| League: | NHL |
| Season: | 1987–88 |
| Year: | 1987 |
| Team: | Boston Bruins |
| Divisionrank: | 2nd |
| Record: | 44–30–6 |
| Homerecord: | 24–13–3 |
| Roadrecord: | 20–17–3 |
| Goalsfor: | 300 |
| Goalsagainst: | 251 |
| Goalsleader: | Cam Neely (42) |
| Assistsleader: | Ray Bourque (64) |
| Pointsleader: | Ray Bourque (81) |
| Pimleader: | Jay Miller (304) |
| Winsleader: | Réjean Lemelin (24) |
| Gaaleader: | Andy Moog (2.83) |
| Conferencewin: | Yes |
The 1987–88 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 64th season. The season involved participating in the Stanley Cup finals.
Boston's draft picks at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft held at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
| Round | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team (League) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Glen Wesley | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) | ||
| 1 | 14 | Stephane Quintal | Granby Bisons (QMJHL) | ||
| 3 | 56 | Todd Lalonde | Sudbury Wolves (OHL) | ||
| 4 | 67 | Darwin McPherson | New Westminster Bruins (WHL) | ||
| 4 | 77 | Matt DelGuidice | Saint Anselm College (ECAC East) | ||
| 5 | 98 | Ted Donato | Catholic Memorial School (USHS-MA) | ||
| 6 | 119 | Matt Glennon | Archbishop Williams High School (USHS-MA) | ||
| 7 | 140 | Rob Cheevers | Boston College (Hockey East) | ||
| 8 | 161 | Chris Winnes | Northwood School (USHS-NY) | ||
| 9 | 182 | Paul Ohman | St. John's School (USHS-MA) | ||
| 10 | 203 | Casey Jones | Cornell University (ECAC) | ||
| 11 | 224 | Eric LeMarque | Northern Michigan University (WCHA) | ||
| 12 | 245 | Sean Gorman | Matignon High School (USHS-MA) | ||
| S2 | 15 | Mike Jeffrey | Northern Michigan University (WCHA) |
The season will forever be remembered when on the night Phil Esposito's number 7 would retire, captain Ray Bourque went from wearing uniform number 7 to wearing uniform number 77. Bourque would wear that number until the end of his career. This occurred on December 3, 1987. As for the game, the Bruins beat the New York Rangers 4–3, in which Esposito was the General Manager.
| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W | October 8, 1987 | 4–3 | Washington Capitals (1987–88) | 1–0–0 | |
| 2 | L | October 10, 1987 | 5–6 OT | @ Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 1–1–0 | |
| 3 | W | October 11, 1987 | 5–2 | Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 2–1–0 | |
| 4 | W | October 15, 1987 | 3–2 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1987–88) | 3–1–0 | |
| 5 | L | October 17, 1987 | 3–4 | @ Edmonton Oilers (1987–88) | 3–2–0 | |
| 6 | W | October 18, 1987 | 6–5 OT | @ Calgary Flames (1987–88) | 4–2–0 | |
| 7 | W | October 21, 1987 | 5–4 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1987–88) | 5–2–0 | |
| 8 | L | October 24, 1987 | 0–4 | @ St. Louis Blues (1987–88) | 5–3–0 | |
| 9 | L | October 29, 1987 | 2–4 | Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 5–4–0 | |
| 10 | T | October 31, 1987 | 3–3 OT | @ Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 5–4–1 | |
| 11 | L | November 1, 1987 | 5–6 OT | New York Islanders (1987–88) | 5–5–1 | |
| 12 | T | November 4, 1987 | 2–2 OT | @ Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 5–5–2 | |
| 13 | L | November 5, 1987 | 6–7 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1987–88) | 5–6–2 | |
| 14 | W | November 7, 1987 | 4–1 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1987–88) | 6–6–2 | |
| 15 | L | November 9, 1987 | 4–6 | @ Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 6–7–2 | |
| 16 | W | November 11, 1987 | 3–2 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1987–88) | 7–7–2 | |
| 17 | W | November 12, 1987 | 3–2 | Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 8–7–2 | |
| 18 | W | November 14, 1987 | 4–1 | Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 9–7–2 | |
| 19 | W | November 17, 1987 | 6–3 | @ Calgary Flames (1987–88) | 10–7–2 | |
| 20 | W | November 18, 1987 | 4–3 | @ Winnipeg Jets (1987–88) | 11–7–2 | |
| 21 | W | November 21, 1987 | 7–5 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1987–88) | 12–7–2 | |
| 22 | W | November 22, 1987 | 1–0 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1987–88) | 13–7–2 | |
| 23 | L | November 25, 1987 | 1–4 | @ Washington Capitals (1987–88) | 13–8–2 | |
| 24 | W | November 26, 1987 | 5–3 | Winnipeg Jets (1987–88) | 14–8–2 | |
| 25 | L | November 28, 1987 | 2–3 OT | Detroit Red Wings (1987–88) | 14–9–2 | |
| 26 | L | November 30, 1987 | 4–6 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 14–10–2 | |
| 27 | W | December 2, 1987 | 5–3 | @ Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 15–10–2 | |
| 28 | W | December 3, 1987 | 4–3 | New York Rangers (1987–88) | 16–10–2 | |
| 29 | W | December 5, 1987 | 7–3 | Chicago Blackhawks (1987–88) | 17–10–2 | |
| 30 | L | December 8, 1987 | 2–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1987–88) | 17–11–2 | |
| 31 | W | December 10, 1987 | 4–3 | Los Angeles Kings (1987–88) | 18–11–2 | |
| 32 | T | December 12, 1987 | 3–3 OT | Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 18–11–3 | |
| 33 | W | December 17, 1987 | 3–2 OT | Vancouver Canucks (1987–88) | 19–11–3 | |
| 34 | L | December 19, 1987 | 5–7 | St. Louis Blues (1987–88) | 19–12–3 | |
| 35 | W | December 20, 1987 | 4–2 | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1987–88) | 20–12–3 | |
| 36 | W | December 22, 1987 | 9–0 | Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 21–12–3 | |
| 37 | L | December 26, 1987 | 1–2 | @ New York Islanders (1987–88) | 21–13–3 | |
| 38 | L | December 27, 1987 | 1–4 | @ New York Rangers (1987–88) | 21–14–3 | |
| 39 | T | December 29, 1987 | 4–4 OT | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1987–88) | 21–14–4 | |
| 40 | W | December 31, 1987 | 2–0 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 22–14–4 | |
| 41 | W | January 2, 1988 | 5–1 | Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 23–14–4 | |
| 42 | T | January 4, 1988 | 2–2 OT | Edmonton Oilers (1987–88) | 23–14–5 | |
| 43 | W | January 7, 1988 | 3–2 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1987–88) | 24–14–5 | |
| 44 | W | January 9, 1988 | 2–1 OT | @ St. Louis Blues (1987–88) | 25–14–5 | |
| 45 | L | January 11, 1988 | 3–4 | Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 25–15–5 | |
| 46 | L | January 13, 1988 | 4–5 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 25–16–5 | |
| 47 | W | January 14, 1988 | 3–2 | Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 26–16–5 | |
| 48 | W | January 16, 1988 | 5–1 | Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 27–16–5 | |
| 49 | L | January 20, 1988 | 3–5 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 27–17–5 | |
| 50 | W | January 21, 1988 | 6–1 | Minnesota North Stars (1987–88) | 28–17–5 | |
| 51 | L | January 23, 1988 | 4–6 | Philadelphia Flyers (1987–88) | 28–18–5 | |
| 52 | W | January 28, 1988 | 3–0 | Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 29–18–5 | |
| 53 | L | January 30, 1988 | 2–4 | New York Rangers (1987–88) | 29–19–5 | |
| 54 | W | February 1, 1988 | 5–3 | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1987–88) | 30–19–5 | |
| 55 | W | February 4, 1988 | 7–3 | Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 31–19–5 | |
| 56 | W | February 6, 1988 | 3–2 | @ Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 32–19–5 | |
| 57 | W | February 7, 1988 | 6–3 | New Jersey Devils (1987–88) | 33–19–5 | |
| 58 | W | February 12, 1988 | 7–4 | @ Edmonton Oilers (1987–88) | 34–19–5 | |
| 59 | L | February 13, 1988 | 5–6 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1987–88) | 34–20–5 | |
| 60 | L | February 17, 1988 | 2–3 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 34–21–5 | |
| 61 | W | February 21, 1988 | 4–1 | @ New Jersey Devils (1987–88) | 35–21–5 | |
| 62 | L | February 23, 1988 | 2–3 | @ Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 35–22–5 | |
| 63 | W | February 25, 1988 | 5–2 | Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 36–22–5 | |
| 64 | W | February 27, 1988 | 7–4 | Minnesota North Stars (1987–88) | 37–22–5 | |
| 65 | W | March 3, 1988 | 5–3 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1987–88) | 38–22–5 | |
| 66 | L | March 5, 1988 | 6–7 OT | New Jersey Devils (1987–88) | 38–23–5 | |
| 67 | L | March 6, 1988 | 0–3 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 38–24–5 | |
| 68 | L | March 8, 1988 | 0–2 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1987–88) | 38–25–5 | |
| 69 | T | March 10, 1988 | 3–3 OT | Los Angeles Kings (1987–88) | 38–25–6 | |
| 70 | W | March 12, 1988 | 4–3 | @ Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 39–25–6 | |
| 71 | L | March 13, 1988 | 0–3 | Washington Capitals (1987–88) | 39–26–6 | |
| 72 | L | March 17, 1988 | 5–7 | Calgary Flames (1987–88) | 39–27–6 | |
| 73 | L | March 19, 1988 | 3–4 | Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 39–28–6 | |
| 74 | W | March 20, 1988 | 6–2 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1987–88) | 40–28–6 | |
| 75 | W | March 22, 1988 | 3–0 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1987–88) | 41–28–6 | |
| 76 | W | March 24, 1988 | 4–3 OT | Winnipeg Jets (1987–88) | 42–28–6 | |
| 77 | W | March 26, 1988 | 6–2 | Quebec Nordiques (1987–88) | 43–28–6 | |
| 78 | L | March 31, 1988 | 1–3 | Montreal Canadiens (1987–88) | 43–29–6 | |
| 79 | L | April 2, 1988 | 2–4 | @ Hartford Whalers (1987–88) | 43–30–6 | |
| 80 | W | April 3, 1988 | 3–2 | New York Islanders (1987–88) | 44–30–6 |
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | 78 | 17 | 64 | 81 | 72 | 34 | 7 | 1 | 5 | ||
| C | 77 | 29 | 45 | 74 | 167 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 5 | ||
| C | 79 | 26 | 44 | 70 | 35 | -1 | 9 | 3 | 5 | ||
| RW | 69 | 42 | 27 | 69 | 175 | 30 | 11 | 0 | 3 | ||
| LW | 62 | 32 | 26 | 58 | 108 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 4 | ||
| LW | 79 | 27 | 28 | 55 | 105 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | ||
| C/RW | 80 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 73 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 7 | ||
| RW | 68 | 17 | 26 | 43 | 173 | 14 | 6 | 0 | 3 | ||
| D | 79 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 69 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| D | 66 | 6 | 31 | 37 | 135 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| D | 62 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 93 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | ||
| RW | 59 | 13 | 19 | 32 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | ||
| D | 67 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 57 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| RW | 53 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 236 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| LW | 78 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 304 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| C | 77 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 83 | -3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| C | 15 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| LW | 25 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 85 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 15 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 78 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 90 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| RW | 65 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 170 | -10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 30 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| C | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| G | 30 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 70 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| RW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| G | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| RW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| G | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2828 | 49 | 24 | 17 | 6 | 138 | 2.93 | 3 | 1244 | 1106 | .889 | ||
| 1660 | 30 | 16 | 11 | 0 | 90 | 3.25 | 1 | 751 | 661 | .880 | ||
| 360 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 2.83 | 1 | 181 | 164 | .906 | ||
| Team: | 4848 | 80 | 44 | 30 | 6 | 245 | 3.03 | 5 | 2176 | 1931 | .887 |
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 23 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 56 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||
| D | 23 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 26 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| RW | 23 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 51 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||
| C | 23 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 11 | -1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||
| LW | 23 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 18 | -2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||
| C/RW | 23 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 66 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| D | 23 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | ||
| C | 23 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| D | 23 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 59 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| RW | 23 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 23 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| RW | 19 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | ||
| LW | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 15 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 21 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| RW | 17 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 74 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| RW | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 62 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| D | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| RW | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| G | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| LW | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 124 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| G | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| C | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| D | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1027 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 45 | 2.63 | 1 | 430 | 385 | .895 | ||
| 354 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 4.24 | 0 | 166 | 141 | .849 | ||
| Team: | 1381 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 70 | 3.04 | 1 | 596 | 526 | .883 |
Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins were led by team co-captains Ray Bourque, Rick Middleton and the goaltending duo of Réjean Lemelin and the newly acquired Andy Moog. The Buffalo Sabres returned to the playoffs thanks to added depth provided by rookie Ray Sheppard.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | Buffalo | 3 | Boston | 7 | |
| April 7 | Buffalo | 1 | Boston | 4 | |
| April 9 | Boston | 2 | Buffalo | 6 | |
| April 10 | Boston | 5 | Buffalo | 6 | |
| April 12 | Buffalo | 4 | Boston | 5 | |
| April 14 | Boston | 5 | Buffalo | 2 |
Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens
The Wales Conference's two best teams, and the NHL's two best defensive teams, met in this series with equal rest time. The Habs had beaten Boston in the Adams Division Semi-finals four years in a row, sweeping the Bruins in three of the past four seasons, and beating them 3–2 in a best-of-five the other year. This time, the Bruins' defence would wear down Montreal, as Ken Linseman, Ray Bourque and Cam Neely provided the offence to finally conquer the Canadiens. It was the first Bruins' playoff series win over the Habs in 44 seasons.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | Boston | 1 | Montreal | 5 | |
| April 20 | Boston | 4 | Montreal | 3 | |
| April 22 | Montreal | 1 | Boston | 3 | |
| April 24 | Montreal | 0 | Boston | 2 | |
| April 26 | Boston | 4 | Montreal | 1 |
New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins
The Devils would take Boston to the limit, but their offense could not compete with the Bruins, who would make their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals since consecutive appearances in 1976–77 and 1977–78.
This series would also have the infamous confrontation between Devils head coach Jim Schoenfeld and referee Don Koharski after Game 3, when, during an argument in the tunnel after the game, Koharski tripped and fell, accusing Schoenfield of pushing him. Schoenfield famously responded, "You tripped and fell you fat pig!" He then yelled, "Have another doughnut! Have another doughnut!" The incident was played repeatedly on ESPN and has become part of NHL lore.
Schonefeld was suspended by NHL president John Ziegler for Game 4, but the Devils received an injunction from a New Jersey court, allowing Schoenfeld to coach the fourth game. In protest, the officials scheduled to work that game in the Meadlowands refused to take the ice, forcing the NHL to scramble for amateur officials to call the contest. The injunction was lifted and Schoenfeld served his suspension during Game 5 in the Boston Garden.
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | OT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | New Jersey | 3 | Boston | 5 | ||
| May 4 | New Jersey | 3 | Boston | 2 | (OT) | |
| May 6 | Boston | 6 | New Jersey | 1 | ||
| May 8 | Boston | 1 | New Jersey | 3 | ||
| May 10 | New Jersey | 1 | Boston | 7 | ||
| May 12 | Boston | 3 | New Jersey | 6 | ||
| May 14 | New Jersey | 2 | Boston | 6 |
Boston Bruins vs. Edmonton Oilers
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18 | Boston Bruins | 1 | Edmonton Oilers | 2 | ||
| May 20 | Boston Bruins | 2 | Edmonton Oilers | 4 | ||
| May 22 | Edmonton Oilers | 6 | Boston Bruins | 3 | ||
| May 24 | Edmonton Oilers | 3 | Boston Bruins | 3 | Game suspended at 16:33 of 2nd due to power failure. | |
| May 26 | Boston Bruins | 3 | Edmonton Oilers | 6 |