1988–89 Boston Bruins season

The 1988–89 Boston Bruins season saw the team finish in second place in the Adams Division with a record of 37 wins, 29 losses, and 14 ties for 88 points. They defeated the Buffalo Sabres in five games in the Division Semi-finals before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in the Division Finals, also in five games.

1988–89 Boston Bruins
Division2nd Adams
Conference3rd Wales
1988–89 record37-29-14
Goals for289
Goals against256
Team information
General managerHarry Sinden
CoachTerry O'Reilly
CaptainRay Bourque
ArenaBoston Garden
Team leaders
GoalsCam Neely (37)
AssistsCraig Janney (46)
PointsCam Neely (75)
Penalty minutesLyndon Byers (218)
WinsRéjean Lemelin (19)
Goals against averageRejean Lemelin (3.01)

Regular season edit

On November 24, 1988, Bob Sweeney scored just 8 seconds into the overtime period to give the Bruins a 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Flyers.[1] It would prove to be the fastest overtime goal scored during the 1988-89 NHL regular season.[2]

The Bruins allowed the fewest short-handed goals in the league, with just 4.[3]

Final standings edit

Adams Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Montreal Canadiens 80 53 18 9 315 218 115
Boston Bruins 80 37 29 14 289 256 88
Buffalo Sabres 80 38 35 7 291 299 83
Hartford Whalers 80 37 38 5 299 290 79
Quebec Nordiques 80 27 46 7 269 342 61

[4]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents edit

Adams Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Wales Conference edit

Vs. Campbell Conference edit


Schedule and results edit

Regular season schedule
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1 W October 6, 1988 2–1 Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–89) 1–0–0
2 W October 8, 1988 6–2 @ Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 2–0–0
3 W October 9, 1988 3–1 Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 3–0–0
4 L October 12, 1988 2–6 @ Los Angeles Kings (1988–89) 3–1–0
5 L October 15, 1988 1–5 @ Minnesota North Stars (1988–89) 3–2–0
6 W October 16, 1988 10–3 @ Chicago Blackhawks (1988–89) 4–2–0
7 W October 19, 1988 5–2 @ Winnipeg Jets (1988–89) 5–2–0
8 W October 22, 1988 5–2 @ St. Louis Blues (1988–89) 6–2–0
9 T October 25, 1988 1–1 OT Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 6–2–1
10 W October 27, 1988 6–2 Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 7–2–1
11 T October 29, 1988 3–3 OT Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 7–2–2
12 T October 30, 1988 3–3 OT @ Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 7–2–3
13 W November 2, 1988 7–2 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–89) 8–2–3
14 L November 3, 1988 3–5 Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 8–3–3
15 W November 6, 1988 4–2 Vancouver Canucks (1988–89) 9–3–3
16 T November 11, 1988 4–4 OT @ New York Rangers (1988–89) 9–3–4
17 L November 12, 1988 1–2 Calgary Flames (1988–89) 9–4–4
18 T November 15, 1988 5–5 OT @ Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 9–4–5
19 L November 17, 1988 2–5 Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 9–5–5
20 L November 18, 1988 2–5 @ Detroit Red Wings (1988–89) 9–6–5
21 L November 20, 1988 4–5 OT Detroit Red Wings (1988–89) 9–7–5
22 L November 23, 1988 0–2 @ Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 9–8–5
23 W November 24, 1988 2–1 OT Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) 10–8–5
24 W November 26, 1988 8–2 Chicago Blackhawks (1988–89) 11–8–5
25 L November 29, 1988 1–5 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) 11–9–5
26 L December 1, 1988 1–4 Minnesota North Stars (1988–89) 11–10–5
27 T December 3, 1988 1–1 OT @ Washington Capitals (1988–89) 11–10–6
28 T December 4, 1988 3–3 OT Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) 11–10–7
29 W December 6, 1988 4–3 @ New York Islanders (1988–89) 12–10–7
30 L December 8, 1988 2–4 Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 12–11–7
31 T December 10, 1988 1–1 OT New York Rangers (1988–89) 12–11–8
32 L December 12, 1988 1–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 12–12–8
33 W December 15, 1988 4–3 OT Edmonton Oilers (1988–89) 13–12–8
34 T December 17, 1988 2–2 OT Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 13–12–9
35 L December 18, 1988 2–4 @ Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 13–13–9
36 W December 21, 1988 4–3 @ Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 14–13–9
37 L December 22, 1988 2–4 Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 14–14–9
38 L December 26, 1988 1–2 @ Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 14–15–9
39 W December 29, 1988 6–2 @ New Jersey Devils (1988–89) 15–15–9
40 W January 2, 1989 8–7 St. Louis Blues (1988–89) 16–15–9
41 L January 5, 1989 3–5 New York Islanders (1988–89) 16–16–9
42 L January 7, 1989 1–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 16–17–9
43 W January 8, 1989 4–2 @ Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 17–17–9
44 L January 12, 1989 3–5 Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 17–18–9
45 T January 14, 1989 5–5 OT Detroit Red Wings (1988–89) 17–18–10
46 W January 15, 1989 4–3 @ Washington Capitals (1988–89) 18–18–10
47 L January 19, 1989 2–7 Calgary Flames (1988–89) 18–19–10
48 L January 21, 1989 5–6 OT Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 18–20–10
49 L January 22, 1989 4–6 @ Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 18–21–10
50 W January 25, 1989 2–1 OT @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1988–89) 19–21–10
51 W January 26, 1989 4–2 St. Louis Blues (1988–89) 20–21–10
52 L January 28, 1989 3–4 Winnipeg Jets (1988–89) 20–22–10
53 T February 1, 1989 4–4 OT @ Minnesota North Stars (1988–89) 20–22–11
54 W February 3, 1989 4–2 @ Winnipeg Jets (1988–89) 21–22–11
55 L February 5, 1989 2–5 Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) 21–23–11
56 W February 9, 1989 4–1 Los Angeles Kings (1988–89) 22–23–11
57 W February 11, 1989 5–2 Edmonton Oilers (1988–89) 23–23–11
58 L February 14, 1989 2–5 @ Vancouver Canucks (1988–89) 23–24–11
59 W February 15, 1989 7–3 @ Los Angeles Kings (1988–89) 24–24–11
60 W February 18, 1989 4–3 @ Calgary Flames (1988–89) 25–24–11
61 W February 19, 1989 4–2 @ Edmonton Oilers (1988–89) 26–24–11
62 W February 25, 1989 9–1 @ Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 27–24–11
63 T February 28, 1989 3–3 OT @ New Jersey Devils (1988–89) 27–24–12
64 W March 2, 1989 5–2 Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 28–24–12
65 W March 4, 1989 6–4 Vancouver Canucks (1988–89) 29–24–12
66 W March 5, 1989 5–0 @ New York Rangers (1988–89) 30–24–12
67 W March 7, 1989 2–1 @ New York Islanders (1988–89) 31–24–12
68 L March 9, 1989 2–7 Washington Capitals (1988–89) 31–25–12
69 T March 11, 1989 6–6 OT Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 31–25–13
70 L March 12, 1989 2–3 @ Buffalo Sabres (1988–89) 31–26–13
71 W March 14, 1989 8–2 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1988–89) 32–26–13
72 T March 16, 1989 2–2 OT Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 32–26–14
73 W March 18, 1989 6–3 Philadelphia Flyers (1988–89) 33–26–14
74 L March 19, 1989 2–3 Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 33–27–14
75 L March 22, 1989 2–4 @ Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 33–28–14
76 W March 23, 1989 5–3 New Jersey Devils (1988–89) 34–28–14
77 W March 25, 1989 6–3 Chicago Blackhawks (1988–89) 35–28–14
78 L March 27, 1989 2–5 @ Montreal Canadiens (1988–89) 35–29–14
79 W April 1, 1989 5–4 @ Quebec Nordiques (1988–89) 36–29–14
80 W April 2, 1989 3–2 Hartford Whalers (1988–89) 37–29–14

Playoffs edit

Adams Division Semifinals edit

Boston Bruins 4, Buffalo Sabres 1 edit

# Date Visitor Score Home Record
1 April 5 Buffalo Sabres 6–0 Boston Bruins 0–1
2 April 6 Buffalo Sabres 3–5 Boston Bruins 1–1
3 April 8 Boston Bruins 4–2 Buffalo Sabres 2–1
4 April 9 Boston Bruins 3–2 Buffalo Sabres 3–1
5 April 11 Buffalo Sabres 1–4 Boston Bruins 4–1

Adams Division Finals edit

Montreal Canadiens 4, Boston Bruins 1 edit

# Date Visitor Score Home Record
1 April 17 Boston Bruins 2–3 Montreal Canadiens 0–1
2 April 19 Boston Bruins 2–3 (OT) Montreal Canadiens 0–2
3 April 21 Montreal Canadiens 5–4 Boston Bruins 0–3
4 April 23 Montreal Canadiens 2–3 Boston Bruins 1–3
5 April 25 Boston Bruins 2–3 Montreal Canadiens 1–4

Player statistics edit

Forwards edit

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Cam Neely 74 37 38 75 190
Ken Linseman 78 27 45 72 164
Craig Janney 62 16 46 62 12
Randy Burridge 80 31 30 61 39
Bob Joyce 77 18 31 49 46
Andy Brickley 71 13 22 35 20
Keith Crowder 69 15 18 33 147
Bob Sweeney 75 14 14 28 99
Steve Kasper 49 10 16 26 49
John Carter 44 12 10 22 24
Greg Johnston 57 11 9 20 32
Bobby Carpenter 18 5 9 14 10
Tommy Lehman 26 4 2 6 10
Jay Miller 37 2 4 6 168
Ray Neufeld 14 1 3 4 28
Lyndon Byers 49 0 4 4 218
Bill O'Dwyer 19 1 2 3 8
Paul Guay 5 0 2 2 0
Rob Cimetta 7 2 0 2 0
Ray Podloski 8 0 1 1 17
Ron Flockhart 4 0 0 0 0
Moe Lemay 12 0 0 0 33
Carl Mokosak 7 0 0 0 31
Paul Beraldo 7 0 0 0 4

Defensemen edit

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Player GP G A Pts PIM
Ray Bourque 60 18 43 61 52
Glen Wesley 77 19 35 54 61
Greg Hawgood 56 16 24 40 84
Garry Galley 78 8 22 30 80
Michael Thelven 40 3 18 21 71
Don Sweeney 36 3 5 8 20
Allen Pedersen 51 0 6 6 69
Alain Cote 31 2 3 5 51
Bruce Shoebottom 29 1 3 4 44
Stéphane Quintal 26 0 1 1 29
Gord Kluzak 3 0 1 1 2
Dale Dunbar 1 0 0 0 0

Goaltending edit

Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

Player GP W L T SO GAA
Réjean Lemelin 40 19 15 6 0 3.01
Andy Moog 41 18 14 8 1 3.22

Awards and records edit

Transactions edit

Draft picks edit

Boston's draft picks at the 1988 NHL Entry Draft held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 19 Robert Cimetta   Canada Toronto Marlboros (OHL)
3 60 Steve Heinze   United States Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)
4 81 Joe Juneau   Canada Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (ECAC)
5 102 Daniel Murphy   United States The Gunnery (USHS-CT)
6 123 Derek Geary   United States Gloucester High School (USHS-MA)
8 165 Mark Krys   Canada Boston University (Hockey East)
9 186 Jon Rohloff   United States Grand Rapids High School (USHS-MA)
11 228 Eric Reisman   United States Ohio State University (CCHA)
12 249 Doug Jones   Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
S 23 Chris Harvey   United States Brown University (ECAC)

Farm teams edit

References edit

  1. ^ "N.H.L.; Bruins Halt Seven-Game Skid". The New York Times. November 25, 1988.
  2. ^ "1988-89 NHL Schedule and Results".
  3. ^ "1988-89 NHL Summary".
  4. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.
  5. ^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.