1/6/1968 Bruins at Maple Leafs complete game broadcast Bobby Orr Clear the Track for Eddie Shack

This video is the Jan. 6, 1968 broadcast of the National Hockey League game between the Boston Bruins and the Maple Leafs in Toronto. It originally aired on Hockey Night in Canada on CBC and was re-run on Maple Leafs TV. The announcers are Bill Hewitt on play by play and Brian McFarlane on color. This is the second season of Bruins Hall of Fame defenseman Bobby Orr, who was Rookie of the Year in 1966-67. Even though Boston still finished last in '66-'67, there is plenty of optimism because of Orr, and the offseason trade (heist) pulled off by Bruins GM Milt Schmidt to get Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge, and Fred Stanfield from the Blackhawks. The young Bruins enter the game tied with the Blackhawks in first place, ahead of the defending-champion but faltering Maple Leafs, and Boston really seems to be coming together. Orr, playing against his hometown Leafs, scores late in the third on a tremendous tip after a great rush. McFarlane muses that one day he could be a 20-goal scorer ... a bar that as everyone knows Orr eventually easily cleared multiple times! Gerry Cheevers is seen in a mask, but it doesn't yet have the famous stitches; he makes an incredible save. This was also my first look at (Clear the track for) Eddie Shack, in his one year as a Bruin; he's a piece of work. Obviously his game was agitation, but he could skate and score, too. He gave the Bruins a lot of excitement and toughness this season, another great Schmidt depth acquisition (Schmidt lauded Shack in a between-periods interview). This game was chippier than usual, with Shack, Ted Green, and Tim Horton on a conveyor belt to the sin bin. Young Derek Sanderson, who would win the Calder Trophy as best rookie this year, was just concentrating on his game at this point. Steady Eddie Westfall had a great game. This game has been out there on YouTube. I posted it to trim the commercials and to provide a few Boston-fan-centric observations. Box score in comments. Copyright 2003 Molson Sports and Entertainment. I don't claim the rights to, and don't profit from, this video. I just posted it for historical and educational purposes, and for those who will enjoy it as much as I did.