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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.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface
Introduction: Those Unbeatable Habs
¿1.¿The Arrival of Don Cherry and the "Lunch Pail A.C."
¿2.¿No Contest: The 1977 Stanley Cup Final
¿3.¿A Valiant Effort: The 1978 Stanley Cup Final
¿4.¿High Hopes and Cautious Optimism for 1978-79
¿5.¿Looking Like Contenders
¿6.¿The New Year Brings Troubles-and a Tribute
¿7.¿Only Three Contenders: The 1979 Stanley Cup Playoffs
¿8.¿The Quarterfinal: Boston Sweeps Pittsburgh
¿9.¿An Old Nemesis Awaits
10.¿Game 1: No Penalty Shot?
11.¿Game 2: A Two-Goal Lead Vanishes
12.¿Game 3: Gilbert Gets the Nod
13.¿Game 4: Ratelle to the Rescue
14.¿Game 5: Montreal Reasserts Its Dominance
15.¿Game 6: The Bruins' Big Win Forces a Decider
16.¿None Bigger: The Hype for the Final Game
17.¿Game 7: Too Many Men
18.¿The Immediate Aftermath
19.¿Who Even Remembers the 1979 Stanley Cup Final?
20.¿The End of the Don Cherry Era in Boston
21.¿Who Was to Blame?
22.¿April 26, 1988: Liberation Day for Bruin Fans
Epilogue
Appendix A: Boston's Key Personnel, 1978-79
Appendix B: Statistics and Game Results
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
John G. Robertson is a private tutor and sports historian who lives in Cambridge, Ontario. He is the author of numerous books on baseball, hockey and boxing history.
