Steve Durbano’s 10 Points in 5 Games as a Rookie D-Man? Not Orr, But Still Impressive

When someone mentions a defenseman putting up 10 points in five NHL games during the 1972-73 season, your first thought might be Bobby Orr. Fair enough. Orr was in peak form that year. But the blueliner who did it in this stretch was rookie Steve Durbano of the St. Louis Blues.

In February 1973, Durbano scored a goal and assisted on nine others over a five-game tear. What's more surprising? He only took two minor penalties during that span, despite a career built on physicality and time in the box.

February 3, 1973: A Career Night

Durbano’s standout game came in a dominant 6-1 win over the California Golden Seals. He registered four assists, setting up two goals by Floyd Thomson, one from Phil Roberto, and the game-winner by Fran Huck. Durbano led all skaters with six shots on Gilles Meloche, as the Blues peppered the Seals with 51 total shots, compared to just 15 faced by Bob Johnson in the St. Louis net.

Durbano finished the night a +3 and didn’t take a single penalty, a rare stat line for the rugged blueliner.

From First-Round Pick to Journeyman 

Originally a first-round selection by the New York Rangers in 1971, Durbano never played a game for them. After some seasoning in the minors with the Omaha Knights, he broke into the NHL with the Blues in the 1972-73 season.

Over the course of his NHL career (1972-73 to 1978-79), Durbano played 220 regular season games and five playoff contests, suiting up for the Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Kansas City Scouts, and Colorado Rockies. True to his reputation, he compiled a staggering 1,127 penalty minutes in those 220 games, averaging over 5 minutes per game.

Steve Durbano Trivia Quiz

For much more NHL hockey trivia, visit our Hockey Trivia Site!

1. How many points did Steve Durbano score in his 5-game streak in 1973?

5
7
10
12

2. Which team did Durbano record 4 assists against on February 3, 1973?

New York Rangers
California Golden Seals
Boston Bruins
Pittsburgh Penguins

3. What unusual stat did Durbano achieve in that February 3 game?

He had a fight and a goal
He had no penalties
He scored a hat trick
He was ejected

4. How many total NHL regular season games did Durbano play?

150
198
220
275

5. Which team originally drafted Steve Durbano?

New York Rangers
St. Louis Blues
Kansas City Scouts
Colorado Rockies

Toronto Maple Leafs Waste Bruce Gamble’s Heroics in 1-0 Loss to Rangers

On October 19, 1969, the Toronto Maple Leafs visited Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers in what would be their fourth game of the 1969-70 NHL season. For Leafs fans, the game felt like a one-man show and that man was goaltender Bruce Gamble.

The Rangers won 1-0 on an early goal from Vic Hadfield at the 7:33 mark of the first period, assisted by Jean Ratelle and Brad Park. That lone tally held up the rest of the way, not because the Rangers went into a defensive shell, but because Gamble stood on his head. He turned aside 44 of 45 shots, keeping the Leafs in the game all night long. Hadfield and Ratelle each had seven shots apiece, while former Leaf Ron Stewart chipped in with six.

On the flip side, Ed Giacomin had one of the easiest shutouts of his career. Toronto managed just 17 shots on net, with Paul Henderson and Bob Pulford accounting for nearly half with four shots each.

The lack of offense became a season-long theme. The Leafs finished last in the East Division, a brutal 21 points behind the next-closest team. They scored a division-low 222 goals and allowed a division-high 242, despite Gamble's solid play. Over 52 games, Gamble had five shutouts and a .915 save percentage, remarkable numbers considering the team's struggles.

Bruce Gamble’s career spanned from 1958-59 to 1971-72, playing with the Rangers, Bruins, Leafs, and Flyers. Though solid between the pipes, he’s often remembered for his heart attack during a game in 1972 while playing for the Flyers, a game he finished despite the medical emergency.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Rangers – October 19, 1969 Trivia

We have much more hockey trivia at our hockey trivia website!

1. Who scored the only goal in the Rangers' 1-0 win over the Maple Leafs on October 19, 1969?

• A) Rod Gilbert
• B) Vic Hadfield ✅
• C) Jean Ratelle
• D) Brad Park

2. How many shots did Bruce Gamble stop in this game?

• A) 35
• B) 40
• C) 44 ✅
• D) 47

3. Which former Leaf had six shots on goal for the Rangers in that game?

• A) Ron Stewart ✅
• B) Dick Duff
• C) Bob Nevin
• D) Phil Goyette

4. What was the Maple Leafs’ shot total in the 1-0 loss?

• A) 14
• B) 17 ✅
• C) 21
• D) 25

5. What serious health event is Bruce Gamble remembered for during a game in 1972?

• A) Concussion
• B) Broken collarbone
• C) Heart attack ✅
• D) Eye injury

3 Goals by 1 Player on the Same Power Play? How Jean Béliveau Helped Change NHL History

Before the 1956-57 NHL season, minor penalties were served in full, two full minutes in the box, regardless of whether a goal was scored. That all changed thanks to a remarkable night at the Montreal Forum, courtesy of Jean Béliveau.

On November 5, 1955, the Boston Bruins were up 2-0 on first-period goals by Leo Boivin and Doug Mohns. But the tide quickly turned.

With Cal Gardner in the box for charging (penalty assessed with just 10 seconds left in the first), and Hal Laycoe penalized for hooking just 17 seconds into the second period, the Canadiens had a 5-on-3 advantage to start the frame.

Jean Béliveau, already one of the league’s top stars, wasted no time. He scored at 0:42, again at 1:08, and completed the power play hat trick at 1:26, just 44 seconds apart, all on legendary goalie Terry Sawchuk. Bert Olmstead assisted on all three, with Doug Harvey picking up two helpers and Maurice “Rocket” Richard assisting on the middle marker.

Béliveau added a fourth goal in the third period, again with Olmstead helping out, alongside BernieGeoffrion. The Canadiens skated away with a 4-2 win, and Béliveau had all four goals.

That explosive performance helped fuel a monster season for “Le Gros Bill.” After scoring just three times in his first 12 games, he ended up with 47 goals, winning both the Art Ross Trophy (scoring title) and the Hart Trophy (MVP), while leading the Habs to a Stanley Cup championship.

More importantly, his rare three-goal feat on a single minor penalty power play sparked a rethink of the NHL’s rulebook. Starting in 1956-57, players serving minor penalties would exit the box after the opposing team scored, a rule that remains in effect to this day.

Ironically, despite having nine power plays in that game, the Bruins only capitalized once.

Here's Some NHL Trivia

(clicking the right answer will take you to the detailed explanation at our new Hockey Trivia site - just hit the back button to return)

Trivia Question: Who was the first ever recipient of the Conn Smythe Trophy?

❌ TRY AGAIN!

NHL Hockey Trivia: Wins and Losses

In the end, most NHL hockey fans remember who won the Stanley Cup and maybe which player won the scoring title. After that, it’s mostly all forgotten unless you’re a true hockey fan. Are you a true hockey fan? Test and expand your knowledge of the wins and losses columns with the following four trivia questions. Well, mostly the losses column.

Q. What team lost 67 of 80 games during the 1974-75 season?

A. A far cry from their current success, the Washington Capitals won just eight games during their first season in the National Hockey League. The Capitals joined the league for 1974-75, along with the Kansas City Scouts.

Washington was led offensively by Tom Williams with 58 points. Williams had spent the past two years in the WHA with the New England Whalers. Previous to that, he played in the NHL from 1961-62 with the Boston Bruins, Minnesota North Stars and California Golden Seals. Tom played just 34 games with the Capitals in 1975-76 before retiring from the game.

The Capitals went through a trio of head coaches in that inaugural season. Jim Anderson was behind the bench for 54 games, winning just four. Anderson was a long time member of the Springfield Indians and is a member of the AHL Hall of Fame. Next up was Red Sulllivan. The former head coach of the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins lasted just 19 games behind the Washington bench. Hockey legend Milt Schmidt coached the team for the final seven games of the season.

Q. What team was the first to lose 60 games during a single regular season?

A. The New York Islanders entered the NHL for the 1972-73 season along with the Atlanta Flames. The Islanders lost an even 60 games that season. The Flames lost just 38. Just six years later, the Islanders would win the first of four Stanley Cups in a row.

During that first season, the Islanders were coached by two former NHLers. Phil Goyette started the year behind the bench and made it through 50 games before being replaced by Earl Ingarfield. The following year, Al Arbour was brought in.

Billy Harris led the 1972-73 Islanders with just 50 points. Billy Smith backed up Gerry Desjardins in net with both posting a goals against average well over 4.00.

Q. During the 1992-93 season, what two teams became the first to surpass the 70 loss mark?

A. The Ottawa Senators lost 70 games and the San Jose Sharks lost 71 although both finished with 24 points. 1992-93 was one of the few years when the NHL had an 84 game regular season schedule. The 71 losses by San Jose stands today as a single season National Hockey League record. However, it is Ottawa that set the mark with most losses at home with 41.

Q. What was the only NHL team to surpass the 50 win mark during the 1974-75 season?

A. Eventual Stanley Cup winners, the Philadelphia Flyers, won 51 games in 1974-75. This fact is surprising considering there were two new expansion teams, Washington and Kansas City, that lost well over 50 games and the Minnesota North Stars lost exactly 50. You would think there’d be lots of wins to go around but the league was tied up in ties.

The Flyers tied for first overall with the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens, all with 113 points. Buffalo won 49 games and Montreal won 47.