Remembering the Montreal Canadiens' historic 5-peat
When it comes to North American pro sports dynasties, few compare to the Montreal Canadiens of the mid-to-late 1950s.
On this date in 1960, the Canadiens secured an unprecedented fifth straight Stanley Cup title with a 4-0 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of the championship. Not only did the victory complete a four-game sweep of the Maple Leafs, it capped one of the most incredible playoff runs in history:
The offense erupted for 29 goals in eight games and was led by the Hall of Fame line of Henri Richard (12 points), Bernie Geoffrion (12) and Dickie Moore (10). Jean Beliveau added five goals, while 38-year-old Maurice Richard added a goal and three assists in what was the final action of his NHL career.
The goaltending was even more impressive, as Jacques Plante limited the Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks to just 11 goals in eight games. Plante finished with a 1.35 GAA and three shutouts.
Here are some of the most eye-popping facts from the Canadiens' run of five consecutive Stanley Cup victories:
- The team registered an incredible 202-91-57 regular-season mark over those five seasons, with its longest losing streak over that stretch a four-game slide in 1956-57.
- Montreal was even more sensational in the postseason, winning 40 games while dropping just nine. That includes a 20-5 mark in the finals.
- Twelve players were on the roster for all five championships, including Beliveau, Geoffrion, Moore, the Richard siblings and Plante.
- Head coach Toe Blake won Stanley Cups in each of his first five seasons at the helm, and went on to win eight titles with the club.
- The Canadiens earned 25 All-Star nominations and took home 15 individual trophies over the five-year span.