Boston Bruins center Bronco Horvath scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Johnny Bower, Horvath's linemate John Bucyk in the background.
"Bronco got hurt that night and had to go to the hospital for X-rays," Bucyk said, recalling a single detail from nearly six decades ago, one game among the 1,540 Bucyk played during his 23 NHL seasons. "I think it was his jaw, if I'm not wrong."
Bucyk's memory is precise to the finest detail. Horvath took a shot to the face late in the first period and was immediately sent to hospital for tests. While he was being X-rayed, Hull scored his 39th goal of the season on a backhand shot 5:48 into the second period to pull even with 80 points.
With X-rays not showing the suspected fracture, Horvath raced back to the Garden, laced up his skates again and emerged from the dressing room for the third period. Bruins fans roared their support.
"We tried to help him as best we could," said Bucyk, who with fellow wing
Vic Stasiuk
spent the entire period trying to feed their center. "But there was only so much we could do."
At 13:01 of the third,
Eric Nesterenko
converted a Hull pass from the corner past Bruins goalie
Don Simmons
to give the "Golden Jet" the point he needed to edge Horvath in the Art Ross race, winning his first of three scoring titles and the $1,000 bonus that went with it. Horvath played two fewer games than Hull that 1959-60 season -- and on this night, one fewer period.