The golden age of hockey for many fans was the Great Expansion Era that began in 1967 when the league doubled from six to 12 teams, with two more teams added in 1970, 1972, and 1974. The NHL of that time oozed with flair and personality that has never been matched to this day.
Two of the top teams in the late 60s and early 70s were the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks. Neither team was able to hoist the Stanley Cup during that time, but they indeed could have and perhaps should have. The Blackhawks made the Stanley Cup Final in both 1971 and 1973, losing to the Montreal Canadiens each time. The Rangers made it in 1972, only to succumb to the Boston Bruins. Both teams were regulars on the playoffs and perennially had among the top regular season records in the game.
The Rangers and Blackhawks joined the Boston Bruins as the three feature teams that were regularly on the CBS game of the week at that time. Fans of both teams, and hockey fans in general, have never gotten over or forgotten these two classic teams that were loaded with talent and personality. To this very day, you will frequently see fans of both teams rock sweaters with players numbers and names from that era.
In 1971, the Blackhawks and Rangers were at their peak. As fate would have it, the Rangers and Bruins would match up in the semifinal playoff with the winner having their ticket punched for the Stanley Cup Final. It was to be a series for the ages.
GAG Line Sparks Broadway Blueshirts
The New York Rangers were sparked by the famed Goal-A-Game (GAG) Line that featured elegant center Jean Ratelle, the magnificent Rod Gilbert on right wing, and left winger Vic Hadfield. Ratelle had 26 goals and 46 assists on the season and played with a dignity that was in stark contrast to the more rambunctious style of many players in that era. Gilbert was a dynamic goal scorer that lit the lamp 30 times on the season. Hadfield overcame injuries to post 22 goals. The Rangers boasted plenty of secondary scoring depth with center Walt Tkaczuk, (22 goals/49 assists), left wing Dave Balon, (36 goals/24 assists), right wing Bob Nevin, (21 goals/25 assists), and Pete Stemkowski, (16 goals/29 assists).
The Rangers were not lacking for defense, and young blue liner Brad Park was emerging into stardom to become the second best rearguard of that era, topped only by Boston’s Bobby Orr. Park had seven goals and 37 assists with a plus-25 against the top lines in the game each night.
The goaltending tandem of Ed Giacomin and Gilles Villemure was among the best in the game and the newly built Madison Square Garden would be packed to the rafters with fans serenading Giacomin with chants of, “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!” Today, when Giacomin is introduced at the Garden, he is still serenaded in the same manner.
Hawks Fueled by the Golden Jet and Tony O
Few athletes in the history of sports could match Chicago Blackhawks left winger Bobby Hull for his combination of power, dominance, and charisma. The Golden Jet had it all and was the marquee man of the Hawks. Hull led the 1971 Hawks with 44 goals and a legendary shot that would routinely exceed speeds of 100 miles per hour in an era of wooden sticks and authenticity.
Hull’s fellow left winger, and brother Dennis, was second on the team with 40 goals. Center Stan Mikita rehabilitated himself from being a player that went from beyond chippy, to at times dirty, into one of the classiest and smoothest players in the game.
The defense corps was anchored by Pat Stapleton, who was a solid playmaker with 44 assists and a whopping plus-49. Veteran rearguard Bill White was a classic shutdown defenseman and Keith Magnuson was a promising tough guy blue liner with 291 penalty minutes in keeping the Hawks crease spotless. Goaltender Tony Esposito was becoming a legend. Tony O posted six shutouts and a 2.27 goals against average as one of the top netminders in the game
Venerable Chicago Stadium remains one of the most revered old barns in the history of the game with its pipe organ. Hawks radio announcer Lloyd Pettit was a legend in his own right as the powerful WMAQ signal reached much of the United States at night to feed desperate fans their fix in an age of no cable TV or internet. Pettit’s famed “shot and a goal” phrase remains a beloved part of hockey lore to this very day.
Although nobody knew it at the time, this Golden Era of Glory was winding down for the Chicago Blackhawks. The Golden Jet was grossly underpaid by Blackhawks owner William Wirtz, one of the game’s legendary Hall of Fame misers. Hull would sign with the new World Hockey Association’s Winnipeg Jets after the 1972 playoffs.
The Series
The teams split the first four games as Chicago appeared to seize control with a 7-1 blowout at MSG in game four with game five set for Chicago Stadium. Game five was to take a good playoff series into greatness. The Rangers and Hawks battled to a 2-2 regulation tie before Hull snapped a perfectly timed wrist shot off the faceoff in overtime to light the lamp and give Chicago a 3-2 win and series lead. The Hawks skated off to a frenzied celebration in the packed Chicago Stadium stands. The Rangers looked as good as dead.
Facing extinction at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers rose to the occasion in one of the greatest games ever played. Game 6 epitomized the greatness of NHL sudden death overtime as fans had to hold their collective breaths for two scoreless overtimes in a 2-2 tie. If the Blackhawks could just get one luck shot or bounce, the Rangers would be dead. Tension reverberated in front of a sellout crowd of terrified Rangers fans. When the Stemkowski scored the game winner in the third overtime, madness took over and the Rangers had the momentum back for Game 7 in Chicago.
Lesser teams would have folded after such a crushing loss, but the Blackhawks had too many veterans that had been through too many NHL wars to crack. Chicago would win the clincher 4-2 and go on to the Stanley Cup Final where they would lose a seven-game heartbreaker to the Canadiens.
It may be 44 years later, but the 1971 semifinal series between the Rangers and Blackhawks has stood the test of time as among the greatest in the history of sports. Few playoff series in sports could combine the talent, personalities, and high stakes quality play of this one. It epitomized a golden age of a game that was taking off in popularity and emerging as a true big league sport.
