Maybe yes and maybe not. The Bobby Orr iconic moment of winning the fourth Stanley Cup in the Bruins history. The very first moment which comes to your mind with the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues facing each other in the Stanley Cup Final. We are living in a world of coincidences, but is it a coincidence that the Blues play their first Stanley Cup Final after 49 years… against these same Boston Bruins? Well, not these same, but Bobby Orr will be in the building for sure. Is there a sense of revenge for the Blues or will it serve as a blessing for the Bruins?
Bobby Orr Iconic Moment: Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues Retrospectives
The St. Louis Blues made it to the NHL as an expansion team prior to the 1967-68 season. Since they made their first NHL appearance, they have only witnessed playing in the Stanley Cup Final in 1970. But then, the Blues had to wait 49 years to get to the Stanley Cup Final again. They still wait to win their first ever Stanley Cup after almost 52 years in the NHL.
It really might not be a coincidence after all, that the Blues will meet the Boston Bruins. Last time the Blues played in the Stanley Cup Final, Bobby Orr scored for Boston to win them the Stanley Cup. The 49-year gap followed next for St. Louis and their franchise. After so many years, the Blues meet the Bruins again.
The Bruins already know that they can beat the St. Louis Blues in the Cup Final, but on the other hand, it´s a long history already. The Bobby Orr iconic moment is still very present here, it can last forever, but it cannot help anymore. The St. Louis Blues will try to get their revenge.
The 1970 Stanley Cup Final
In 1970, the Blues made it to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season. On the other side, the Bruins had the big and legendary names on their behalf. The Cup Final in 1970 started in old St. Louis Arena on May 3. The Bruins came out of Game 1 victorious after a 6-1 win. Johnny Bucyk scored a hat trick in that game and also Phil Esposito scored his 12th goal of the playoffs for a 6-1 tally.
In Game 2, the Blues were logically desperate to tie the series. Fred Stanfield opened the scoring for the Bruins as Boston won Game 2 in a 6-2 fashion. The series shifted to Boston with the Bruins holding a 2-0 advantage. The Blues attempted to come out with a better effort in Game 3 in old Boston Garden as they opened the scoring with Frank St. Marseille´s tally. However, the Bruins came back and won that clash 4-1, John McKenzie, who passed away last June, scored the game-winner. In the third game of the series, the Blues used their third different goaltender in Glenn Hall after Ernie Wakely and Jacques Plante.
Facing elimination, the Blues brought their best performance of the series. After scoring just four goals in the first three meetings, they combined for three goals in Game 4. With less than seven minutes to go in that game Johnny Bucyk tied it up and it went to overtime for the first time in the series. Then, just 40 seconds in, Bobby Orr finally got his first one of the Cup Final to win the Stanley Cup for the Boston Bruins. It was Orr´s ninth playoff goal, but what timing for his first in that Stanley Cup Final.
Bobby Orr: Boston Bruins Blessing Moment?
You don´t like to be reminded of some negative history or memory. You try to forget it as soon as possible. For the Boston Bruins, it´s quite the opposite thing with the Stanley Cup Final looming ahead. There is so much history tied up to the Bruins winning a Stanley Cup against the St. Louis Blues.
The Bruins will try to seize up the Bobby Orr iconic moment to the maximum. The legendary defenceman, one of the game’s greatest players, will attend TD Garden during this Cup Final. He will cheer for the Bruins. For the Bruins players, that can be a huge blessing and motivating factor. Do you know what happened last time the Bruins met the Blues in the Stanley Cup Final? Yes, the statue of the Cup-winning moment still stands in front of TD Garden and is admired by almost every Boston Bruins fan.
For any player on the Bruins roster, that´s a huge motivation. Now that player can become as famous. Of course, Bobby Orr would still be famous even without that goal, but who knows, maybe not as much. That´s why it´s called an iconic moment. You become an icon. Now there is an opportunity for any of the Bruins players to try to repeat that Bobby Orr iconic moment and win the Cup for Boston.
Or St. Louis Blues Revenge?
The city of St. Louis has waited such a long time to be there. To play for the Stanley Cup, again. They have made it to the Stanley Cup Final during each of their first NHL seasons, but have never won a single game in those finals. The Blues have waited so long for this chance. They have waited so long since Bobby Orr´s goal in old Boston Garden.
And 49 years later, they get to play in the Stanley Cup Final again. At TD Garden in Boston. How would it feel for this franchise to win its first Stanley Cup and celebrate it in Boston? The St. Louis Blues team then led by the head coach Scotty Bowman and their captain Al Arbour would like to get its revenge just a few years later after that 1970 head-to-head meeting.
It just wasn’t meant to be. But the current Blues players have a chance to correct that history and to bring the Stanley Cup to St. Louis for the first time ever. There is a sense of revenge, nevertheless, it should be more of a motivation and an eagerness than an angriness. Talking about Bobby Orr iconic moment for the Bruins… this can be the St. Louis Blues most ever iconic moment.
Bobby Orr Iconic Moment Looms Over This Stanley Cup Final
The best way how to handle the present and prepare for the future is to know the history. We all know the history now. The Blues and the Bruins know it as well. At the end of the day, the players don’t remind themselves of some moments which happened almost 50 years ago. They want to play in the present, shift by shift. But 50 years later, this Stanley Cup Final will be history.
Will it be remembered just like that Bobby Orr iconic moment? Or, whose iconic moment will it be? We shall find out next.
