1978 Stanley Cup Finals

The 1978 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1977–78 season, and the culmination of the 1978 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Boston Bruins and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens, making their third straight appearance in the Finals. The series was a rematch of the 1977 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens won the best-of-seven series, four games to two, to win their third consecutive Stanley Cup championship and their 21st overall.^[1] This was the last time that both the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens met in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens eventually joined the Bruins in the Adams Division in 1982.

1978 Stanley Cup Finals
1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Montreal Canadiens 4 3* 0 3* 4 4 4 Boston Bruins 1 2* 4 4* 1 1 2
* indicates periods of overtime
Location(s)	Montreal: Montreal Forum (1, 2, 5) Boston: Boston Garden (3, 4, 6)
Coaches	Montreal: Scotty Bowman Boston: Don Cherry
Captains	Montreal: Yvan Cournoyer Boston: Wayne Cashman
Dates	May 13–25, 1978
MVP	Larry Robinson (Canadiens)
Series-winning goal	Mario Tremblay (9:20, first, G6)
Hall of Famers	Canadiens: Yvan Cournoyer (1982) Ken Dryden (1983) Bob Gainey (1992) Guy Lafleur (1988) Guy Lapointe (1993) Jacques Lemaire (1984) Larry Robinson (1995) Serge Savard (1986) Steve Shutt (1993) Bruins: Johnny Bucyk (1981; did not play) Gerry Cheevers (1985) Brad Park (1988) Jean Ratelle (1985) Coaches: Scotty Bowman (1991)
Networks	Canada: (English): CBC (French): SRC United States: (English): NHL Network (national), WSBK-TV (Boston)
Announcers	(CBC) Danny Gallivan (1–2, 5), Dan Kelly (3–4, 6), Chico Resch, and Dick Irvin Jr. (SRC) Rene Lecavalier and Gilles Tremblay (NHLN) Simulcast of CBC feed (WSBK) Fred Cusick and Johnny Peirson
← 1977 Stanley Cup Finals 1979 →

Paths to the Finals

Montreal defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4–1 and the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 to advance to the final.

Boston defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4–0 and the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 to make it to the final.

Game summaries

Defenceman Larry Robinson of Montreal led all players with 17 assists, and finished tied with teammate Guy Lafleur with 21 points, to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

May 13	Boston Bruins		1–4		Montreal Canadiens	Montreal Forum	Recap
Brad Park (6) – pp – 02:31		First period			04:31 – pp – Guy Lafleur (8) 09:53 – pp – Yvon Lambert (2)
No scoring		Second period			13:54 – Steve Shutt (7)
No scoring		Third period			03:55 – Yvan Cournoyer (7)
Gerry Cheevers 23 saves / 27 shots		Goalie stats			Ken Dryden 15 saves / 16 shots

May 16	Boston Bruins		2–3	OT	Montreal Canadiens	Montreal Forum	Recap
No scoring		First period			No scoring
Brad Park (7) – 03:57		Second period			07:00 – Steve Shutt (8)
Rick Smith (1) – 15:48		Third period			12:12 – Bob Gainey (2)
No scoring		First overtime period			13:09 – Guy Lafleur (9)
Gerry Cheevers 32 saves / 35 shots		Goalie stats			Ken Dryden 30 saves / 32 shots

May 18	Montreal Canadiens		0–4		Boston Bruins	Boston Garden	Recap
No scoring		First period			00:59 – Gary Doak (1) 05:11 – Rick Middleton (5)
No scoring		Second period			No scoring
No scoring		Third period			02:54 – Peter McNab (7) 15:39 – Terry O'Reilly (5)
Ken Dryden 32 saves / 36 shots		Goalie stats			Gerry Cheevers 16 saves / 16 shots

May 21	Montreal Canadiens		3–4	OT	Boston Bruins	Boston Garden	Recap
Doug Risebrough (2) – 03:26		First period			00:25 – Gregg Sheppard (2)
Larry Robinson (3) – 07:00		Second period			No scoring
Guy Lafleur (10) – 19:27		Third period			09:19 – Peter McNab (8) 13:20 – Brad Park (8)
No scoring		First overtime period			06:22 – Bobby Schmautz (7)
Ken Dryden 20 saves / 24 shots		Goalie stats			Gerry Cheevers 27 saves / 30 shots

May 23	Boston Bruins		1–4		Montreal Canadiens	Montreal Forum	Recap
No scoring		First period			07:46 – Larry Robinson (4) 11:10 – pp – Pierre Mondou (3)
No scoring		Second period			13:04 – pp Pierre Larouche (2) 18:42 – Jacques Lemaire (6)
Don Marcotte (5) – pp – 11:22		Third period			No scoring
Gerry Cheevers 21 saves / 25 shots Ron Grahame 5 saves / 5 shots		Goalie stats			Ken Dryden 29 saves / 30 shots

May 25	Montreal Canadiens		4–1		Boston Bruins	Boston Garden	Recap
Steve Shutt (9) – 07:01 Mario Tremblay (1) – 09:20		First period			04:05 – pp – Brad Park (9)
Mario Tremblay (2) – 13:37 Rejean Houle (3) – 17:46		Second period			No scoring
No scoring		Third period			No scoring
Ken Dryden 15 saves / 16 shots		Goalie stats			Gerry Cheevers 20 saves / 24 shots

Montreal won series 4–2

Team rosters

Boston Bruins

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
6		Dennis O'Brien	D	L	28	1975	Port Hope, Ontario
7		Sean Shanahan	RW	R	27	1978	Toronto, Ontario
8		Peter McNab	C	L	26	1976	Vancouver, British Columbia
10		Jean Ratelle	C	L	37	1975	Lac Saint-Jean, Quebec
11		Bobby Schmautz	RW	R	33	1973	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
12		Wayne Cashman (C)	LW	R	32	1965	Kingston, Ontario
14		Bob Miller	C	L	21	1976	Medford, Massachusetts
16		Rick Middleton	RW	R	24	1976	Toronto, Ontario
17		Stan Jonathan	LW	L	22	1975	Ohsweken, Ontario
18		John Wensink	LW	L	25	1976	Cornwall, Ontario
19		Gregg Sheppard	C	L	29	1972	North Battleford, Saskatchewan
20		Al Sims	D	L	25	1973	Toronto, Ontario
21		Don Marcotte	LW	L	31	1967	Arthabaska, Quebec
22		Brad Park	D	L	29	1975	Toronto, Ontario
23		Rick Smith	D	L	29	1972	Kingston, Ontario
24		Terry O'Reilly	RW	R	26	1971	Niagara Falls, Ontario
25		Gary Doak	D	R	32	1972	Goderich, Ontario
26		Mike Milbury	D	L	25	1975	Brighton, Massachusetts
30		Gerry Cheevers	G	L	37	1976	St. Catharines, Ontario
31		Ron Grahame	G	L	27	1977	Victoria, British Columbia

Montreal Canadiens

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1		Michel Larocque	G	L	26	1972	Hull, Quebec
2		Bill Nyrop	D	L	25	1972	Washington, D.C.
3		Brian Engblom	D	L	23	1975	Winnipeg, Manitoba
5		Guy Lapointe	D	L	30	1969	Montreal, Quebec
6		Pierre Mondou	C	R	22	1975	Sorel, Quebec
8		Doug Risebrough	C	L	24	1974	Guelph, Ontario
10		Guy Lafleur	RW	R	26	1971	Montreal, Quebec
11		Yvon Lambert	LW	L	27	1971	Drummondville, Quebec
12		Yvan Cournoyer (C)	RW	L	34	1963	Montreal, Quebec
14		Mario Tremblay	RW	R	21	1974	Alma, Quebec
15		Réjean Houle	RW	L	28	1969	Rouyn, Quebec
17		Murray Wilson	C	L	26	1971	Toronto, Canada
18		Serge Savard	D	L	32	1966	Landrienne, Quebec
19		Larry Robinson	D	L	26	1971	Winchester, Ontario
21		Doug Jarvis	C	L	23	1975	Brantford, Ontario
22		Steve Shutt	LW	L	25	1972	North York, Ontario
23		Bob Gainey	LW	L	23	1973	Peterborough, Ontario
24		Gilles Lupien	D	L	24	1974	Lachute, Quebec
25		Jacques Lemaire	C	L	32	1967	LaSalle, Quebec
26		Pierre Bouchard	D	L	30	1965	Longueuil, Quebec
27		Rick Chartraw	D	R	23	1974	Caracas, Venezuela
28		Pierre Larouche	C	L	22	1977	Taschereau, Quebec
29		Ken Dryden	G	L	30	1964	Hamilton, Ontario

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1978 Stanley Cup was presented to Canadiens captain Yvan Cournoyer by NHL President John Ziegler following the Canadiens 4–1 win over the Bruins in game six.

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

1977–78 Montreal Canadiens

Players

  Centres

• 6 Pierre Mondou
• 8 Doug Risebrough
• 21 Doug Jarvis
• 25 Jacques Lemaire
• 28 Pierre Larouche

  Wingers

• 10 Guy Lafleur
• 11 Yvon Lambert
• 12 Yvan Cournoyer (Captain)
• 14 Mario Tremblay
• 15 Rejean Houle
• 17 Murray Wilson†
• 22 Steve Shutt
• 23 Bob Gainey

  Defencemen

• 2 Bill Nyrop
• 3 Brian Engblom
• 5 Guy Lapointe
• 18 Serge Savard
• 19 Larry Robinson
• 24 Gilles Lupien
• 26 Pierre Bouchard
• 27 Rick Chartraw

  Goaltenders

• 29 Ken Dryden
• 1 Michel Bunny Larocque

Coaching and administrative staff

• Jacques Courtois (President), Sam Pollock (Vice President/General Manager)
• Jean Beliveau (Vice President - Director of Cooperate Relations), William Scotty Bowman (Head Coach)
• Peter Bronfman (Chairman/Owner/Director), Edward Bronfman (Executive Director/Owner)
• Al MacNeil (Director of Player Personnel), Eddy Palchak (Trainer), Pierre Meilleur (Asst. Trainer)
• Claude Ruel (Director of Player Development), Floyd Curry (Asst. General Manager), Ron Caron (Asst. General Manager)

Stanley Cup engraving

• †Murray Wilson only played 12 games due to spinal fusion surgery. His name was engraved on the Cup in 1978, even though he did not qualify.

See also

• 1977–78 NHL season

References

1. "Canadiens capture third straight cup after 4-1 win". St Petersburg Times (Page 32). May 26, 1978. Retrieved June 12, 2013.

• Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. NHL.
• Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7.

Preceded by Montreal Canadiens 1977	Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Champions 1978	Succeeded by Montreal Canadiens 1979