old goalie earned Minnesota a dramatic 4-4 tie in Boston

• Bobby Orr fired 13 shots but recorded only one assist

• Phil Esposito was held scoreless despite 10 shots on goal

• Minnesota jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first period

• The two teams combined for an incredible 99 shots in the game

• Worsley’s 63-save effort was one of the first 60-save games in NHL history

• The legendary performance remains one of hockey’s greatest goaltending displays

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At 41 years old, Gump Worsley delivered one of the greatest performances of his long NHL career for the Minnesota North Stars. Facing an incredible 67 shots from the Bruins, Worsley stopped 63 of them to earn Minnesota a hard-fought 4-4 tie in Boston. At the time, no NHL goalie had ever recorded 60 or more saves in a game since the league began officially tracking shots on goal.

Minnesota stunned the crowd early by racing out to a 3-0 lead before the first period was even halfway finished. Goals by Jude Drouin, Charlie Burns and Bill Goldsworthy put the Bruins on their heels. Boston eventually clawed back, but Worsley’s steady play kept the North Stars alive through wave after wave of pressure.

Even the Bruins’ biggest stars were frustrated. Orr fired 13 shots on goal but managed only a single assist on a goal by Ken Hodge. Esposito unleashed 10 shots of his own yet failed to score. Boston goalie Gerry Cheevers was also busy, facing 32 shots as the two Hall of Fame netminders combined to see 99 shots in the game.

The performance became even more legendary as the years passed. Only a handful of NHL goalies have since recorded 60-save games. Ron Tugnutt later topped the list with a remarkable 70-save-plus performance for the Quebec Nordiques against Boston in 1991. But Worsley’s effort remains one of the most remarkable displays of endurance and poise ever seen from a goaltender, especially considering he was just months away from turning 42 years old.

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81 Shots, 4 Goals: Ken Dryden vs. Dan Bouchard Was a Classic in Atlanta

The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens are remembered as one of the greatest teams in NHL history. Loaded with talent and seemingly unbeatable on most nights, the Canadiens rolled into Atlanta on November 10, 1976 for a matchup against the Atlanta Flames at The Omni. What followed was not an offensive showcase, but a brilliant display of goaltending from two netminders who refused to give an inch.

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Highlights

• Canadiens and Flames played to a 2-2 tie on November 10, 1976

• Ken Dryden made 41 saves on 43 shots

• Dan Bouchard stopped 36 of 38 Montreal shots

• All four goals were scored within 7:34 of the second period

• Guy Lafleur opened the scoring with his 15th goal of the season

• Combined, the teams fired 81 shots on goal

• The game featured one of the best goalie duels of the 1970s

• Dryden finished 1976-77 with a league-leading .920 save percentage   

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For most of the evening, both Ken Dryden and Dan Bouchard were unbeatable. Outside of a wild stretch in the second period lasting just over seven and a half minutes, neither goalie allowed a puck to get by. The game ended in a 2-2 tie, but the score barely captured how impressive both performances really were.

Bouchard faced a relentless Canadiens attack and turned aside 36 of 38 shots. Dryden was tested even more often, stopping 41 of 43 Atlanta shots. Combined, the two goalies made 77 saves on 81 shots in an era where offense around the NHL was exploding.

The scoring finally began at 4:38 of the second period when Guy Lafleur scored his 15th goal of the season for Montreal with assists from Steve Shutt and Pete Mahovlich. Atlanta answered almost immediately. Just 25 seconds later, Bobby Simpson tied the game with help from Ken Houston and Bill Clement.

The Flames grabbed the lead later in the period when Clement scored his sixth of the season at 8:56, assisted by Larry Carriere. Montreal answered at 12:12 when Serge Savard beat Bouchard with assists from Réjean Houle and Mario Tremblay. That would be the end of the scoring despite both teams continuing to generate chances for the remainder of the night.

Dryden’s performance was another example of the incredible season he was putting together. He finished the 1976-77 campaign leading the NHL with a .920 save percentage while recording ten shutouts. Amazingly, only one of those shutouts came in a game where he faced 30 or more shots. Bouchard’s overall season numbers were more modest, but on this night against the mighty Canadiens, he looked every bit the equal of Dryden.

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Future Flyers Legend Bill Barber Explodes For 4 Points In Just His 3rd NHL Game

Philadelphia fans didn’t have to wait long to see that rookie Bill Barber was something special. Selected seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft, Barber spent part of his first professional season with the Richmond Robins of the AHL before getting his opportunity in the NHL. By the time the Flyers hosted the Buffalo Sabres on November 4, 1972 at the Spectrum, Barber was appearing in only the third NHL game of his career.

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Highlights:

• Bill Barber recorded 4 points in just his 3rd NHL game

• The game took place November 4, 1972 at the Spectrum

• Barber scored the first NHL goal of his career against Roger Crozier

• He added 3 assists in a 5-3 Flyers victory over Buffalo

• Rick MacLeish scored twice in the third period

• Barber finished his rookie season with 64 points in 69 games

• He later scored 420 NHL regular season goals

• Barber entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990

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It didn’t take long for the young winger to make an impact. Just 4:31 into the opening period, Barber beat goaltender Roger Crozier for the first regular season goal of his NHL career. Assisted by Joe Watson and Rick MacLeish, the goal opened the scoring in what would become a memorable night for the rookie. It was also the first of 420 regular season goals Barber would score during an outstanding NHL career.

Barber wasn’t finished there. He picked up an assist on a second-period goal by Tom Bladon before helping set up two more goals by MacLeish in the third period. By the end of the night, Barber had piled up a goal and three assists for a four-point performance as Philadelphia defeated Buffalo 5-3.

The big night was an early sign of the consistency Barber would bring to the Flyers throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. During his rookie season in 1972-73, Barber scored 30 goals and added 34 assists for 64 points in 69 games. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting behind Steve Vickers of the New York Rangers.

From 1972-73 through 1983-84, Barber played 903 regular season games and another 129 playoff contests, all with Philadelphia. He became one of the most respected forwards in franchise history, helping the team to a pair of Stanley Cup championships, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. His number 7 jersey was eventually retired not only by the Flyers, but also by the Kitchener Rangers, the junior club where his rise to hockey stardom began.

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