On April 21, 1991: Boston Bruins’ Hall-of-Fame defenseman Raymond Bourque registered an assist in a 3-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens at the old Montreal Forum to become Boston’s all-time leading playoff scorer. Bourque finished his career in Boston with 36 playoff goals; and his 125 assists, 161 points, and 180 playoff games are all Bruins’ club record.

The Bruins beat the Habs in that seven game series, 4-3. But then lost the following round to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six, 4-2.

On this day, April 4th in 1970, Bruins’ Hall-of-Fame blue-liner Bobby Orr became the first defenseman in NHL history to win a scoring title. No. 4 took home the Art Ross Trophy for the 1969-70 NHL season with his 120 points. The greatest hockey player of all time also won the Norris Trophy — second of eight — and the Hart Memorial Trophy — first of three — at the end of the season.

To top that historical season all off, Orr scored that famous game-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues to take Lord Stanley’s Cup back to Boston for the first time since 1941.

On this day, Mar. 2 in 1969, Bruins Hall of Fame forward Phil Esposito became the first player in NHL history to break the 100-point barrier in a single-season. Esposito lit the lamp twice in a 4-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on this day, 41 years ago.

He would go on to score 100 or more points six times in his career, all with the Bruins, including five consecutive seasons.

In the 1968-69 season, Esposito also won the Art Ross scoring title [first of five] and the Hart Memorial [first of two] as the NHL’s MVP. He was named to his first of six First Team NHL All Star berths, while setting a, then, single-season assist record of 77. No. 7 finished that historical 1968-69 NHL campaign with 49-77-126 regular season scoring totals, and 8-10-18 in 10 playoff games.

Esposito was inducted into Hockey’s Hall of Fame in 1984, and had his No. 7 retired by the Boston Bruins in December, 1987.

Check out, “Whose numbers have been retired by the Boston Bruins?” and other fun “101″ facts over at Examiner.com

On Feb. 22, 1927, a flashing red light was used for the first time at the Boston Arena to signal a goal scored. Goal judges — originally named umpires in their inception in 1877 – had waved a flag prior to that time

The Bruins won that game, 83 years ago today, against the Detroit Red Wings, 3-2. Boston also finished in first-place in the American Division that 1927-28 season with 51 points, but lost to the Stanley Cup winning New York Rangers in the Semi-Finals.

On Feb. 9, 1971, Bruins’ right winger Ken Hodge recorded a club-record six assists in a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers, at the Boston Garden. Hodge would end up with 43-62-105 totals for the 1970-71 season, with a plus-71 rating and 113 penalty minutes.

Hodge was traded to Boston, by the  Chicago Blackhawks in a blockbuster deal, along with Phil Esposito and Fred Stanfield for Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin and Jack Norris on May 15, 1967. He was part of both Stanley Cup winning teams – 1970, ‘72 – and played nine seasons with the B’s. Hodge was then traded to the New York Rangers  for Rick Middleton, May 26, 1976.

NHL First All-Star Team selections: (1971, 1974) and played in three NHL All-Star games (1971, 1973, 1974). Hodge had an NHL career 881 games played with a scoring line of 328-472-800 totals and 779 penalty minutes.

On Feb. 1, 1997, Boston Bruins’ Hall-of-Fame defenseman Ray Bourque became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 victory over the Lightning in Tampa Bay. No. 77 surpassed Bruins’ legend Johnny Bucyk’s record 13 years ago, which had been previously held since 1967.

Bourque would finish with 1,506 points in 1,518 games played in Black-and-Gold over 21 seasons – and is still the NHL’s all-time leader amongst defensemen in goals [410], assists [1,169], and points [1,579].

On this day, 53 years ago, the Boston Bruins made history in Montreal. It wasn’t the 3-0 victory over the Canadiens that forever changed the game, but the player who took the ice. On January 18, 1958, 23-year-old Willie O’Ree became the first ever black player in the NHL as he skated at forward for the Black and Gold.

O’Ree dressed in just two games for Boston during that 1957-58 history-making season before making his NHL return during the 1960-61 season. A life-long minor league player, O’Ree appeared in 45 NHL games over two season – all with Boston – and tallied 4-10-14 totals.

Although there were no other black players in the NHL until 16 years later [1974], O’Ree left his legacy and paved the way for future black players in the league today.

Cam Neely: the the pre-eminent power forward

Today, six years ago, the Boston Bruins retired Cam Neely’s No. 8 at the FleetCenter [now named the TD Garden]. On Jan. 12, 2004, Cameron Michael Neely was the last Bruins’ player to have his name and number hoisted to the rafters.

The four-time All Star led the Boston Bruins in scoring in seven of his 10 years with the franchise — including three 50-goal seasons, while becoming the second fastest to reach to 50-goal plateau in a single-season [44 games].

No. 8 ranks ninth in scoring amongst the Bruins’ all-time leaders with 590, and is the franchise leader in playoff goals with 55.

After succumbing to injuries [knee], Neely retired on Sept. 5, 1996 at the age of 31. After 13 seasons in the NHL, Neely appeared in 726 games and racked-up a scoring line of 395-299-694 totals and 1,241 penalty minutes.

A name and number synonymous talent, determination, grit, and finesse, Neely was the quintessential power forward of his time, and rightfully deserving his 2005 Hall-of-Fame induction.