THIS DATE IN NHL HISTORY: April 3
1928: The New York Rangers defeat the Bruins 4-1 in Game 2 to win their Stanley Cup Semifinal series in the last NHL game played at Boston Arena. The Bruins move into Boston Garden to begin the 1928-29 season. Boston Arena, which has been renovated several times since its opening in 1910, is still in use today. Now known as Matthews Arena, it’s the home rink of Northeastern University.
1933: Ken Doraty scores at 104:46 of overtime, Lorne Chabot gets his fourth playoff shutout and Toronto eliminates Boston with a 1-0 victory in Game 5 of the Semifinals at Maple Leaf Gardens. It is the longest game in playoff history to that time; the record lasts three years before being eclipsed on March 24-25, 1936, by the Red Wings’ six-overtime 1-0 victory against the Montreal Maroons.
1966: In the final game of the 1965-66 season, Bobby Hull of the Chicago Blackhawks has an assist in a 4-2 loss at Boston to give him an NHL-record 97 points. Hull breaks Dickie Moore’s record of 96 points, set in 1958-59.
1971: Boston defenseman Bobby Orr sets up three goals in an 8-3 win against Toronto to become the first player in NHL history to have 100 assists in one season.
1976: Darryl Sittler becomes the first 100-point scorer in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs when he has an assist in the second period of a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins at Maple Leaf Gardens.
Sittler reaches 100 points in Toronto’s 79th game of the season when he assists on a power-play goal by Errol Thompson. The Maple Leafs are the last of the Original Six teams to have a player score 100 points in a season.
The milestone comes just short of two months after Sittler sets an NHL single-game record with 10 points (six goals, four assists) against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976.
1977: Montreal’s Steve Shutt sets an NHL single-season record for most goals by a left wing when he scores his 60th goal in a 2-1 victory against the Washington Capitals. Linemate Guy Lafleur scores to set a Canadiens’ record for most points in a single season (136).
1980: Philadelphia Flyers forward Reggie Leach completes his eighth NHL career hat trick by becoming the first player in League history to score his 50th goal of the season into an empty net. It wraps up the 4-2 win against Washington at the Spectrum.
1988: Hakan Loob becomes the first player born in Sweden to score 50 goals in an NHL season. Loob passes the previous high of 49 set by former teammate Kent Nilsson with the Calgary Falmes in 1980-81 when he scores a power-play goal late in the third period of the Flames’ 4-1 victory against the Minnesota North Stars at the Saddledome.
2000: Brett Hull scores his 610th NHL goal to tie his Hall of Fame father, Bobby Hull, for ninth place on the all-time list. The milestone comes in the Dallas Stars’ 2-2 tie against the visiting Flames.
