Risebrough looks back at the 76/77 season

[habernac]

only 8 losses. We'll never see it again says Doug. I think he's right.

sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=johnson_george&id=2727810&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

[duster]

Here are the regular season losses. I remember Buffalo and Boston as being the only two teams that year where a win was never assumed. Gilbert Perreault and Jean Ratelle...

I also remember reading the St-Louis boxscore in the paper and thinking it was a misprint. I think even the Blues were in shock...

10/10/1976 at Buffalo Sabres 1 - 3

10/17/1976 at Boston Bruins 3 - 5

10/30/1976 Boston Bruins 3 - 4

11/17/1976 at Toronto Maple Leafs 0 - 1

12/12/1976 at New York Rangers 2 - 5

1/12/1977 at St. Louis Blues 2 - 7

1/17/1977 at Boston Bruins 3 - 7

3/6/1977 at Buffalo Sabres 1 - 4

[clear observer]

"...you look at it now, 30 years later … quite a year. One to look back on. One to be proud of..."

One I'll certainly NEVER forget...as a 12 yr old there was NO sweeter joy than watching their magic...even at that age, I felt privileged. That team was literally a "winning machine".

There'll never be another like it.

Never.

CO

[CentreHice]

I was 12 when the Habs beat the Bruins in the quarter-finals and went on to win a most unexpected Cup in 1971--Dryden's Conn Smythe performance, H. Richard's heroics, Frank Mahovlich's 27 playoff points (a record at that point), and Beliveau's swan song.
Big Jean and Cournoyer had 22 playoff points each.

And the rest of the 70s....what a way to go through your teen years....5 more Cups in the next 8 years...highlighted by that dream season in 76/77.

I'm trying to remember the line combos from that team: Somebody fill in the blanks/make corrections, please.

Forwards lines:

1. Shutt-Lemaire-Lafleur

2. Wilson-P. Mahovlich-Cournoyer

3. Risebrough-Jarvis-Gainey

4. Lambert-Houle-Tremblay

Jim Roberts played 14 playoff games...had 3 goals...but I don't know where he fit in....Houle played only 6 playoff games...pehaps something there. Roberts could play D and forward.

Mondou played 3 playoff games.

Defense (don't remember the pairings)

Robinson-Lapointe-Savard-Bouchard-Chartraw-Nyrop

Engblom played 2 playoff games.

I played ball hockey back in 1988 with a guy who was on the Penguins for 26 games in 77/78. He said playing the Habs was futile. The key was their transition game. The defense could headman the puck like no other. You'd lose it in the Montreal zone, and by the time you reached centre ice on the backcheck, the Habs already had a scoring chance.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

centrehice said:

I was 12 when the Habs beat the Bruins in the quarter-finals and went on to win a most unexpected Cup in 1971--Dryden's Conn Smythe performance, H. Richard's heroics, Frank Mahovlich's 27 playoff points (a record at that point), and Beliveau's swan song.
Big Jean and Cournoyer had 22 playoff points each.

And the rest of the 70s....what a way to go through your teen years....5 more Cups in the next 8 years...highlighted by that dream season in 76/77.

I'm trying to remember the line combos from that team: Somebody fill in the blanks/make corrections, please.

Forwards lines:

1. Shutt-Lemaire-Lafleur "Spectacular scoring line"
2. Wilson-P. Mahovlich-Cournoyer "Second line that can bite you"

3. Risebrough-Jarvis-Gainey "Outstanding checking line"

4. Lambert-Houle-Tremblay "No fourth line dropoff whatsoever"

Jim Roberts played 14 playoff games...had 3 goals...but I don't know where he fit in....Houle played only 6 playoff games...pehaps something there. Roberts could play D and forward.

Mondou played 3 playoff games.

Defense (don't remember the pairings)

Robinson-Lapointe-Savard-Bouchard-Chartraw-Nyrop "Best top three defensemen ever, supported by three stay at home and great backchecking"
Engblom played 2 playoff games.

I played ball hockey back in 1988 with a guy who was on Penguins for 26 games in 77/78. He said playing the Habs was futile. The key was their transition game. The defense could headman the puck like no other. You'd lose it in the Montreal zone, and by the time you reached centre ice on the backcheck, the Habs already had a scoring chance.

[CentreHice]

Talk about depth. Captain Yvan Cournoyer missed the final 20 reg. season games that year...and the entire playoffs. I can't remember our second line then. Peter Mahovlich centred it for sure....Murray Wilson and Jim Roberts as wingers?

Anyway....here's an excerpt on Cournoyer's situation that year.

He slowed down a step in the 1976-77 season, but it had little to do with his age. A disc in his back was pressing a nerve and causing him pain in his right leg if he stayed on his feet for more than a few minutes at a time. Surgery was required, though Cournoyer stayed quiet about his pain in an effort to continue playing.

But in one game against the New York Rangers in February 1977, Cournoyer put on a display at Madison Square Garden that had even the home fans cheering for the speedy Canadiens star. He picked up the puck just outside the blue line and darted into the Rangers' zone. He circled the net once, then again, making two full circles around the bewildered defenders, who had given up chasing him.

Just two weeks after he skated circles around the Rangers, Cournoyer announced he was done for the season. The surgery couldn't wait and the Canadiens captain was forced to miss the post-season and the team's second consecutive run to the championship. Because of new rules regarding which names could be engraved on the Stanley Cup, Montreal coach Scotty Bowman was happy to announce that Cournoyer, who had played in 60 regular-season games, would be included. Previously, not being in the playoffs would have meant not getting his name on the Cup.

He played the next season and the first 15 games of 78/79 when another back surgery forced him to retire. At the time, he trailed only Lafleur, M. Richard, and Beliveau on the Habs' all-time goal scoring list.

[jkr]

duster said:

Here are the regular season losses. I remember Buffalo and Boston as being the only two teams that year where a win was never assumed. Gilbert Perreault and Jean Ratelle...

I also remember reading the St-Louis boxscore in the paper and thinking it was a misprint. I think even the Blues were in shock...

10/10/1976 at Buffalo Sabres 1 - 3

10/17/1976 at Boston Bruins 3 - 5

10/30/1976 Boston Bruins 3 - 4

11/17/1976 at Toronto Maple Leafs 0 - 1

12/12/1976 at New York Rangers 2 - 5

1/12/1977 at St. Louis Blues 2 - 7

1/17/1977 at Boston Bruins 3 - 7

3/6/1977 at Buffalo Sabres 1 - 4

Those losses to St. Louis & Boston show that even great teams can get hammered - & both within 5 days. Probably their worst stretch all season.

[clear observer]

centrehice said:

I was 12 when the Habs beat the Bruins in the quarter-finals and went on to win a most unexpected Cup in 1971--Dryden's Conn Smythe performance, H. Richard's heroics, Frank Mahovlich's 27 playoff points (a record at that point), and Beliveau's swan song.
Big Jean and Cournoyer had 22 playoff points each.

And the rest of the 70s....what a way to go through your teen years....5 more Cups in the next 8 years...highlighted by that dream season in 76/77.

I'm trying to remember the line combos from that team: Somebody fill in the blanks/make corrections, please.

Forwards lines:

1. Shutt-Lemaire-Lafleur

2. Wilson-P. Mahovlich-Cournoyer

3. Risebrough-Jarvis-Gainey

4. Lambert-Houle-Tremblay

Jim Roberts played 14 playoff games...had 3 goals...but I don't know where he fit in....Houle played only 6 playoff games...pehaps something there. Roberts could play D and forward.

Mondou played 3 playoff games.

Defense (don't remember the pairings)

Robinson-Lapointe-Savard-Bouchard-Chartraw-Nyrop

Engblom played 2 playoff games.

I played ball hockey back in 1988 with a guy who was on the Penguins for 26 games in 77/78. He said playing the Habs was futile. The key was their transition game. The defense could headman the puck like no other. You'd lose it in the Montreal zone, and by the time you reached centre ice on the backcheck, the Habs already had a scoring chance.

Rick Chartraw dabbled a bit on the LW....everything else is perfect!


CO

[CentreHice]

Nice 30th anniverasry clip of that team on TSN's video page.

"Dominant Canadiens of 1976-77"

broadband.tsn.ca/tsn/?vid=7890

9 Hall of Fame players: Lafleur, Lemaire, Shutt, Robinson, Savard, Lapointe, Gainey, Dryden, Cournoyer.

And the greatest coach of all time.

[raketheleaves]

1977 was one year before I really remember anything. I was only 7, so I missed out! It's funny because my first game was in Feb. 78, a 13-0 win against Pittsburgh. Your buddy probably played in that game....lol

But I think the lines were like this, no?

1. Shutt-P. Mahovlich-Lafleur ("The Donut Line" according to Lafleur, because Pete was in the middle...lol...Lemaire hadn't been placed between these two just yet I don't think)

2. Wilson-Lemaire-Cournoyer

3. Gainey-Jarvis-Houle

4. Lambert-Risebrough-Tremblay

Robinson-Savard
Nyrop-Lapointe
Bouchard-Chartraw
Engblom

Dryden
Laroque

[CentreHice]

raketheleaves said:

1. Shutt-P. Mahovlich-Lafleur ("The Donut Line" according to Lafleur, because Pete was in the middle...lol...Lemaire hadn't been placed between these two just yet I don't think)

Could be. Mahovlich was traded to Pittsburgh early in the next season. That could have been when Lemaire was moved up to the first line.

What a powerhouse.

[CentreHice]

raketheleaves said:

1. Shutt-P. Mahovlich-Lafleur ("The Donut Line" according to Lafleur, because Pete was in the middle...lol...Lemaire hadn't been placed between these two just yet I don't think)

Could be. Mahovlich was traded to Pittsburgh early in the next season. That could have been when Lemaire was moved up to the first line.

Although on the Stanley Cup winner in Game 4 OT against Boston...it was Lemaire who scored while centring Lafleur and Sbutt. What a feed from behind the net from Lafleur.

Here's a clip of the goal being narrated by a toddler.

1977 Cup Winner

I love how Al Simms has the puck along the boards...and he kicks it right to Lafleur.

[seventeen]

The first line in 76/77 was definitely Shutt/Lemaire/Lafleur. The checking line was possibly the best in NHL history --Gainey, Jarvis, Jim Roberts (they gave up something like only 30 odd goals against the best lines in the league that year). The energy line was Lambert/Risebrough/Tremblay. The second line is the one I don't recall that well. Cournoyer was on it for sure, and other players who would have played there were Pete Mahovlich, Murray Wilson, Houle and Mondou. The big 3 on D with Bill Nyrop (a really good defensive d-man) made up the 4th. When needed, Pierre Bouchard and Rick Chartraw suited up. Chartraw saw duty on right wing sometimes too.