You';ve probably heard of Bobby Orr. Widely considered the best defenseman to
ever play the game, and even considered by some the best player ever, the
legendary No. 4 took his first strides in the NHL during the 1966-67 season -
but, it was during Orr';s prime that he dominated the league. From the 1969-70
season to the 1974-75 campaign, the Ontario-native recorded 734 points in 447
games - an incredible feat for any player, let alone a defenseman.Boston Bruin
Bobby Orr is widely considered the best defenseman in NHL history. (Photo by
Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)

But there is one campaign that seems to rise above the rest. During the Boston
Bruins 1969-70 season, Orr netted a remarkable 33 goals and 87 assists in 76
games. He took home the Hart, Norris, Art Ross, and Conn Smythe trophies and
his first Stanley Cup. The Cup was a result of Orr';s most memorable moment -
his flying goal.

It is unlikely that all of Orr';s awards can fit into a single trophy case. In
total, No. 4 earned the 1966-67 Calder Trophy, three Hart trophies, two Art
Ross trophies, two Conn Smythe trophies and was named to nine all-star teams.
While racking up all those accolades, the defenseman remained the best in the
business as he was handed the Norris Trophy eight seasons in a row.

Orr';s regular season totals rest at 270 goals and 645 assists (915 points) in
just 657 games. His plus-minus rating for those games resides at a whopping
plus-582. During the postseason the defenseman went on to produce 26 goals and
66 assists (92 points) in 74 playoff appearances.Orr Takes Flight

It is the most recognizable highlight in Boston sports history. The goal ranks
 up there with memories of the Boston Red Sox';s 2004 World Series
championship, the New England Patriots'; first Super Bowl win, and the Boston
Celtics'; incredible streak of eight consecutive championships from 1959 to
1966.

But Orr';s goal goes beyond winning the Stanley Cup. It was poetic that the
Bruins'; best player potted the best goal in the franchise';s history. The game
 took place on May 10, 1970 - Mother';s Day. Play-by-play announcer Dan
Kelly';s call of the final moments of Game 4 will give you goosebumps even to
this day.

A big party started in Boston Garden. Orr, still on the ice after being tripped
 by St. Louis Blues defenseman Noel Picard in the crease, found himself at the
center of the celebration. According to Orr, though, his flight through the air
 was by choice.

"As I went across, Glenn';s legs opened. I looked back, and I saw it go in, so
I jumped." - Bobby Orr, 'The Goal: Bobby Orr and the Most Famous Goal in
Stanley Cup History'; by Andrew Podnieks

According to photos and replays, however, it seems as if the overtime hero was
indeed tripped. Perhaps Orr simply wanted to avoid embarrassing a fellow
defenseman. Maybe he didn';t want the media to run rampant with such a small
footnote - after all, the Bruins had just clinched the franchise';s first
championship since 1941.

No. 4 started celebrating just before being tripped, resulting in one of the
most iconic photos in hockey. The photo was snapped by photographer Ray
Lussier as Orr flew through the air like a Superman, his arms outstretched and
an ecstatic expression on his face. He was forever remembered as a superhero in
 the eyes of Bruins fans. The crowd in the background, most of whom had their
arms in the air like the legend, were just beginning to fill the stadium with a
 roar that lasted until the Stanley Cup was skated off the ice. It was the
moment Orr realized he was a champion, captured and engraved in history.1970
Stanley Cup Final

Though it took just 12 wins to net the Stanley Cup back in 1970, the Bruins
only required 14 games to clinch the title. They lost just two games - both to
the New York Rangers during the first round in Games 4 and 5 - before winning
10 straight en route to the championship. Phil Esposito led the team with 13
goals and 14 assists, followed by none other than Orr who tallied nine goals
and 11 helpers.Bobby Orr, who scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal for the
Boston Bruins, dominated during the 1970 NHL Playoffs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett
Studios/Getty Images)

After sweeping the Chicago Black Hawks in the second round, the Bruins went on
to face the Blues. During Games 1 and 2 in St. Louis, Boston outscored their
opponent 12-3. They increased that margin to a score of 16-4 during Game 3 as
the teams headed into what would be the final matchup of the 1970 NHL Playoffs.

Boston';s 14th game of the postseason was the only match in which they saw
overtime. It was just the third time they were forced to take a matchup by one
goal during their historic playoff run. Red Berenson, Gary Sabourin, and Larry
Keenan were credited for the three Blues goals during Game 4. Meanwhile, Rick
Smith, Esposito, and John Bucyk netted three goals for Boston in order to send
the game into overtime.

During the 40-second extra period, the Blues could barely keep the puck out of
their own zone, opting to dump the puck down to Boston';s blue line. Orr picked
 up the loose puck, skated it to the red line and dumped it back into St.
Louis'; zone. Wayne Carleton took possession for Boston and shoveled the puck
into the slot where it bounced around before eventually being cleared to the
point. Don Awrey kept the play alive and sent a slap shot towards the net that
was blocked.Boston Bruins'; Bobby Orr embracing the Stanley Cup.

Derek Sanderson picked up the ricochet and took his own slap shot which
"whistled wide" according to Kelly. Both teams fought for possession along the
left boards before the puck squeaked out and a streaking Sanderson took a shot
from the left face-off circle which also missed the cage. He then circled
behind the net and stood patiently to the right of the goal.

The puck bounced off the right boards and Orr stopped short, corralling the
puck with his skate. St. Louis'; Keenan took a one-handed chop at the puck to
no avail as the Bruins defenseman had already transitioned it to his stick
blade. "If it had gone by me, it';s a two-on-one," said Orr. "So I got a
little lucky there." Blues'; defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot also took a one-handed
 swipe at the puck as Orr skated it to the corner, proceeding to dish it to
Sanderson who was still waiting below the goal line.

Then, in Orr';s own words, "Derek gave me a great pass and when I got the pass
I was moving across. As I skated across, Glenn had to move across the crease
and had to open his pads a little. I was really trying to get the puck on net,
and I did."

And you know the rest: Orr soared through the air in ecstasy having just won
his first Stanley Cup. He would go on to win it again with many of the same
teammates in 1972, but there is something special about a player';s first
championship - especially when it is won in such a dramatic fashion.Orr';s
Lasting Impact

Not only did Orr';s flying goal net the Bruins their first Stanley Cup since
1941, but it changed the landscape of hockey in New England forever. When the
Bruins won the Cup in 1970, nearly every kid in the area wanted to lace them up
 wearing No. 4. Just like the city';s hero, hockey itself took flight in
Boston.

The sports spectrum in New England was dominated by basketball at the time, as
the Celtics had already brought home 11 championships by the time 1970 rolled
around. But Orr';s most memorable moment, in union with the remainder of his
storied career, brought hockey back to the forefront in the city. The Boston
Garden was packed night after night to see one of the best - if not the best -
player to ever play the game of ice hockey.

Orr';s goal didn';t just put an end to a 29-year Stanley Cup drought in Boston.
 It did far more for the city than that. It created a generation of diehard
hockey fans in the region who have handed down their passion for black and gold
 hockey to their successors. Many Bruins fans who weren';t alive to witness
Orr';s most famous moment were surely told about it with the sense of an old
folk tale - though this one is 100-percent true.

The post Bobby Orr';s Flying Goal appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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