The collapse of the Western Hockey League not only placed the Stanley Cup in the exclusive control of the NHL, but also resulted in a flood of skilled players bolstering NHL rosters, allowing not only for three new expansion franchises (the New York Rangers, the Chicago Black Hawks and the Detroit Cougars) but providing the Bruins a complete overhaul of their roster.
Despite performances such as Oliver's four goal night against the Black Hawks on January 11, the club executed a major overhaul in mid January, first dealing Carson Cooper to the Canadiens for Billy Boucher and purchasing Hal Winkler from the Rangers, and then trading Duke Keats, who seemed to have faded, for Frank Fredrickson at month's end.
[6] Nonetheless, the Bruins still relied heavily on rough play, and Cleghorn and Couto were specifically cited by Toronto Maple Leafs governor Charlie Querrie, when he resigned in February, as being "only good for chopping and slashing.
With a combined 31 points between Detroit and Boston, Fredrickson finished fourth in the NHL in scoring with Oliver placing ninth, and Winkler had the fifth lowest goals against average of the league's goaltenders.
The Bruins beat the Black Hawks on March 29 (in a game played in New York) 6–1, and tied 4–4 in Boston on the 31st, to win the two-game total-goal series ten goals to five.
[13] The Stanley Cup finals, a best-of-five series, began in Boston on April 7, where the Bruins and Senators skated to a scoreless tie.