Ken Hodge’s 6 Assist Game Still a Boston Bruins Record

On February 9, 1971, Ken Hodge turned playmaker and carved his name into Boston Bruins history with a record-setting performance that still stands today. Known more for lighting the lamp than setting up goals, Hodge dished out six assists in a 6-3 win over the visiting New York Rangers.

That night, Hodge played provider on two goals by Bobby Orr, two by Wayne Cashman, one by Phil Esposito, and one by Johnny Bucyk. Though he fired four shots of his own at Rangers goalie Gilles Villemure, he couldn’t find the back of the net. But it was his incredible setup work that stole the spotlight.

Just weeks earlier, Bucyk had tied the club’s previous record with five assists in a single game. Hodge surpassed it with his six-helper night, becoming the sole record-holder, though not for long. On January 1, 1973, Bobby Orr matched the feat with six assists of his own against the Vancouver Canucks. As of today, Hodge and Orr remain co-holders of the Bruins' single-game assist record.

Interestingly, Hodge joined the list of Bruins players with five-assist nights just over a year later, doing it again on November 9, 1972, in a game versus Detroit.

The 1970-71 season would prove to be Hodge’s best. He tallied 62 assists and 43 goals for 105 points, ranking fourth in the NHL in all three categories. Still, he remained somewhat in the shadows with teammates Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr were busy shattering league records of their own.

About Ken Hodge

Ken Hodge played 880 regular season and 97 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1964-65 and 1977-78 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Prior to his NHL start, he earned the Eddie Powers Trophy as the OHA Junior A (OHL) top scorer in 1964-65, putting up 63 goals and 123 points with the St. Catharines Black Hawks.

Involved in two major trades over his NHL career, Hodge was shipped from Chicago to Boston on May 15, 1967 with Phil Esposito and Fred Stanfield for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris. On May 26, 1976, he was traded from the Bruins to the Rangers for Rick Middleton. Middleton went on to a great career with Boston while Hodge soon fizzled out and played just one full season with the Blue Shirts.

NHL Hockey Card Greats: Ken Hodge [Video]

Gilles Meloche Faces 58 Shots in Madison Square Garden Showdown

On January 31, 1973, at Madison Square Garden, Gilles Meloche of the California Golden Seals delivered a spectacular goaltending performance, stopping 55 of 58 shots against the powerhouse New York Rangers. Despite the Golden Seals falling 3-1, Meloche’s effort was nothing short of heroic.

It was one of three games that season in which Meloche faced 50 or more shots, and one of 14 games with 40+ shots against. On this particular night, goals from Brad Park, Bobby Rousseau, and Steve Vickers, who also tallied two assists, were the only pucks to beat Meloche. The Seals’ lone goal came off the stick of Walt McKechnie. Meanwhile, Rangers goalie Gilles Villemure had a relatively easy night, needing to stop just 20 of 21 shots.

During the 1972-73 season, Meloche led the NHL in multiple workload categories:

• Games Played: 59
• Minutes Played: 3,467
• Shots Against: 2,041
• Saves: 1,806
• Goals Against: 235

Despite these grueling numbers, Meloche didn’t receive Hart Trophy consideration. That kind of recognition had previously been given to Al Rollins in 1953-54, another goalie who carried a poor team, the Chicago Blackhawks, to modest results.

Gilles Meloche went on to have a lengthy NHL career, playing 788 regular season games (20th all-time among goalies), but just 45 playoff appearances. He suited up for the Chicago Blackhawks, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars, and Pittsburgh Penguins between 1970-71 and 1987-88.

While he never played for a true Stanley Cup contender, Meloche remains a symbol of resilience and determination in net, especially during seasons like 1972-73 when the odds were stacked against him nearly every night.

Gilles Meloche And His One 1972-73 Shutout

It wasn't always a firing range with the California Golden Seals in that 1972-73 NHL season. On March 18, 1973, the Seals hosted the Minnesota North Stars at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena. Meloche had to face just 20 shots in the match, turning them all away in a 2-0 shutout.

Joey Johnston scored what would be the game winner just 50 seconds into the game, assisted by Craig Patrick. Stan Weir sealed the deal with an insurance marker late in the third, assisted by Reg Leach and Pete Laframboise. For Meloche, it was his only blank of the season. Gilles Gilbert made a valiant effort in net for the North Stars, stopping 35 of 37 shots.

Denis Potvin Sparks Islanders’ First-Ever Win Over Rangers in 1973

The New York Islanders didn’t find much early success against their New York City rivals after joining the NHL for the 1972-73 season. Facing the Rangers six times that inaugural year, the Islanders were shut out twice and swept in the season series. But everything changed on October 27, 1973.

In the first meeting of the 1973-74 season, the Islanders finally broke through thanks in large part to a rookie defenseman destined for greatness. On that night at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Denis Potvin opened the scoring just 4:54 into the game, marking not only the Islanders’ first goal of the night but also the first goal of Potvin’s NHL career.

Potvin struck again late in the second period with a powerplay goal at 18:46, giving the Islanders a 3-1 lead. That goal stood as the game-winner, even after Rangers star Jean Ratelle cut the lead to one in the third. The Islanders held on for a 3-2 win, their first-ever victory over the Rangers.

Goaltender Billy Smith stood tall in net, stopping 30 of 32 shots, while Ed Giacomin faced 27 shots for the Rangers. Giacomin also played a direct role in Potvin’s second goal, taking a slashing penalty that led to the powerplay tally.

The game wasn’t without its share of fireworks. A pair of second-period fights kept tensions high, beginning with Brad Park and Andre St. Laurent, followed by a heavyweight clash between Vic Hadfield and Bob Nystrom.

Despite the historic win, the Islanders would finish the season 1-5 against the Rangers. Still, the breakthrough set the tone for a more competitive rivalry in years to come. By the next season, the Islanders had earned two wins and a tie against the Blueshirts, early signs of the power they would soon become in the NHL.

Islanders vs. Rangers 1974-75

The third year for the new New York team saw some dramatic change. The Islanders reached the semi-final and nearly upset the eventual Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers. In their regular season series with the Rangers, the Isles were 2-3-1. 

The Islanders showed improvement all year and the two wins against their cross-town rivals were the last two, within a week of each other. The wins on March 29, 1975 and April 6, 1975 were both by the score of 6-4. Glenn Resch was a standout in goal for both and rookie Clark Gillies led with two points in each match.

As luck would have it, the two teams met in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the first time in the post season for the Islanders. In the best of 3 preliminary round set, the away team won each game. The Islanders won game 1 3-2 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers put up 8 in a game 2 8-3 win. The series clincher was decided in overtime with J.P. Parise scoring just eleven seconds into the extra frame.