Why the Bruins Climb

Boston fans are not noted for their unwavering loyalty. They jeered Ted Williams through every grand derisive gesture, and even the consistently heroic Bill Russell is treated to a cacophony of catcalls during his rare falls from hard-court grace. But this year Brahmins and Black Irish alike have had nothing but praise for their beloved Bruins, who at week's end were in second place behind Montreal, the National Hockey League's perennial champions. Skating, shooting and clubbing their way to their best finish in ten years, the Bruins shattered all N.H.L. team-scoring records and are even-money bets to win their first Stanley Cup since 1941.

There are two prime factors in the Bruins' resurgence: Center Phil Esposito and Defenseman Bobby Orr. On March 1, the rugged, 200-lb. Esposito flipped in a 20-ft. wrist shot to become the first N.H.L. player ever to score 100 points in regular season play. Boston Garden fans responded with a 15-minute standing ovation, showering him with hats, programs, and even a pink brassiere. Three weeks after Esposito's feat, baby-faced Bobby Orr celebrated his 21st birthday by firing in a last-second goal against Chicago. That gave Boston a 5-5 tie and Orr his 21st goal of the season, breaking a 24-year-old record for defensemen.

Esposito, 27, made his big-league debut in 1964 with Chicago. In three successive seasons he racked up 20-plus goals but inevitably played in the shadow of Bobby Hull. "In Chicago," he recalls, "they called me a garbage collector. They said I picked up Bobby's garbage for points." More shade was cast by General Manager Tommy Ivan, who took a dim view of Esposito's escapades and traded him to Boston after the 1966-67 season. His antics are still puerile (he recently hid the luggage of Boston General Manager Milt Schmidt in a hotel lobby). Still, Coach Harry Sinden concedes, "We need his loosey-goosey style around the dressing room." His skating style is just as badly needed. Deceptive speed and a boardinghouse reach enable him to keep the puck away from hard-checking defensemen, which contributes to his--and Boston's--soaring point production.

Waiting in the Wings. The Bruins were even luckier to land Orr, who is the roughest, most reckless and best all-around hockey player to emerge in years. At age 12 he was considered the prize of the Canadian little leagues, and was already being wooed by Montreal. The Bruins moved in by subsidizing all minor-league play in Orr's home town of Parry Sound, Ont.--and refurbishing the Orr homestead to boot. By the time he was 18, Bobby was in the Boston training camp with a two-year contract for $65,000 in his pocket. His teammates initiated him by shaving his body from head to foot, "Better that he got it from us first," growled one Bruin, "because everyone and his brother was in the wings waiting to get a piece of him."

Just about everybody did. In a game where fractured ribs and split noses are merely workaday inconveniences, Orr has compiled an impressive medical record. In a 1967 exhibition game he tore the ligaments in his left knee. He recovered in time for the season's opener only to have his right shoulder smashed out of its socket. The cartilage in the same knee was ripped two months later; he has since undergone two knee operations, and was sidelined for nine games this season. "People tell me I'm brittle," he says, "but I can't afford to think about-that or let it affect my play."

It hasn't. "We have yet to find out what he can't do," says Schmidt, who has rewarded his slapdash star with a threeyear, $250,000 contract, making Orr one of the highest-paid hockey players in history. Bobby--all 5 ft. 11 in., 175 Ibs. of him--justifies his price tag every minute of play. Fearlessly aggressive, he once spotted Detroit's Gordie Howe 30 lbs. and lifted him clear oft the ice. Orr also has, as Teammate Ted Green puts it, "18 speeds of fast," and he is equally effective on offense. Says Toronto Defenseman Tim Horton: "Bobby's biggest asset is the way he moves the puck. He skates better than most forwards and has a wonderful sense of anticipation." No less an authority than Bobby Hull admits that Orr should become the ultimate player, adding, "if he doesn't kill himself first."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.