One of the first ten players to join the NHL’s 50-goal club, Ken Hodge wasn’t exactly known for setting the table, he was more often the one finishing the play. But on February 9, 1971, Hodge turned playmaker in a big way, assisting on all six goals in Boston’s 6-3 win over the visiting New York Rangers.
That night, Kenny set up two goals by Bobby Orr, two by Wayne Cashman, one by Phil Esposito, and one by Johnny Bucyk. He fired four shots of his own at New York goalie Gilles Villemure but couldn’t find the back of the net.
Interestingly, just a month earlier, Bucyk had tied the existing team record with five assists in a game. Hodge’s six-helper night gave him sole possession of the Bruins’ single-game assist record, at least for a while. On January 1, 1973, Bobby Orr matched it with six assists of his own against the Vancouver Canucks. Since then, eleven Bruins have had five-assist games, including Hodge himself, who did it again on November 9, 1972, against the Red Wings.
That monster performance in February helped Hodge to a career-best 62 assists in 1970-71. Paired with 43 goals, it added up to 105 points, good for fourth in the league across the board. Still, it was tough to stand out on a team where Esposito and Orr were busy rewriting the record books.