3 More Seasons Extend Reach Into Hockey’s Past

n  1957-58

n       1964-65

n       1969-70

 

 

By Glenn Guzzo

 

Three seasons from consecutive decades will give fans of the Original Six National Hockey League teams a chance to win with any franchise.

 

The 1957-58 season features a dominant Montreal team. The 1964-65 season features a well-balanced top four teams, led by regular-season champion Detroit, then followed closely by Montreal, Chicago and Toronto. And the 1969-70 season showcases Boston’s Stanley Cup team and a regular season that saw the Bruins tied with Chicago, just four points ahead of Detroit and seven ahead of New York and Montreal.

 

As usual, Strat-O-Matic will be offering card sets of six teams each – which means the entire NHL for ’57-58 and ’64-65. With each card order, gamers receive a utility disk that allows them to print the extra teams and extra players from that season. All teams and all players are included in the Strat-O-Matic computer game.

 

All are in addition to Strat-O-Matic’s re-creation of the 2005-06 NHL season.

 

Highlights from each of the historic seasons:

 

1957-58 season

The dynasty develops

 

Maurice “Rocket” Richard became the first man to score 500 goals as Montreal set an NHL record with 250 goals and won the third of its record five straight Stanley Cups. Boston’s Willie O’Ree became the NHL’s first black player and Montreal’s Claude Provost scored the NHL’s fastest goal, four seconds into a period.

 

Jacques Plante (2.11 gaa), Dickie Moore (league-best 36 goals and 84 pts) and Henri Richard’s career-best season (28 goals, 80 pts) help Montreal overcome injuries to Jean Beliveau (27 goals in 55 games), Bernie Geoffrion (27 in 42) and Maurice Richard (15 in 28). The Canadiens’ 96 points, 250 goals and 158 goals allowed were by far the NHL’s best.

 

New York (77 points) led Detroit (70) and Boston (69) in the race for second. Key players: Ranger forwards Andy Bathgate (30 goals, 78 pts), Camille Henry (32 goals), defenseman Bill Gadsby (14 goals, 46 pts) and goalie Gump Worsley (2.32 gaa).

 

Gordie Howe (33 goals, 77 pts) led Detroit, which traded Johnny Bucyk to Boston and Glenn Hall and Ted Lindsay to Chicago before the season. Bronco Horvath (30 goals, 65 pts), acquired in a pre-season trade with Montreal, led six Bruins who had 20-plus goals each and made it to the Stanley Cup finals.

 

Chicago and Toronto were out of the playoffs, but rookie left wingers Bobby Hull (47 pts) and Frank Mahovlich (20 goals) hinted at better times to come. Toronto finished last for the first time since 1919. Chicago was two points better than Toronto, thanks as well to forward Eddie Litzenberger, whose 32 goals were third best in the NHL and young goalie Hall, who had a credible 2.89 gaa.

 

 

1964-65 season

Four-team frenzy

 

Only 20 goals for and 12 goals against separated the top four teams. Detroit topped the league with 87 points, its last very good team before the Steve Yzerman era.

 

Norm Ullman (42 goals, 83 pts) led the NHL in goals and Howe (29 goals, 76 pts) was third. Alex Delvecchio joined them in the league’s top five scorers, Ted Lindsay returned from retirement and goalie Roger Crozier’s first year as a starter featured 40 wins (most in the NHL) and a 2.42 GAA.

 

Montreal (83 points) was second for the season and won a seven-game Stanley Cup against Detroit. Claude Provost (27 goals) led seven Canadiens with at least 17.

 

Chicago (76 points) tied Detroit for the lead with 224 goals and allowed just one more than the Red Wings’ league-best 175. Stan Mikita (28 goals, 87 pts) led the league in scoring, Bobby Hull scored 39 goals, and Pierre Pilote (14 goals, 59 pts,), set the NHL scoring record for defensemen. Phil Esposito got his first serious playing time and scored 23 goals and 55 points. The Hawks had 10 double-figure goal scorers and two strong goalies in Glenn Hall and Denis DeJordy.

 

Toronto (74 points) yielded the fewest goals, as goalie Terry Sawchuk won his 400th game and Johnny Bower had the NHL’s best goals-against average (2.38). Young RW Ron Ellis matched veteran LW Frank Mahovlich for the team lead with 23 goals, eight forwards had at least 15 goals and defenseman Tim Horton added 12.

 

Young Rod Gilbert blossomed to lead New York (52 points) with 25 goals. Typical of the era, Boston (48 points) battled the Rangers for fifth place. Johnny Bucyk (26 goals, 55 pts) led the team with the fewest goals and the most allowed.

 

 

1969-70 season

Canada shut out of playoffs

 

Boston won its first Stanley Cup since 1941, Bobby Orr was the first defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring, rookie goalie Tony Esposito set a record for shutouts and Bobby Hull joined Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard in the 500-goal club.

 

This set also features five of the Original Six teams who finished within seven points of each other, plus Western Division champ St. Louis.

 

The ferocious battle for the four playoff spots from the Eastern Division was historic: For the first time in history, no Canadian team qualified for the playoffs.

Montreal’s 92 points, more than Western Division winner St. Louis, wasn’t good enough, and Toronto was last in the East.

 

Orr (33 goals, 120 pts) was MVP of both the season and the playoffs. His overtime goal captured in the famous photo of him flying through the air clinched Boston’s finals sweep of St. Louis. He and goals leader Phil Esposito (43) were the league’s top two scorers for the league’s best offense.

 

Chicago’s Tony Esposito won the Vezina trophy, set a modern record with 15 shutouts and led the league with 38 wins and a 2.17 GAA. The Blackhawks yielded the far fewest goals, and had offense, too: 39 goals by Stan Mikita, 38 by Hull and 30 by Pit Martin.

 

In Detroit, young Gary Unger (42 goals) nearly led the league, while teammate Frank Mahovlich notched 38 and Howe had 31.

 

New York boasted goalie Eddie Giacomin (2.36 gaa), Jean Ratelle (32 goals) and two more top-12 scorers, Walt Tkaczuk (77 pts) and Dave Balon (70). The extra offense gave the Rangers the final playoff berth after an identical record with Montreal.

 

Montreal relied on Jacques Lemaire (32 goals), wingers Yvan Cournoyer and Mickey Redmond (27 goals each) and goalie Rogatien Vachon (2.63). Canadiens LW John Ferguson played only 48 games, but still was second in the NHL with 139 penalty minutes, while scoring 19 goals.

 

Scotty Bowman’s St. Louis squad easily won the West. The Blues had veteran centers Red Berenson (33 goals) and Phil Goyette (29 goals, 78 pts) and still-brilliant goalie Jacques Plante (2.19 gaa). Plante and backup Ernie Wakely (2.11 gaa) combined for nine shutouts. Despite trips to the Stanley Cup finals in each of the three years of expansion, the Blues were still without a win there.

 

Carded teams:

Boston, 99 points, Stanley Cup champion

Chicago, 99 points

Detroit, 95 points

New York, 92 points

Montreal, 92 points

St. Louis, 86 points, Western Division champ

 

On the disk: Toronto, led by RW Ron Ellis (35 goals) and C Dave Keon (32 goals) had more offense (10 double-figure goal scorers) than defense … With five forwards who scored at least 24 goals, Minnesota had plenty of firepower. RW Bill Goldsworthy led the Western Division with 36 goals and his center man, Tommy Williams was third in the entire NHL in assists (52). Their linemate, LW J. P. Parise, was the NorthStars’ leading scorer (24-48-72) … Oakland’s Carol Vadnais established himself as a potent offensive threat. His 24 goals were more than any defenseman not named Orr … Bernie Parent (2.79 gaa) gave Philadelphia the West’s second best goaltending and four Flyer forwards topped 20 goals.