1978–79 Boston Bruins season

The 1978–79 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 55th season.

1978–79 Boston Bruins
Adams Division champions
Division1st Adams
Conference2nd Wales
1978–79 record43–23–14
Goals for316
Goals against270
Team information
General managerHarry Sinden
CoachDon Cherry
CaptainWayne Cashman
Alternate captainsNone
ArenaBoston Garden
Team leaders
GoalsRick Middleton (38)
AssistsTerry O'Reilly (51)
PointsRick Middleton (86)
Penalty minutesTerry O'Reilly (205)
WinsGerry Cheevers (23)
Goals against averageGerry Cheevers (3.16)

Offseason

NHL Draft
See also: 1978 NHL Amateur Draft
Round Overall Player Nationality Position
1 16 Al Secord  Canada Left Wing
2 35 Graeme Nicolson  Canada Defenseman
3 52 Brad Knelson  Canada Defenseman
4 68 George Buat  Canada Right Wing
5 85 Daryl MacLeod  United States Left Wing
6 102 Jeff Brubaker  United States Left Wing
7 119 Murray Skinner  Canada Goalie
8 136 Bobby Hehir  United States Center
9 153 Craig MacTavish  Canada Center

Regular season
  • Al Secord made his NHL debut with the Bruins during the 1978–79 season.

Season standings
Adams Division
  GP W L T GF GA PTS
Boston Bruins80432314316270100
Buffalo Sabres8036281628026388
Toronto Maple Leafs8034331326725281
Minnesota North Stars8028401225728968

[1]

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Roster
1978–79 Boston Bruins roster

Forwards

7 – Bennett • 8 – McNab • 10 – Ratelle • 11 – Schmautz • 12 – Cashman • 14 – Miller • 16 – Middleton • 17 – Jonathan • 18 – Wensink • 19 – Songin • 20 – Secord • 21 – Marcotte • 24 – O'Reilly • 27 – Foster • 27 – Walton 

Defenseman

6 – Redmond • 19 – DeMarco • 19 – Nicolson • 22 – Park • 23 – Smith • 25 – Doak • 26 – Milbury • 28 – O'Brien • 29 – Sims 

Goaltenders

1 – Gilbert • 30 – Cheevers • 31 – Pettie 

General Manager: Harry Sinden •  Coach: Don Cherry

[2]

Schedule and results
Regular season schedule
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1WOctober 12, 19788–2Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)1–0–0
2TOctober 14, 19784–4@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)1–0–1
3WOctober 15, 19784–2Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)2–0–1
4WOctober 18, 19783–2@ Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)3–0–1
5WOctober 20, 19785–1@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)4–0–1
6LOctober 22, 19785–6@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)4–1–1
7WOctober 24, 19787–2@ St. Louis Blues (1978–79)5–1–1
8TOctober 25, 19782–2@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)5–1–2
9WOctober 28, 19785–3@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)6–1–2
10WNovember 2, 19784–1New York Islanders (1978–79)7–1–2
11LNovember 4, 19783–7Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)7–2–2
12TNovember 5, 19781–1Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)7–2–3
13WNovember 9, 19786–2Washington Capitals (1978–79)8–2–3
14LNovember 11, 19781–7@ Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)8–3–3
15TNovember 12, 19784–4@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)8–3–4
16LNovember 16, 19784–6Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)8–4–4
17WNovember 17, 19786–2@ Atlanta Flames (1978–79)9–4–4
18WNovember 19, 19785–2St. Louis Blues (1978–79)10–4–4
19WNovember 23, 19785–2Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)11–4–4
20TNovember 25, 19785–5@ Washington Capitals (1978–79)11–4–5
21WNovember 26, 19784–2Atlanta Flames (1978–79)12–4–5
22WNovember 30, 19784–3@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)13–4–5
23WDecember 2, 19785–3Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)14–4–5
24WDecember 3, 19783–2@ New York Rangers (1978–79)15–4–5
25WDecember 5, 19785–1@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)16–4–5
26WDecember 7, 19786–5Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)17–4–5
27LDecember 9, 19782–9@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)17–5–5
28TDecember 10, 19784–4Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)17–5–6
29WDecember 12, 19787–3Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)18–5–6
30WDecember 14, 19785–2Washington Capitals (1978–79)19–5–6
31WDecember 16, 19784–1New York Rangers (1978–79)20–5–6
32WDecember 17, 19784–1@ New York Rangers (1978–79)21–5–6
33WDecember 21, 19784–2Colorado Rockies (1978–79)22–5–6
34WDecember 23, 19786–4Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)23–5–6
35TDecember 27, 19781–1@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)23–5–7
36LDecember 30, 19781–6@ Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)23–6–7
37WDecember 31, 19787–3@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)24–6–7
38WJanuary 3, 19796–3@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)25–6–7
39WJanuary 5, 19795–3@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79)26–6–7
40WJanuary 6, 19795–2@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)27–6–7
41WJanuary 11, 19796–4Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)28–6–7
42LJanuary 13, 19793–5@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)28–7–7
43LJanuary 14, 19793–6Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)28–8–7
44LJanuary 16, 19792–5@ St. Louis Blues (1978–79)28–9–7
45WJanuary 18, 19794–0St. Louis Blues (1978–79)29–9–7
46LJanuary 20, 19791–2Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)29–10–7
47WJanuary 22, 19793–1Atlanta Flames (1978–79)30–10–7
48LJanuary 25, 19792–4New York Islanders (1978–79)30–11–7
49LJanuary 27, 19791–3@ Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)30–12–7
50LJanuary 28, 19793–5Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)30–13–7
51TJanuary 31, 19792–2@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)30–13–8
52WFebruary 1, 19796–1Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)31–13–8
53TFebruary 3, 19794–4@ New York Islanders (1978–79)31–13–9
54WFebruary 4, 19796–1Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)32–13–9
55LFebruary 14, 19791–5@ New York Rangers (1978–79)32–14–9
56LFebruary 15, 19793–5@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)32–15–9
57TFebruary 17, 19793–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)32–15–10
58WFebruary 20, 19795–3@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79)33–15–10
59LFebruary 21, 19791–3@ Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)33–16–10
60WFebruary 24, 19794–3@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)34–16–10
61LFebruary 27, 19792–4Colorado Rockies (1978–79)34–17–10
62TMarch 1, 19794–4Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)34–17–11
63WMarch 3, 19795–0Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)35–17–11
64WMarch 4, 19796–4@ Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)36–17–11
65LMarch 8, 19795–7@ Atlanta Flames (1978–79)36–18–11
66WMarch 10, 19794–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)37–18–11
67TMarch 11, 19794–4New York Islanders (1978–79)37–18–12
68LMarch 13, 19792–7@ New York Islanders (1978–79)37–19–12
69LMarch 15, 19794–7New York Rangers (1978–79)37–20–12
70WMarch 17, 19794–2Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)38–20–12
71WMarch 19, 19794–3Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)39–20–12
72LMarch 22, 19791–3Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)39–21–12
73WMarch 24, 19795–2Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)40–21–12
74LMarch 28, 19792–9@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)40–22–12
75WMarch 29, 19797–4Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)41–22–12
76WMarch 31, 19794–1@ Washington Capitals (1978–79)42–22–12
77TApril 1, 19793–3Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)42–22–13
78TApril 4, 19793–3@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)42–22–14
79LApril 5, 19793–9Buffalo Sabres (1978–79)42–23–14
80WApril 8, 19796–3Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)43–23–14

Player statistics

Regular season
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Rick MiddletonRW713848867331215
Peter McNabC763545801029404
Terry O'ReillyRW802651772057305
Jean RatelleC8027457212171105
Wayne CashmanLW7527406763161004
Bob MillerC771533483020001
Don MarcotteLW79202747106245
John WensinkLW7628184610620004
Bobby SchmautzRW6520224277-1614
Brad ParkD40732391028300
Mike MilburyD741343514923000
Dick RedmondD6472633210401
Al SimsD67920292822002
Rick SmithD65718254620001
Dwight FosterRW4411132414-1200
Al SecordLW71167231257000
Gary DoakD63611172812100
Stan JonathanLW336915968001
Dennis O'BrienD64281010716000
Mike WaltonC144260-1001
Bill BennettLW714524000
Tom SonginRW173140-3100
Gerry CheeversG43022230000
Ab DeMarco Jr.D300000000
Gilles GilbertG23000160000
Graeme NicolsonD100000000
Jim PettieG19000170000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO
Gerry Cheevers250943239101323.161
Gilles Gilbert1254231282743.540
Jim Pettie103719862623.591
Team:4800804323142683.352

Playoffs
Scoring
Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM PPG SHG GWG
Jean RatelleC1176132202
Rick MiddletonRW1148120201
Wayne CashmanLW104598101
Don MarcotteLW1153810000
Peter McNabC115380000
Mike MilburyD111787001
Terry O'ReillyRW1106625000
Stan JonathanLW1141512000
Brad ParkD111458001
Bobby SchmautzRW112246100
Dwight FosterRW111340000
Dick RedmondD111342010
Rick SmithD1104412000
Bob MillerC111128000
Gary DoakD70224000
Al SimsD110220000
John WensinkLW801119000
Gerry CheeversG60000000
Gilles GilbertG50000000
Al SecordLW40004000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L GA GAA SO
Gerry Cheevers360642152.500
Gilles Gilbert314532163.060
Team:6741174312.760

[3]

Note:
Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Playoffs

Quarter-finals

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 16Pittsburgh2Boston 6
April 18Pittsburgh3Boston 4
April 21Boston 2Pittsburgh1
April 22Boston 4Pittsburgh1

Boston wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Semi-finals

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game seven of the Montreal-Boston Semi-final is probably one of the most memorable in the history of the NHL. About a minute and a half after Boston's Rick Middleton scored with four minutes remaining in the third period to give the Bruins a 4–3 lead, linesman John D'Amico called a bench minor for too many men on the ice against the Bruins. Montreal's Guy Lafleur scored on the ensuing powerplay, sending the game to overtime where Yvon Lambert gave the Canadiens the win and a trip to their fourth straight Stanley Cup final.

Date Away Score Home Score Notes
April 26Boston2Montreal 4
April 28Boston2Montreal 5
May 1Montreal1Boston 2
May 3Montreal3Boston 4(OT)
May 5Boston1Montreal 5
May 8Montreal2Boston 5
May 10Boston4Montreal 5(OT)

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

  • The 1979 NHL Playoffs would mark the end of Don Cherry's tenure with the Bruins. Cherry, who had an uneasy relationship with Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden, was fired by the Bruins after a critical coaching mistake during a 1979 semi-final playoff series against the Canadiens. Up by a goal with less than two minutes left in the seventh game, the Bruins were penalized for having too many men on the ice. The Canadiens' Guy Lafleur scored the tying goal on the subsequent powerplay and ultimately won the game in overtime. Montreal went on to defeat the New York Rangers for their fourth straight Cup title.

References
  1. National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 163, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5
  2. Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-May-03.
  3. "1978-79 Boston Bruins Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
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