1972 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1972 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1971–72 season, and the culmination of the 1972 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers. It was the Rangers' first appearance in the finals since 1950. The Bruins were making their first appearance since their victory in the 1970 Finals. It was the second Boston-New York Final series, the other being the 1929 Finals. The Bruins won the best-of-seven series, four games to two.
| 1972 Stanley Cup Finals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location(s) | Boston: Boston Garden (1, 2, 5) New York City: Madison Square Garden (3, 4, 6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | Boston: Tom Johnson New York: Emile Francis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captains | Boston: Vacant New York: Vic Hadfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | April 30 – May 11, 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Bobby Orr (Bruins) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series-winning goal | Bobby Orr (11:18, first, G6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Bruins: Johnny Bucyk (1981) Gerry Cheevers (1985) Phil Esposito (1984) Bobby Orr (1979) Rangers: Eddie Giacomin (1987) Rod Gilbert (1982) Brad Park (1988) Jean Ratelle (1985) Glen Sather (1997, builder) Coaches: Emile Francis (1982) Tom Johnson (1970, player) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was only the second Stanley Cup Finals contested by New York in which the Rangers hosted all of their home games. The first such Final, held in 1929, had lasted only two games. All other previous Finals contested by the Rangers had partly or entirely coincided with an annual circus formerly held at Madison Square Garden, compelling the Rangers to play Finals games at neutral sites and/or at the venues of their opponents.