October 03, 2023
All - Time Franchise Playoffs - Wild Card Games
August 22, 2023
Yzerman Calls Game in OT
All-Time Stanley Cup Quarterfinal Bracket |
Detroit's famed "Production Line" opened the scoring as Gordie Howe fed Sid Abel streaking down the left side, and he snuck one past Gerry Cheevers on the short side. The Bruins' fourth line was a force throughout the game as they were in on all three Boston goals and answered 1:57 later. Center Peter McNab took a feed behind the Red Wings' net from Terry O'Reilly and circled to stuff one past Sawchuk on the far side. Then Detroit's fourth line got into the act as Norm Ullman pounced on a loose puck and backhanded the puck over Cheevers glove to make the score 2-1.
Cashman's game-tying goal |
The Bruins absolutely blitzed the Red Wings in the third period outshooting them 16-7 but Sawchuk was the difference as he carried Detroit into an extra period.
Steve Yzerman collected a partially blocked shot and avoided a check by Boston's Johnny Bucyk in front of the Bruins' net. He roofed a snapshot over the glove of Cheevers to salvage the game for the Red Wings and send a delirious hometown crowd away ecstatic.
Yzerman's OT winner |
Game 1 Summary |
1973 World Series - Tolan's Double Rallies Reds
Boston starter Bill Lee's abysmal postseason continues as he was touched up for a five-run fourth inning, and Cincinnati road this offensive barrage for a 7-1 win. With the series now tied at one game apiece, the teams will travel to Fenway Park for the next three games.
The Red Sox tried to jump on Reds' starter Don Gullett by loading the bases in the second inning with one out. Carl Yastrzemski doubled, Dwight Evans was hit by a pitch, and Rico Petrocelli walked. Tommy Harper got Yastrzemski across with a sacrifice fly but that was the only run allowed by Gullett.
Lee had his stuff working for the first three innings but disaster struck as it was Cincinnati's turn to load the bases in the fourth. The Reds had already tied the score on an RBI single by George Foster, but Lee only needed one more out to get off the hook. Bobby Tolan hit a sinking fly ball toward the left-center field gap. Reggie Smith charged hard and got to the ball only to have it clang off his glove allowing all the runners to score. Tolan was credited with a double as it would have been a great play if Smith had been able to make the catch. Cincinnati tacked on another run on a Dave Concepcion double and Boston never recovered.
Tolan's terrific postseason continues as he went 2-4 to raise his batting average to .326, and he has driven in seven runs. Even though his heroics put the Reds over the top, Joe Morgan received Player of the Game honors as he went 2-5, scored a run, and ran wild on the basepaths with three steals.
August 14, 2023
Cheevers Stonewalls Lightning Onslaught
Cheevers foils Kucherov at point-blank range |
Bruins' netminder Gerry Cheevers turned aside 14 third-period chances by the Tampa Bay Lightning to secure a 5-2 victory and send Boston to the quarterfinals in my all-time Stanley Cup playoff. Boston ousted the Lightning in six games and will now move on to face the Detroit Red Wings.
The fireworks began early as Ray Bourque didn't hear an offside whistle and drilled a shot toward the Tampa Bay goal. Victor Hedman took exception and tried to give the Lightning an emotional lift in the face of a raucous Boston Garden crowd by taking Bourque on with some fisticuffs. Unfortunately, it backfired as Bourque got the better of Hedman in their bout.
It was an ominous beginning for Cheevers who only faced 3 shots in the first period but allowed a goal just as he did in Game 5. Halfway through the frame, Nikita Kucherov was beautifully set up at the side of the goal by Steven Stamkos on the powerplay to give Tampa Bay the lead. Rugged Bruins' winger Terry O'Reilly cashed in on a rebound with 2:15 left in the period for his second goal in as many games to send the teams to the dressing room tied at 1-1.
Brandon Hagel gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 advantage by shelving a snapshot over Cheevers on the short side. David Pastrnak then leveled the ledger with a powerplay goal as the teams moved into the third knotted up once again.
Tampa Bay turned up the heat and took the play to Boston in the final frame. Gerry Cheevers held the fort with some of his best saves included in the highlight reel, and Cam Neely delivered the dagger sneaking a rather weak backhander past Andrei Vasilevskiy. In the waning moments of the period, frustration hit its peak as Victor Hedman became involved in his second altercation of the game but clearly chose the wrong dance partner in Zdeno Chara. Hedman's bravado was snuffed out in a decisive decision in Chara's favor. Johnny Bucyk took an opportunity to pad his stats with the Tampa Bay net empty and collected two goals to salt things away. With those two goals, Bucyk moved into a three-way tie for most goals in the opening playoff round.
Series results in opening round |
First-Round Leading Scorers |
First-Round Top Goalies |
August 11, 2023
1973 World Series - Tiante El Terrifico
Luis Tiant was dazzling over seven innings extending his playoff unbeaten streak to three games as Boston took Game 1 of the World Series by a 3-1 count over the Cincinnati Reds. Tiant allowed only four hits and the only blemish of his outing was an unlikely solo shot issued by Reds' shortstop Dave Concepcion in the eighth inning. Since surrendering 6 runs in 6 innings against the Oakland A's in Game 1 of the ALDS, Tiant has gone 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA.