The charge that confronted a Montreal Canadiens in their opening-round playoff array opposite Boston in 1971 was simple: All they had to do to allege was kick a fortifying Stanley Cup champs, who had usually cracked a NHL record for goals scored and goals for-goals opposite domain — and had record-setters in Phil Esposito (76 goals, 152 points) and Bobby Orr (102 assists). Oh, and Montreal’s starting goaltender was a rookie who had played all of 6 NHL games (though he did win all six).
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The child goaltender, Ken Dryden didn’t get off to an portentous start. The Bruins kick a Canadiens 3-1 in a opener, afterwards took a 5-1 lead mid in a second duration of Game 2 — usually to see a Canadiens measure 6 unanswered goals, 5 in a third period, for a 7-5 victory. Henri Richard started a quip with an unassisted idea during 15:33 of a second period, and Jean Beliveau scored twice in a third.
Montreal won Game 3 during a Forum, 3-1, though a Bruins evened a array with a 5-2 win in Montreal and took a 3-2 lead with a 7-3 subjection during Boston Garden. However, a Canadiens and their rookie goalie weren’t finished — Richard scored twice in Montreal’s 8-3 feat in Game 6, promulgation a array behind to Boston for a determining game.
Ken Hodge put a Bruins forward during 6:50, though Frank Mahovlich and Rejean Houle scored before a finish of a duration to put Montreal in front to stay. J.C. Tremblay done it 3-1 late in a second duration and Mahovlich scored again 14 seconds into a third period.
Meanwhile, a Bruins couldn’t do anything with Dryden, who stopped 13 shots in a initial duration and all 16 he faced in a second. Johnny Bucyk finally cut a domain to 4-2 usually 62 seconds into a third, though Dryden stymied a Bruins a rest of a way. At one point, Esposito was so undone after being attacked by a 6-foot-4 rookie that he swung his hang into a glass. Espo had 11 shots on idea and couldn’t kick a former Cornell star once.
“Words can't even start to report a approach Dryden played,” Hodge told reporters after Dryden finished with 46 saves as a Canadiens kick a Bruins in a playoff array for a 11th true time. They went on to kick Minnesota and Chicago for a Stanley Cup, triggering a run of 6 titles in 9 years. The Bruins rebounded to win a Cup in 1972 — though didn’t win again until final spring’s seven-game delight opposite a Vancouver Canucks.
