On April 2, 1969, the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs opened their playoff series with one of the wildest games in Stanley Cup history. The Bruins dominated from start to finish, crushing Toronto 10-0, but the storyline was far more than just the score.
Goaltender Gerry Cheevers stood tall in net, stopping all 40 shots sent his way. While it might seem like a goalie in a 10-0 win would have little to do, Cheevers was busy all night and even got into a fight with Toronto’s Forbes Kennedy late in the game.
Key Highlights From Game 1
The 10-0 victory remains the second-highest scoring shutout in Stanley Cup playoff history, behind Montreal’s 11-0 win over Toronto in 1944.
Phil Esposito had a monster night, scoring four goals and adding two assists for six points. His four-goal game still ties him for sixth on the all-time playoff list.
Toronto’s Forbes Kennedy racked up 38 penalty minutes, the sixth most ever in a single NHL playoff game.
Pat Quinn delivered a brutal hit that knocked young Bobby Orr out of the game.
Including the regular season finale, Toronto suffered three straight shutouts, with Boston taking Game 2 by a 7-0 score.
The Chaos Unfolds
The mayhem peaked at 16:14 of the third period after a whistle in the Boston zone. Kennedy tried to take on nearly the entire Bruins roster, including Cheevers. Things crossed the line when he punched linesman George Ashley and then attacked John “Pie” McKenzie, who held his own in the scrap. That game turned out to be Kennedy’s last in the NHL.
Meanwhile, Esposito fired 13 of Boston’s 51 shots at Toronto’s goaltending duo of Bruce Gamble and Johnny Bower, who were left shell-shocked. Esposito continued his hot streak with three more points in Game 2 and scored again in Game 4 as Boston swept the Maple Leafs out of the postseason.
About Gerry Cheevers
Between 1961-62 and 1979-80, Gerry Cheevers played 418 regular season and 88 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins. He also appeared in 191 regular season and 19 playoff games in the WHA with the Cleveland Crusaders between 1972-73 and 1975-76. The two-time Stanley Cup champion was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.
