The 1973-74 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs featured five shutouts in total, split among some of the era’s elite goaltenders. Bernie Parent recorded two, Tony Esposito posted two of his own, and Gilles Gilbert added one more. Yet among those five clean sheets, only one came on the road.
That lone road shutout occurred during the quarterfinal series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings, a matchup defined by elite goaltending on both sides. Chicago’s Tony Esposito and Los Angeles netminder Rogie Vachon turned the series into a battle of patience, positioning, and shot suppression.
Game 3 was played at the Forum in Los Angeles on April 13, 1974, and it required only one goal to decide the outcome.
Just 40 seconds into the contest, Germain Gagnon stunned the home crowd by beating Vachon for what would stand as the game’s only goal. Stan Mikita and Cliff Koroll earned assists on the play, and from that moment on, scoring chances became scarce. Vachon allowed no further damage, stopping the final nine shots he faced.
At the opposite end of the ice, Tony Esposito was far busier. The Kings fired 32 shots on goal, but none found their way past the Chicago netminder. Esposito’s flawless performance sealed the 1-0 victory and marked the only shutout by a visiting team during the entire 1974 postseason.
The win pushed the Blackhawks to a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Los Angeles avoided the sweep by winning Game 4, but Esposito closed the door again in Game 5 at Chicago Stadium with another 1-0 shutout. Over the five-game series, Chicago outscored the Kings by just a 10-7 margin, advancing despite averaging only two goals per game.
That defensive formula would not carry into the next round. Facing the Boston Bruins in the semifinals, the Blackhawks surrendered 28 goals over six games and were eliminated. Adding to the sting was the performance of Phil Esposito, Tony’s brother, who torched Chicago for six goals and two assists while firing 32 shots on net.
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