1979: Game#1 Stanley Cup Final Rangers @ Canadiens

The path to the 1979 Stanley Cup started smoothly enough with a four-game sweep of the Maple Leafs, the second straight season that the Habs ended Toronto's season.

Hometown fans went home happy after every game of the semifinal series between Montreal and Boston. The Canadiens captured the opening games at the Forum, 4-2 and 5-2. Boston Garden fans watched their Bruins pull even with a pair of one-goal victories, the second ending when Jean Ratelle broke a 3-3 tie nine minutes into the extra frame.

Continuing to trade wins, Montreal took the fifth game 5-1 and then dropped a 5-2 decision to bring the series back home for a deciding game, the first time in four years that a Habs team faced elimination in the postseason.

Leading 4-3 with just minutes remaining in the game, Boston took a penalty for having too many men on the ice. Guy Lafleur converted a Jacques Lemaire pass, netting the tying goal with just over a minute to go in regulation.

Nine minutes into overtime, Yvon Lambert buried a pass from Mario Tremblay behind Gilles Gilbert, the most important of his 27 career playoff goals to put the Canadiens back on the road to their sixth Stanley Cup of the 1970s.

The Rangers, who disposed of the Islanders in their semifinal, took the opening game of the Finals. The 4-1 decision in front of the Forum faithful would be their only victory as Montreal rolled on to a 22nd Stanley Cup, with Jacques Lemaire netting the deciding goal in the fifth game.

Bob Gainey, with 16 points in the run for a fourth straight championship, was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

The 1979 Stanley Cup marked the end of an era in Montreal, with veterans Lemaire, Dryden and Cournoyer all announcing their retirements and coach Scotty Bowman leaving the organization by the time training camp opened the following fall.

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[FRSDailyTimes]

The last Stanley Cup for the Canadians until 1986

[aibangmaini]

Hey bud, thanks so much for posting this.

[ldhorricks]

I never get tired of watching Lafleur...even without the puck he's exciting

[mrceebees14]

As an Islanders fan back then, the only comfort I had after our season ended was watching the Rangers lose that final. It still didn't take the shock away though, the Isles just had their best year in their existence. We had the best goal tending tandem, the best sniper, the best power forward, the best GM, the best coach, the best line, the best special teams, we literally had it all.

I remember having to hear it the entire summer of how we choked, fucking pissed me off something terrible haha

[dzanier]

And the win over the Isles in the semis was no fluke. They outplayed the Islanders. The Isles had the better team but when you take into consideration that the Rangers went into the third period of Game 6 vs. the Isles with just a 2-1 lead, with still 20 minutes to play versus a team fighting to stay alive, and which had Trottier, Potvin, Bossy, Gillies etc, a powerhoue team, and held them to only THREE shots in the third; that's impressive defense vs. a team with their backs to the wall.

[mrbob424]

actually this footage has been missing for years. to date all i have ever found is game 5 highlights. id love to find games 2 , 3 & 4. game 4 was weird as the habs scored in overtime but the goal was disallowed and they didnt have replay back then. then less than a minute later the habs got a 2nd overtime goal to win game 4 at msg and head back home with a chance to win the cup in montreal.

[mrbob424]

I am a NY Rangers season ticket holder since the 1977-1978 season. Ill never forget the Rangers run to make the cup finals on the backs of JD , Espo & a rookie named Don Maloney & Don Murdoch. Bobby Sheehan came out of nowhere. they came came together at the right time. i was at games 3 & 4 @ MSG that season as well as a Rangers win in montreal during the regular season via a bus trip with the RFC. this was a special year as i went to the playoff games with my college buddy Dom Rom. Memories!

[ldhorricks]

Man I miss the Forum and this Era RD singing the anthem...the Forum Organ,the trumpeter, the siren,no advertising on the boards or ice...clean simple game....oh and Danny Gallivan...Kelly did a great job filling in in this series...classy guy

[ldhorricks]

BTW was that Eagleson walking behind Shiro at 1:03?

[ldhorricks]

i loved those afternoon games during the 60's and 70's...afternoon playoff games (especially in U.S.cities) were very common...we'd have an early lunch, then pile in front of the TV for HNIC broadcast from the Garden,Spectrum,Stadium,MSG,Bu­ffalo Aud