It was 1990, and this writer 17 years old and a month away from high school graduation.
Cam Neely was the team's leading goal scorer in the regular season (55) and in the playoffs. Ray Bourque had not yet turned 30 and was about to win his third of five Norris Trophies. The other major award winners for Boston that season (1989-90): Andy Moog and Reggie Lemelin for the Jennings Trophy, Gord Kluzak for the Masterton.
George H.W. Bush had been president for a little over 16 months on May 7, 1990 when the B's were up 3-0 in the Wales Conference Final series against the Washington Capitals.
We had some fun with this on Twitter last night, asking folks to weigh in on some of their memories (for those old enough to remember) about what life was like for them 21 years ago.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger was starring in Total Recall
- Top pop album on the Billboard chart was: Sinéd O'Connor I Do Not Want What I haven't Got (Chrysalis)
- Yngwie Malmsteen released his metal album "Eclipse"
- The Simpsons was about to start Season 1 (@TedStarkey)
- Mark Recchi had his first NHL 30-goal season with the Penguins (@Steve_Dangle)
- Nelson Mandela was released from prison; the Hubble Telescope was launched; & the USSR was beginning to break apart! (@HockeyBroad)
- The Bad Boys were big in the spring of 1990. (@twharry)
There's still one more win required for Boston to reach the final series, but it has been too long.
In 1990, Moog was a big part of the B's run, even if the wheels fell off in the finals against Edmonton (which ended 21 years ago today with a whimper- 4-1 loss to the Oilers in Boston Garden with Lyndon Byers scoring the B's lone goal)
In 2011, it's Tim Thomas, coming off a game-stealing performance in Boston's 3-1 victory in Game 5. Had you told me in 1990 that the babies being born at that time would be of legal drinking age before the Bruins had a chance to return to the Stanley Cup-deciding series, I would have thought you were nuts. Be sure to read friend Joe Haggerty's latest on Timmy the Tank on CSNNE if you haven't already.
*(Not affiliated with the Boston Bruins or the New England Hockey Journal)
After reading this piece Kirk, I did some research and found a whole list of stuff. oddly enough, I remember a lot of the like they were yesterday. The again I am much older than you. You were just graduating while I had already graduated XX years before. (almost gave it away) Heck, I remember crying at the 74 final and the heart breaking losses in 71 and 73 :(
ReplyDeleteAnyway's just thought your readers may want to go thru the list http://www.brainyhistory.com/years/1990.html