1979 Stanley Cup Final

The 1979 Stanley Cup Final 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 Final since . The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series, four games to one, to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup championship.

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 Final until 2013 where both teams were from the Original Six. An Original Six club would not reach the Final again until Montreal won their next championship in 1986.

Paths to the Final

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 Final.

Game summaries The Canadiens won the Cup in five games, winning it on home ice for the first time since . 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 Final, while the New York Rangers scored 26 points in the Final.

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

Game one

Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NYR Steve Vickers (5) – pp Anders Hedberg (4) 06:28 1–0 NYR NYR Ron Greschner (7) Unassisted 14:27 2–0 NYR 2nd MTL Guy Lafleur (9) Jacques Lemaire (10) and Yvon Lambert (3) 07:07 2–1 NYR NYR Phil Esposito (7) – pp Mike McEwen (10) 09:30 3–1 NYR NYR Dave Maloney (3) – sh Anders Hedberg (5) and Walt Tkaczuk (7) 12:32 4–1 NYR 3rd None Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st MTL Mario Tremblay Slashing 04:58 2:00 MTL Rod Langway Slashing 07:25 2:00 NYR Phil Esposito Slashing 07:25 2:00 MTL Rod Langway Roughing 11:52 2:00 NYR Phil Esposito Roughing 11:52 2:00 NYR Don Maloney Interference 18:29 2:00 2nd NYR Ron Greschner Slashing 04:58 2:00 MTL Pierre Mondou Hooking 08:32 2:00 NYR Mike McEwen Holding 11:50 2:00 NYR Dave Maloney Cross-checking 16:21 2:00 MTL Serge Savard Holding 17:15 2:00 3rd MTL Rick Chartraw Charging 10:58 2:00 MTL Doug Risebrough Misconduct 10:58 10:00 NYR Anders Hedberg Holding 13:34 2:00 NYR Ron Duguay Holding 15:14 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 7 6 9 22 7 14 11 32

Game two

Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NYR Anders Hedberg (4) Steve Vickers (3) 01:02 1–0 NYR NYR Ron Duguay (4) Mike McEwen (11) and Pat Hickey (6) 06:21 2–0 NYR MTL Yvon Lambert (4) Mario Tremblay (4) and Doug Risebrough (5) 08:34 2–1 NYR MTL Guy Lafleur (10) Jacques Lemaire (11) and Steve Shutt (4) 12:24 2–2 MTL Bob Gainey (4) Doug Jarvis (2) and Yvon Lambert (3) 16:27 3–2 MTL 2nd MTL Steve Shutt (3) Unassisted 06:51 4–2 MTL MTL Jacques Lemaire (8) – pp Serge Savard (6) and Steve Shutt (5) 17:35 5–2 MTL 3rd MTL Mark Napier (3) Bob Gainey (9) 04:38 6–2 MTL Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st MTL Doug Jarvis High-sticking 05:00 2:00 NYR John Davidson High-sticking 05:00 2:00 MTL Yvon Lambert High-sticking 09:06 2:00 NYR Dave Maloney Roughing 09:06 2:00 NYR Don Murdoch High-sticking 12:58 2:00 MTL Yvon Lambert Slashing 14:05 2:00 NYR Dave Maloney Cross-checking 14:05 2:00 MTL Rick Chartraw Slashing 17:28 2:00 NYR Phil Esposito Slashing 17:28 2:00 MTL Bob Gainey Slashing 18:49 2:00 NYR Ulf Nilsson Slashing 19:18 2:00 2nd MTL Rod Langway Roughing 03:02 2:00 NYR Don Maloney Charging 03:02 2:00 NYR Mario Marois Cross-checking 17:22 2:00 3rd MTL Steve Shutt Cross-checking 12:27 2:00 NYR Ron Greschner Slashing 13:04 2:00 MTL Mario Tremblay Roughing 14:07 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 6 9 10 25 15 8 10 33

Game three

Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st MTL Steve Shutt (4) – pp Jacques Lemaire (12) and Larry Robinson (9) 07:27 1–0 MTL MTL Doug Risebrough (1) Yvon Lambert (11) and Serge Savard (7) 15:44 2–0 MTL 2nd None 3rd NYR Ron Duguay (5) Unassisted 06:06 2–1 MTL MTL Mario Tremblay (3) Yvon Lambert (12) and Doug Risebrough (6) 15:44 3–1 MTL MTL Jacques Lemaire (9) Steve Shutt (6) and Ken Dryden (3) 17:10 4–1 MTL Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st MTL Rod Langway Roughing 00:31 2:00 NYR Ron Duguay Roughing 00:31 2:00 MTL Bob Gainey Slashing 04:41 2:00 NYR Walt Tkaczuk High-sticking 04:41 2:00 NYR Walt Tkaczuk Slashing 04:41 2:00 MTL Rejean Houle Hooking 04:46 2:00 MTL Doug Risebrough Elbowing 08:32 2:00 NYR Mario Marois Slashing 11:26 2:00 2nd MTL Bob Gainey Slashing 02:08 2:00 MTL Rod Langway Roughing 12:19 2:00 NYR Phil Esposito Roughing 12:19 2:00 MTL Rick Chartraw Closing hand on puck 13:28 2:00 3rd None Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 7 9 7 23 4 10 6 20

Game four

Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st NYR Pat Hickey (1) Dave Maloney (3) and Bobby Sheehan (3) 01:19 1–0 NYR MTL Rejean Houle (1) Bob Gainey (10) 02:39 1–1 NYR Don Murdoch (7) Phil Esposito (12) and Pat Hickey (7) 17:03 2–1 NYR 2nd MTL Yvon Lambert (5) Rejean Houle (2) 18:05 2–2 3rd NYR Phil Esposito (8) Don Maloney (13) and Dave Maloney (4) 04:26 3–2 NYR MTL Bob Gainey (5) Unassisted 06:27 3–3 OT MTL Serge Savard (2) Guy Lafleur (13) and Steve Shutt (7) 07:25 4–3 MTL Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st MTL Rick Chartraw Interference 03:34 2:00 NYR Don Maloney Slashing 03:34 2:00 MTL Rick Chartraw Elbowing 05:49 2:00 MTL Gilles Lupien Tripping 10:13 2:00 MTL Rick Chartraw Slashing 11:06 2:00 NYR Phil Esposito Slashing 11:06 2:00 NYR Eddie Johnstone Slashing 13:54 2:00 2nd NYR Dave Maloney Hooking 01:18 2:00 MTL Jacques Lemaire Tripping 02:15 2:00 NYR Mike McEwen Holding 07:41 2:00 3rd NYR Ron Greschner Tripping 07:58 2:00 OT None Shots by period Team 1 2 3 OT Total 11 15 11 5 42 9 4 7 1 21

Game five

Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st MTL Rick Chartraw (2) Rejean Houle (3) and Yvon Lambert (6) 10:36 1–0 MTL NYR Carol Vadnais (2) Don Murdoch (5) 16:52 1–1 2nd MTL Jacques Lemaire (10) – pp Unassisted 01:02 2–1 MTL MTL Bob Gainey (6) Doug Jarvis (3) and Rejean Houle (4) 11:01 3–1 MTL MTL Jacques Lemaire (11) Rejean Houle (5) 18:49 4–1 MTL 3rd None Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st NYR Dave Maloney Cross-checking 19:59 2:00 2nd MTL Rod Langway Cross-checking 06:41 2:00 3rd MTL Mark Napier Slashing 18:12 2:00 NYR Ron Greschner Tripping 19:41 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 8 3 4 15 9 14 8 31

Team rosters Montreal Canadiens

New York Rangers

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

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 Final 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 Final series 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. Since the series ended in five games, the contract was void.

See also 1978–79 NHL season

References

Bibliography