Too many men on the ice : the 1978-1979 Boston Bruins and the most famous penalty in hockey history / John G. Robertson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robertson, John G., 1964- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Boston Bruins (Hockey team).

National Hockey League.

Hockey--History.

Hockey.

History.

Physical Description:

viii, 205 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, North Carolina : McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, [2018]

Summary:

Entering the 1978-1979 season, the Boston Bruins had been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League for more than a decade. Yet they could not shake the postseason jinx the Montreal Canadiens held over them--the Habs had ousted them in 13 consecutive playoff series going back to 1940s. The Bruins wanted one more shot at their nemeses, after coming up short in both the 1977 and 1978 Stanley Cup finals. They got their chance in the semifinal round. Led by the colorful but embattled coach Don Cherry, the underdog Bruins played seven heart-stopping games. Victory seemed within their grasp but was snatched away with an untimely penalty in the final minutes of game seven. The author looks back at the season from opening night at Boston Garden to the catastrophic conclusion at the Montreal Forum, with detailed accounts of the semifinal games and a post-mortem of the infamous bench penalty.

Contents:

1 The Arrival of Don Cherry and the "Lunch Pail A.C." p. 21

2 No Contest: The 1977 Stanley Cup Final p. 25

3 A Valiant Effort: The 1978 Stanley Cup Final p. 31

4 High Hopes and Cautious Optimism for 1978-79 p. 38

5 Looking Like Contenders p. 46

6 The New Year Brings Troubles-and a Tribute p. 51

7 Only Three Contenders: The 1979 Stanley Cup Playoffs p. 63

8 The Quarterfinal: Boston Sweeps Pittsburgh p. 67

9 An Old Nemesis Awaits p. 74

10 Game 1: No Penalty Shot? p. 77

11 Game 2: A Two-Goal Lead Vanishes p. 82

12 Game 3: Gilbert Gets the Nod p. 87

13 Game 4: Ratelle to the Rescue p. 92

14 Game 5: Montreal Reasserts Its Dominance p. 99

15 Game 6: The Bruins' Big Win Forces a Decider p. 103

16 None Bigger: The Hype for the Final Game p. 111

17 Game 7: Too Many Men p. 114

18 The Immediate Aftermath p. 126

19 Who Even Remembers the 1979 Stanley Cup Final? p. 129

20 The End of the Don Cherry Era in Boston p. 133

21 Who Was to Blame? p. 142

22 April 26, 1988: Liberation Day for Bruin Fans p. 149.

ISBN:

1476671001

9781476671000

OCLC:

1016946279