1979 Stanley Cup Finals

1979 Stanley Cup Finals
1979 Stanley Cup Finals
	* indicates periods of overtime
Location(s)	Montreal: Forum (1, 2, 5); New York City: Madison Square Garden (3, 4)
Coaches	Montreal: Scotty Bowman; New York: Fred Shero
Captains	Montreal: Yvan Cournoyer; New York: Dave Maloney
Dates	May 13–21, 1979
MVP	Bob Gainey (Canadiens)
Series-winning goal	Jacques Lemaire (1:02, second, G5)
Hall of Famers	Canadiens:; Yvan Cournoyer (1982; did not play); Ken Dryden (1983); Bob Gainey (1992); Guy Lafleur (1988); Rod Langway (2002); Guy Lapointe (1993; did not play); Jacques Lemaire (1984); Larry Robinson (1995); Serge Savard (1986); Steve Shutt (1993); Rangers:; Phil Esposito (1984); Coaches:; Scotty Bowman (1991); Fred Shero (2013)
Networks	Canada:; (English): CBC; (French): SRC; United States:; (National): NHL Network; (New York City area): WOR
Announcers	(CBC) Dan Kelly, Danny Gallivan (2), Gary Dornhoefer (1, 5), Gerry Pinder (2), Bobby Orr (3–4), and Dick Irvin Jr.; (SRC) Rene Lecavalier and Gilles Tremblay; (NHLN) Simulcast of CBC feed; (WOR) Jim Gordon and Bill Chadwick

The 1979 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1978–79 season, and the culmination of the 1979 Stanley Cup playoffs. The New York Rangers challenged the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, who made their fourth straight appearance. It was New York's first foray into the Finals since 1972. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championship.^[2]

This was the first of six consecutive Finals involving a team from the New York metropolitan area. The next five Finals would be contested by the Rangers' crosstown rivals the New York Islanders, who would win the first four of those series to forge a dynasty matching that of the Canadiens. By defeating the Rangers, the Canadiens completed the rare accomplishment of winning four consecutive titles in a North American league competition consisting of at least sixteen teams, and remain the only team based outside the New York metropolitan area to do so. Prior to the Canadiens' dynasty, the feat had been achieved only twice before, both times by the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball. The aforementioned Islanders are the only team to accomplish it since. This was also the last Stanley Cup Finals until 2013 where both teams were from the Original Six. An Original Six club would not reach the Finals again until Montreal won their next championship in 1986.

Paths to the Finals

Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 and the Boston Bruins 4–3 (highlighted by the "too many men on the ice" game seven overtime win) to advance to the Final.

New York defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2–0, the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 and the New York Islanders 4–2 to make it to the finals.

Game summaries

The Canadiens won the Cup in five games, winning it on home ice for the first time since 1968.^[3] After the game Jacques Lemaire, Yvan Cournoyer, and Ken Dryden retired, while head coach Scotty Bowman left the Canadiens to join the Buffalo Sabres, which would mark the end of the Canadiens' dynasty. Montreal Canadiens scored 46 total points during the Stanley Cup Finals, while the New York Rangers scored 26 points in the finals.^[4]

This Final marked the second time in four years that Bowman and Fred Shero coached against each other. In 1976, they coached against each other, though Shero was with the Philadelphia Flyers.

May 13	New York Rangers		4–1	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal Forum	Recap
Steve Vickers (5) - pp - 6:28 Ron Greschner (7) - 14:27		First period		No scoring
Phil Esposito (7) - pp - 9:30 Dave Maloney (3) - sh - 12:32		Second period		7:07 - Guy Lafleur (9)
No scoring		Third period		No scoring
John Davidson 31 saves / 32 shots		Goalie stats		Ken Dryden 9 saves / 13 shots, Michel Larocque 9 saves / 9 shots

May 15	New York Rangers		2–6	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal Forum	Recap
Anders Hedberg (4) - 1:02 Ron Duguay (4) - 6:21		First period		8:34 - Yvon Lambert (4) 12:24 - Guy Lafleur (10) 16:27 - Bob Gainey (4)
No scoring		Second period		6:51 - Steve Shutt (3) 17:35 - pp - Jacques Lemaire (8)
No scoring		Third period		4:38 - Mark Napier (3)
John Davidson 27 saves / 33 shots		Goalie stats		Ken Dryden 23 saves / 25 shots

May 17	Montreal Canadiens		4–1	New York Rangers	Madison Square Garden	Recap
Steve Shutt (4) - pp - 7:27 Doug Risebrough (1) - 15:44		First period		No scoring
No scoring		Second period		No scoring
Mario Tremblay (3) - 14:48 Jacques Lemaire (9) - 17:10		Third period		6:06 - Ron Duguay (5)
Ken Dryden 19 saves / 20 shots		Goalie stats		John Davidson 19 saves / 23 shots

May 19	Montreal Canadiens		4–3	OT	New York Rangers	Madison Square Garden	Recap
Rejean Houle (1) - 2:39		First period			1:19 - Pat Hickey (1) 17:03 - Don Murdoch (7)
Yvon Lambert (5) - 18:05		Second period			No scoring
Bob Gainey (5) - 6:27		Third period			4:26 - Phil Esposito (8)
Serge Savard (2) - 7:25		First overtime period			No scoring
Ken Dryden 18 saves / 21 shots		Goalie stats			John Davidson 38 saves / 42 shots

May 21	New York Rangers		1–4	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal Forum	Recap
Carol Vadnais (2) - 16:52		First period		10:36 - Rick Chartraw (2)
No scoring		Second period		1:02 - pp - Jacques Lemaire (10) 11:01 - Bob Gainey (6) 18:49 - Jacques Lemaire (11)
No scoring		Third period		No scoring
John Davidson 27 saves / 31 shots		Goalie stats		Ken Dryden 14 saves / 15 shots

Montreal won series 4–1

Team rosters

Montreal Canadiens


No.	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1	Michel Larocque	G	L	27	1972	Hull, Quebec
3	Brian Engblom	D	L	24	1975	Winnipeg, Manitoba
5	Guy Lapointe	D	L	31	1969	Montreal, Quebec
6	Pierre Mondou	C	R	23	1975	Sorel, Quebec
8	Doug Risebrough	C	L	25	1974	Guelph, Ontario
10	Guy Lafleur	RW	R	27	1971	Montreal, Quebec
11	Yvon Lambert	LW	L	28	1971	Drummondville, Quebec
12	Yvan Cournoyer (C)	RW	L	35	1963	Montreal, Quebec
14	Mario Tremblay	RW	R	22	1974	Alma, Quebec
15	Réjean Houle	RW	L	29	1969	Rouyn, Quebec
17	Rod Langway	D	L	22	1977	Formosa, Taiwan
18	Serge Savard	D	L	33	1966	Landrienne, Quebec
19	Larry Robinson	D	L	27	1971	Winchester, Ontario
20	Cam Connor	RW	L	24	1978	Winnipeg, Manitoba
21	Doug Jarvis	C	L	24	1975	Brantford, Ontario
22	Steve Shutt	LW	L	26	1972	North York, Ontario
23	Bob Gainey	LW	L	24	1973	Peterborough, Ontario
24	Gilles Lupien	D	L	25	1974	Lachute, Quebec
25	Jacques Lemaire	C	L	33	1967	LaSalle, Quebec
27	Rick Chartraw	D	R	24	1974	Caracas, Venezuela
28	Pierre Larouche	C	L	23	1977	Taschereau, Quebec
29	Ken Dryden	G	L	31	1964	Hamilton, Ontario
30	Pat Hughes	RW	R	24	1975	Calgary, Alberta
31	Mark Napier	LW	L	24	1975	North York, Ontario
33	Richard Sévigny	G	L	22	1979	Montreal, Quebec

New York Rangers


No.	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1	Wayne Thomas	G	L	31	1977	Ottawa, Ontario
3	Dave Farrish	D	L	22	1976	Wingham, Ontario
4	Ron Greschner	D	L	24	1974	Goodsoil, Saskatchewan
5	Carol Vadnais	D	L	33	1975	Montreal, Quebec
6	Bobby Sheehan	C	L	30	1979	Weymouth, Massachusetts
8	Steve Vickers	LW	L	28	1971	Toronto, Ontario
10	Ron Duguay	C	R	21	1977	Sudbury, Ontario
11	Ulf Nilsson	C	R	29	1978	Nynäshamn, Sweden
12	Don Maloney	LW	L	20	1978	Lindsay, Ontario
14	Don Murdoch	RW	R	22	1976	Cranbrook, British Columbia
15	Anders Hedberg	RW	L	28	1978	Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
16	Pat Hickey	LW	L	25	1973	Brantford, Ontario
17	Ed Johnstone	RW	R	25	1974	Brandon, Manitoba
18	Walt Tkaczuk	C	L	33	1967	Emsdetten, West Germany
19	Nick Fotiu	LW	L	26	1976	Staten Island, New York
23	Lucien DeBlois	RW	R	21	1977	Joliette, Quebec
24	Pierre Plante	RW	L	27	1978	Valleyfield, Quebec
25	Mario Marois	D	R	21	1977	L'Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec
26	Dave Maloney (C)	D	L	22	1974	Kitchener, Ontario
27	Mike McEwen	D	L	22	1976	Hornepayne, Ontario
30	John Davidson	G	L	26	1975	Ottawa, Ontario
77	Phil Esposito	C	L	37	1975	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1979 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens acting captain Serge Savard by NHL President John Ziegler following the Canadiens 4–1 win over the Rangers in game five.

The following Canadiens players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup

1978–79 Montreal Canadiens

Players

Centres

Wingers

Defencemen

Goaltenders

29 Ken Dryden
1 Michel Bunny Larocque
33 Richard Sevigny(spare dressed in finals)††

Coaching and administrative staff

Jacques Courtois (President), Sam Pollock (Director)
Irving Grundman (Vice President/General Manager), Jean Beliveau (Vice President - Director of Cooperate Affairs)
William Scotty Bowman (Head Coach), Claude Ruel (Director of Player Development)
Al MacNeil (Director of Player Personnel), Morgan McCammon (Director)
Ron Caron (Asst. General Manager/Director of Communication), Eddy Palchak (Trainer)
Pierre Meilleur (Asst. Trainer)

Stanley Cup engraving

†Yvan Cournoyer played only 18 regular season games. He missed the rest of the season due to a back injury. His name was still put on the cup, even though he did not qualify. Serge Savard served as interim captain while Cournoyer was injured.
††Richard Sevigny's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup, before he played his first NHL game. He was dressed in the finals when Michel Larocque was injured in pre-game warm-up for game two. Sevigny joined Montreal full-time, the next season after Ken Dryden retired.
#26 Dan Newman played 16 regular season games, but did not qualify to be on the cup. He was dressed for one game in the quarterfinals, but did not play
Floyd Curry changed roles from Assistant Manager to Director of Scouting. Name was left off the Stanley Cup.
American Rod Langway was born in Taiwan. This makes Langway first and only player to win the Stanley Cup born in Taiwan (Republic of China).

Members of Montreal Canadiens 1976 to 1979 dynasty

Players: Rick Chartraw, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey, Doug Jarvis, Guy Lafleur, Yvon Lambert, Guy Lapointe, Michel Larocque, Jacques Lemaire, Doug Risebrough, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Steve Shutt, Mario Tremblay
Non players: Jacques Courtois, Sam Pollock, Jean Beliveau, Scotty Bowman, Claude Ruel, Eddie Palchak, Pierre Meilleur, Ron Caron, Floyd Curry

Broadcasting

The Stanley Cup Finals were produced by CBC, who carried the game in Canada and were shown in the United States on the NHL's syndicated package. Dan Kelly called the play-by-play for Games 1, 3, 4, and 5 entirely and split game 2 with Danny Gallivan. Gary Dornhoefer served as color commentator for Games 1 and 5, Gerry Pinder served as color commentator for Game 2 only, Bobby Orr served as color commentator from Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, Dick Irvin Jr. served as color commentator for the entire Finals and hosted the games in Montreal, Dave Hodge and Howie Meeker hosted the games in New York City. ABC was contracted to televise game seven.^[5]^[6] Since the Finals ended in five games, the contract was void.^[7]

References

^ Due to injury, Cournoyer didn't play in any playoff games. Serge Savard served as acting captain.
^ "Canadiens do it again". St Petersburg Times (Page 21). May 22, 1979. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
^ Jenish, D'Arcy (2009). The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory. Doubleday. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0.
^ "1979 NHL Stanley Cup Final: MTL vs. NYR". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
^ "NHL, ABC-TV Agree". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. May 13, 1979. p. 89.
^ "May 26 Selected For a 7th Game". The New York Times. May 13, 1979. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
^ Ramsay, Donald (May 22, 1979). "Montreal win kills ABC TV deal but Ziegler feels pact is on way". The Globe and Mail. p. P35.