1927–28 Boston Bruins season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=1927–28
Team=Boston Bruins
Record=20-13-11 (51 points)
Division=American
DivisionRank=First
GoalsFor=77
GoalsAgainst=70
GeneralManager=Art Ross
Coach=Art Ross
Captain= Lionel Hitchman
Arena=Boston Arena
GoalsLeader=Harry Oliver (13)
AssistsLeader=Eddie Shore (6)
PointsLeader=Harry Oliver (18)
PIMLeader=Eddie Shore (165)
WinsLeader=Hal Winkler (20)
GAALeader=Hal Winkler (1.51)

The 1927–28 Boston Bruins’ season was the team's fourth in the NHL. The Bruins finished first in the American Division, marking its first division title in franchise history and its second playoff appearance. The team lost in the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers.

Regular Season

"See also: 1927-28 NHL season"

For the second straight season, Harry Oliver led the Bruins in scoring, and although the team's attack was relatively anemic - the Bruins finished with 77 goals, leading only the last-place teams in both divisions, the Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Americans - they cut down sharply in goals allowed, leading the division behind Hal Winkler's goaltending. Eddie Shore was the team's great star, finishing just one point behind Oliver in scoring and leading the league in penalty minutes by a wide margin.

Winkler in his own turn had fifteen shutouts, tied with Alex Connell for the league lead and a new NHL record; Winkler's mark remains the Bruins' single-season record for shutouts, eighty years later. Although veteran Sprague Cleghorn was fading and missed a quarter of the season with injuries, Shore and defense partner Lionel Hitchman were ironmen, playing most of each game. [harvnb|Coleman|(1969)|p=39]

Prominent newcomers included Dutch Gainor and Dit Clapper, both of whose rights were purchased from the minor leagues, and who would make a significant impact with the Bruins down the years. [harvnb|Coleman|(1969)|p=35]

With Boston's first place finish, the Bruins became the first team to win the Prince of Wales Trophy, awarded for the first time in this season. [harvnb|Vautour|(1997)|p=45]

"Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against"

Playoffs

The Bruins gained a first-round bye by virtue of winning the division, and played the New York Rangers in the second round in a two-game, total goal series. Their scoring problems of the regular season continued, exacerbated by a flu bug going through the dressing room and various minor injuries; Shore, Clapper, Gainor and Connor were particularly affected. [harvnb|Coleman|(1964)|p=49]

Boston tied the first game 1-1 in New York, the Rangers' final home game of the playoffs - this was the first of perennial disruptions to the Rangers' playoff schedule due to Madison Square Garden hosting the circus in the spring. The Bruins lost the second match in Boston 4-1, on three Ranger third-period goals as the weakened Brown-and-Gold folded at last, to drop the total-goal series five goals to two. Harry Oliver, who scored a goal in each game, was the sole offensive threat. [harvnb|Coleman|(1964)|p=50]

Playoff stats

coring leaders

Goaltending

Roster

* #1 Sprague Cleghorn
* #2 Eddie Shore
* #3 Lionel Hitchman
* #4 Jimmy Herberts
* #5 Frank Fredrickson
* #6 Percy Galbraith
* #7 Carson Cooper
* #8 Dutch Gainor
* #9 Harry Oliver
* #10 Fred Gordon
* #11 Hal Winkler
* #12 Dit Clapper
* #14 Hago Harrington
* #14 Martin Lauder
* #15 Nobby Clark (ice hockey)

Transactions

* Acquired Dutch Gainor from Minneapolis of the American Hockey Association for Red Stuart, cash and future considerations, October 24, 1927. [cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12668 |title=Hockey Hall of Fame website |accessdate=2008-09-23 |work=Dutch Gainor |publisher= |date= ]
* Purchased Dit Clapper from Boston of the Canadian-American League, October 25, 1927. [cite web |url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p194701&type=Player&page=statsawards&list=#photo |title=Hockey Hall of Fame website |accessdate=2008-09-23 |work=Dit Clapper |publisher= |date= ]
* Sold the rights to Duke Keats to Chicago, Carson Cooper to Detroit and Billy Boucher to the Americans. [harvnb|Vautour|(1997)|p=45]
* Traded Jimmy Herberts to Toronto for the rights to Eric Pettinger and $15,000, December 21, 1927. [cite web |url=http://bruins.nhl.com/team/app?page=HistoricalPlayerDetail&pkey=8446785&service=page |title=Boston Bruins website |accessdate=2008-09-23 |work=Jimmy Herberts |publisher= |date= ]

References

*Citation|last=Coleman|first=Charles L.|year=1969|title=Trail of the Stanley Cup, Vol II.|publisher=Kendall-Hunt Publishing|ID=ISBN 0480329415
*Citation|last=Vautour|first=Kevin|year=1997|title=The Bruins Book|publisher=ECW Press|ID=ISBN 1550223348
*Citation|last=Klein, Jeff Z.|first=Reif, Karl-Eric|year=1997|title=The Klein & Reif Hockey Compendium|publisher=McClelland & Stewart|ID=ISBN 0-7710-4529-8

Footnotes