On March 3, 1973, legendary goaltender Jacques Plante was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Boston Bruins in a move that would mark the final chapter of his NHL career. Though his time in Boston was brief, just eight regular season games and two playoff appearances, Plante made it count. His final NHL shutout came in a standout performance on March 24, 1973, at the historic Boston Garden.
Facing off against the New York Rangers, a team with nearly identical standings, Plante delivered a vintage performance. Just one minute into the game, Gregg Sheppard netted his 24th goal of the season, assisted by none other than Bobby Orr and Plante himself. The assist was one of two points Plante earned in his eight-game stint with the Bruins, an impressive stat for a 44-year-old netminder.
Plante stopped all 29 shots he faced, while Rangers goalie Gilles Villemure let in three goals on 22 shots. The Bruins’ scoring was rounded out by Derek Sanderson with his fifth goal of the season and Phil Esposito with his 49th. Bobby Orr and Ken Hodge both tallied two assists, contributing to Boston’s solid 3-0 victory. The game also featured a spirited third-period fight between two rising stars Terry O’Reilly and Steve Vickers at 6:14, earning both players five-minute majors for fighting.
Though the 1972-73 season was Plante’s final in the NHL, his hockey journey wasn’t quite over. Two years later, he returned to play 40 games with the WHA’s Edmonton Oilers, proving he still had gas in the tank. In 1978, Jacques Plante was rightfully inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy as one of hockey’s all-time great goaltenders.
About Jacques Plante
Between 1952-53 and 1972-73, Jacques Plante played 837 regular season and 112 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.
In his first year, 1952-53, Plante played just three regular season and four playoff games, backing up Gerry McNeil while earning his first of six Stanley Cup championships. Two years later, Jacques was Montreal's number one goaltender with McNeil mostly relegated to the minors.
Plante was a seven time Vezina Trophy winner, three time First Team All-Star, four time Second Team All-Star and the Hart Trophy winner in 1961-62. Jacques was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978 and his jersey number 1 has been retired by the Canadiens.
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