The 1975–76 NHL season was the 59th season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, defeating the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers in the final.
| 1975–76 NHL season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Hockey League |
| Sport | Ice hockey |
| Duration | October 7, 1975 – May 16, 1976 |
| Number of games | 80 |
| Number of teams | 18 |
| TV partner(s) | CBC, CTV, SRC (Canada) NHL Network, CBS[a] (United States) |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Mel Bridgman |
| Picked by | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Season MVP | Bobby Clarke (Flyers) |
| Top scorer | Guy Lafleur (Canadiens) |
| Playoffs | |
| Playoffs MVP | Reggie Leach (Flyers) |
| Stanley Cup | |
| Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Flyers |
Teams
Regular season
The Montreal Canadiens set records in wins with 58 and points with 127, beginning a four-year stretch where they would dominate the league in the regular season and win four straight Stanley Cup titles. The Philadelphia Flyers tied the record set by the 1929–30 Boston Bruins for most consecutive home ice wins, with 20.
During the regular season, between December 28 and January 10, "Super Series '76" took place as two teams from the Soviet Championship League played eight exhibitions against NHL teams. HC CSKA Moscow (the "Red Army Club"), defending Soviet champion, played against the New York Rangers, Montreal, Boston and, on January 11, the defending NHL champion, the Philadelphia Flyers, while Krylya Sovetov Moscow ("the Soviet Wings") played against Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Chicago and the New York Islanders.[1]
The New York Rangers got off to their worst start since 1965–66. Underpressure, Emile Francis traded Derek Sanderson to St. Louis and put goaltender Eddie Giacomin on waivers. Detroit claimed him, and then the blockbuster trade of the year saw the Boston Bruins send superstar center Phil Esposito and star defenceman Carol Vadnais to the New York Rangers for star center Jean Ratelle and superstar defenceman Brad Park.
Both Ratelle and Park would excel for the Bruins for years to come, while Esposito's days as the preeminent scorer in the NHL were behind him. Trades did not help the Rangers, as they gave up 333 goals against and finished last in thePatrick Division, which cost Emile Francis his job as generalmanager, and coach Ron Stewart was fired as well. John Ferguson Sr.took over both jobs.
The Kansas City Scouts established a dubious distinction, winning onlyone of their final 44 games.
On February 7, 1976, Darryl Sittler set an NHL record that still stands for most points scored in one game. He recorded ten points (six goals, four assists) against the Boston Bruins.
Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold
Prince of Wales Conference
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Bruins | 80 | 48 | 15 | 17 | 313 | 237 | 113 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 46 | 21 | 13 | 339 | 240 | 105 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 80 | 34 | 31 | 15 | 294 | 276 | 83 |
| California Golden Seals | 80 | 27 | 42 | 11 | 250 | 278 | 65 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 58 | 11 | 11 | 337 | 174 | 127 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 263 | 265 | 85 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 35 | 33 | 12 | 339 | 303 | 82 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 80 | 26 | 44 | 10 | 226 | 300 | 62 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 11 | 59 | 10 | 224 | 394 | 32 |
Clarence Campbell Conference
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 51 | 13 | 16 | 348 | 209 | 118 |
| New York Islanders | 80 | 42 | 21 | 17 | 297 | 190 | 101 |
| Atlanta Flames | 80 | 35 | 33 | 12 | 262 | 237 | 82 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 29 | 42 | 9 | 262 | 333 | 67 |
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Black Hawks | 80 | 32 | 30 | 18 | 254 | 261 | 82 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 33 | 32 | 15 | 271 | 272 | 81 |
| St. Louis Blues | 80 | 29 | 37 | 14 | 249 | 290 | 72 |
| Minnesota North Stars | 80 | 20 | 53 | 7 | 195 | 303 | 47 |
| Kansas City Scouts | 80 | 12 | 56 | 12 | 190 | 351 | 36 |
Playoffs
Playoff seeds
The twelve teams that qualified for the playoffs are ranked 1–12 based on regular season points.
Note: Only teams that qualified for the playoffs are listed here.
- Montreal Canadiens, Norris Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 127 points
- Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions – 118 points
- Boston Bruins, Adams Division champions – 113 points
- Buffalo Sabres – 105 points
- New York Islanders – 101 points
- Los Angeles Kings – 85 points
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 83 points
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 82 points (35 wins, 5 points head-to-head vs. Atlanta)
- Atlanta Flames – 82 points (35 wins, 3 points head-to-head vs. Pittsburgh)
- Chicago Black Hawks, Smythe Division champions – 82 points (32 wins)
- Vancouver Canucks – 81 points
- St. Louis Blues – 72 points
Playoff bracket
| Preliminary round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Stanley Cup Finals | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | Chicago | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | NY Islanders | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Buffalo | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 8 | St. Louis | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Buffalo | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | NY Islanders | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | NY Islanders | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Vancouver | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Toronto | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Toronto | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Boston | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Los Angeles | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Los Angeles | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Atlanta | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
- Division winners earned a bye to the quarterfinals
- Teams were re-seeded based on regular season record after the Preliminary and Quarterfinal rounds
Preliminary round
(1) Buffalo Sabres vs. (8) St. Louis Blues
The Buffalo Sabres were the first seed of the preliminary round and fourth overall with 105 points. The St. Louis Blues were the eighth seed of the preliminary round and twelfth overall with 72 points. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The Buffalo Sabres won this year's regular season series earning 5 of 8 points.
| April 6 | Buffalo Sabres | 2–5 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 04:14 – pp – Derek Sanderson (1) 08:28 – sh – Chuck Lefley (1) 19:42 – pp – Larry Patey (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Rick Martin (1) – 08:37 Jacques Richard (1) – 18:11 | Third period | 01:56 – Garry Unger (1) 15:31 – Chuck Lefley (2) | ||||||
| Gerry Desjardins 25 saves / 29 shots Al Smith 1 save / 2 shots | Goalie stats | Ed Staniowski 37 saves / 39 shots | ||||||
| April 8 | St. Louis Blues | 2–3 | OT | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Garry Unger (2) – 02:01 Dave Hrechkosy (1) – 18:02 | Third period | 07:35 – sh – Craig Ramsay (1) 11:24 – Danny Gare (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 11:43 – Danny Gare (2) | ||||||
| Ed Staniowski 54 saves / 57 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Desjardins 14 saves / 16 shots | ||||||
| April 9 | St. Louis Blues | 1–2 | OT | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 19:05 – Gilbert Perreault (1) | ||||||
| Red Berenson (1) – 09:10 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 14:27 – Don Luce (1) | ||||||
| Ed Staniowski 32 saves / 34 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Desjardins 21 saves / 22 shots | ||||||
| Buffalo won series 2–1 | |
(2) New York Islanders vs. (7) Vancouver Canucks
The New York Islanders were the second seed in the preliminary round and fifth overall with 101 points. The Vancouver Canucks were the seventh seed in the preliminary round and eleventh overall with 81 points. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Vancouver won this year's regular season series earning 8 of 10 points.
| April 6 | Vancouver Canucks | 3–5 | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | Recap | |||
| Dennis Ververgaert (1) – pp – 02:58 John Gould (1) – sh – 08:18 | First period | 06:01 – Gerry Hart (1) 08:28 – pp – Billy Harris (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 00:10 – sh – Lorne Henning (1) 05:36 – Bill MacMillan (1) 08:20 – Bob Nystrom (1) | ||||||
| Bob Dailey (1) – pp – 04:27 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Curt Ridley 25 saves / 30 shots | Goalie stats | Chico Resch 29 saves / 32 shots | ||||||
| April 8 | New York Islanders | 3–1 | Vancouver Canucks | Pacific Coliseum | Recap | |||
| J.P. Parise (1) – 03:13 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 07:49 – Chris Oddleifson (1) | ||||||
| Garry Howatt (1) – 11:39 Clark Gillies (1) – 12:11 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Chico Resch 29 saves / 30 shots | Goalie stats | Curt Ridley 31 saves / 34 shots | ||||||
| New York won series 2–0 | |
(3) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) Atlanta Flames
The Los Angeles Kings were the third seed of the preliminary round and sixth overall 85 points. The Atlanta Flames were the sixth seed of the preliminary round and ninth overall with 82 points, losing the tie-breaker to Pittsburgh in head-to-head points (5 to 3). This was the first playoff meeting between these two teams. Los Angeles won this year's regular season series earning 6 of 8 points.
| April 6 | Atlanta Flames | 1–2 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 00:50 – Tom Williams (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 02:40 – Bob Nevin (1) | ||||||
| Barry Gibbs (1) – 14:36 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Dan Bouchard 24 saves / 26 shots | Goalie stats | Rogie Vachon 19 saves / 20 shots | ||||||
| April 8 | Los Angeles Kings | 1–0 | Atlanta Flames | Omni Coliseum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Bob Berry (1) – 18:16 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Rogie Vachon 27 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Dan Bouchard 25 saves / 26 shots | ||||||
| Los Angeles won series 2–0 | |
(4) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (5) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Toronto Maple Leafs were the fourth seed in the preliminary round and seventh overall with 83 points. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the fifth seed in the preliminary round and eighth overall with 82 points, winning the tiebreaker over Atlanta in head-to-head points (5 to 3). This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Pittsburgh won this year's regular season series earning 8 of 10 points.
| April 6 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Maple Leaf Gardens | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 13:01 – pp – Jim McKenny (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 04:44 – Lanny McDonald (1) 11:00 – Bob Neely (1) | ||||||
| Stan Gilbertson (1) – 04:17 | Third period | 15:02 – George Ferguson (1) | ||||||
| Michel Plasse 32 saves / 36 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Thomas 35 saves / 36 shots | ||||||
| April 8 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 0–2 | Pittsburgh Penguins | Civic Arena | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 11:25 – pp – Lowell MacDonald (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 19:21 – en – Vic Hadfield (1) | ||||||
| Wayne Thomas 47 saves / 48 shots | Goalie stats | Michel Plasse 21 saves / 21 shots | ||||||
| April 9 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 0–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Maple Leaf Gardens | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 17:01 – Jim McKenny (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 02:03 – Pat Boutette (1) 09:14 – pp – Borje Salming (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 02:14 – Lanny McDonald (2) | ||||||
| Michel Plasse 32 saves / 36 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Thomas 26 saves / 26 shots | ||||||
| Toronto won series 2–1 | |
Quarterfinals
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) Chicago Black Hawks
The Montreal Canadiens finished first in the league with 127 points. The Chicago Black Hawks finished as the Smythe Division Champions as the eighth and lowest-remaining seed in the playoffs with 82 points. This was the 17th playoff series between these two teams. Montreal leads 11–5 in previous meetings. Their most recent meeting came in the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won in six games. Montreal won this year's regular season series earning 5 of 8 points.
| April 11 | Chicago Blackhawks | 0–4 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 04:22 – Larry Robinson (1) 08:30 – Peter Mahovlich (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 16:41 – Doug Jarvis (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 12:50 – Jimmy Roberts (1) | ||||||
| Tony Esposito 33 saves / 37 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 22 saves / 22 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | Chicago Blackhawks | 1–3 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Darcy Rota (1) – pp – 03:55 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 14:51 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (1) 15:05 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 00:12 – Guy Lafleur (1) | ||||||
| Tony Esposito 26 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 21 saves / 22 shots | ||||||
| April 15 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–1 | Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Yvon Lambert (1) – 05:21 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Guy Lafleur (2) – 19:47 | Third period | 17:49 – Pit Martin (1) | ||||||
| Ken Dryden 30 saves / 31 shots | Goalie stats | Tony Esposito 37 saves / 39 shots | ||||||
| April 18 | Montreal Canadiens | 4–1 | Chicago Blackhawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| Serge Savard (1) – sh – 19:05 | First period | 10:31 – pp – Cliff Koroll (1) | ||||||
| Peter Mahovlich (2) – pp – 02:40 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Guy Lafleur (3) – 09:56 Doug Jarvis (2) – 14:52 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Ken Dryden 34 saves / 35 shots | Goalie stats | Tony Esposito 22 saves 26 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–0 | |
(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Toronto Maple Leafs
The Philadelphia Flyers finished as Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions and second seed overall with 118 points. This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, which Philadelphia won in a four-game sweep. Philadelphia won this year's regular season series earning 7 of 8 points.
| April 12 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1–4 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Lanny McDonald (3) – pp – 12:11 | First period | 08:01 – Reggie Leach (1) 13:59 – pp – Orest Kindrachuk (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 06:55 – Bobby Clarke (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 11:31 – pp – Gary Dornhoefer (1) | ||||||
| Wayne Thomas 40 saves / 44 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 23 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1–3 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 15:54 – Dave Schultz (1) | ||||||
| Borje Salming (2) – 15:18 | Second period | 04:24 – Ross Lonsberry (1) 05:34 – Don Saleski (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Wayne Thomas 24 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 31 saves / 32 shots | ||||||
| April 15 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4–5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Maple Leaf Gardens | Recap | |||
| Bobby Clarke (2) – pp – 12:00 | First period | 08:27 – pp – Scott Garland (1) 14:00 – pp – Claire Alexander (1) | ||||||
| Gary Dornhoefer (2) – 10:58 Jimmy Watson (1) – 11:11 | Second period | 03:25 – pp – Errol Thompson (1) 03:54 – pp – Ian Turnbull (1) 17:14 – pp – Stan Weir (1) | ||||||
| Bill Barber (1) – 15:12 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Bernie Parent 47 saves / 52 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Thomas 24 saves / 28 shots | ||||||
| April 17 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3–4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Maple Leaf Gardens | Recap | |||
| Mel Bridgman (1) – 12:26 | First period | 03:11 – pp – Errol Thompson (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 16:12 – Borje Salming (3) 18:59 – pp – Lanny McDonald (4) | ||||||
| Reggie Leach (2) – 03:55 Mel Bridgman (2) – 08:30 | Third period | 05:57 – George Ferguson (2) | ||||||
| Bernie Parent 24 saves / 28 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Thomas 25 saves / 28 shots | ||||||
| April 20 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 1–7 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 03:55 – Bill Barber (2) | ||||||
| Bob Neely (2) – pp – 10:42 | Second period | 10:04 – sh – Don Saleski (2) 11:24 – Gary Dornhoefer (3) 11:37 – Don Saleski (3) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 04:17 – Don Saleski (4) 07:24 – Reggie Leach (3) 07:51 – Reggie Leach (4) | ||||||
| Wayne Thomas 27 saves / 33 shots Gord McRae 4 saves / 5 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 26 saves / 27 shots | ||||||
| April 22 | Philadelphia Flyers | 5–8 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Maple Leaf Gardens | Recap | |||
| Orest Kindrachuk (2) – 04:52 | First period | 10:41 – pp – Darryl Sittler (1) 18:21 – sh – Errol Thompson (3) | ||||||
| Tom Bladon (1) – pp – 16:43 Reggie Leach (5) – 16:51 | Second period | 10:47 – pp – Darryl Sittler (2) 11:19 – Darryl Sittler (3) 19:21 – Darryl Sittler (4) | ||||||
| Bill Barber (3) – pp – 10:03 Larry Goodenough (1) – 14:31 | Third period | 02:06 – Darryl Sittler (5) 10:16 – Jack Valiquette (1) 15:31 – Claire Alexander (2) | ||||||
| Bernie Parent 31 saves / 39 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Thomas 42 saves / 47 shots | ||||||
| April 25 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3–7 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Jack Valiquette (2) – 01:24 Bob Neely (3) – pp – 18:56 | First period | 10:05 – pp – Andre Dupont (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 04:43 – Don Saleski (5) 05:48 – Mel Bridgman (3) 06:04 – Mel Bridgman (4) 07:59 – pp – Ross Lonsberry (2) 19:07 – Reggie Leach (6) | ||||||
| Ian Turnbull (2) – 18:24 | Third period | 09:45 – pp – Bill Barber (4) | ||||||
| Wayne Thomas 36 saves / 43 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 21 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| Philadelphia won series 4–3 | |
(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings
The Boston Bruins finished as the Adams Division regular season champions and third seed overall with 113 points. This was the first playoff series between these two teams. Boston won this year's regular season series earning 8 of 10 points.
| April 11 | Los Angeles Kings | 0–4 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 16:34 – pp – Ken Hodge (1) 16:57 – pp – Jean Ratelle (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 00:52 – sh – Dave Forbes (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 06:15 – pp – Jean Ratelle (2) | ||||||
| Rogie Vachon 19 saves / 23 shots | Goalie stats | Gilles Gilbert 21 saves / 21 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | Los Angeles Kings | 3–2 | OT | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 05:53 – Jean Ratelle (3) | ||||||
| Marcel Dionne (1) – 3:08 | Second period | 14:31 – pp – Johnny Bucyk (1) | ||||||
| Marcel Dionne (2) – pp – 06:53 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Butch Goring (1) – pp – 00:27 | First overtime period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gary Edwards 28 saves / 30 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Cheevers 20 saves / 23 shots | ||||||
| April 15 | Boston Bruins | 4–6 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| Gregg Sheppard (1) – 05:02 Brad Park (1) – 07:37 | First period | 09:23 – pp – Mike Murphy (1) 16:17 – Marcel Dionne (3) | ||||||
| Don Marcotte (1) – pp – 16:58 | Second period | 02:21 – pp – Marcel Dionne (4) | ||||||
| Dallas Smith (1) – 15:33 | Third period | 02:51 – Marcel Dionne (5) 08:13 – Don Kozak (1) 12:57 – Bob Nevin (2) | ||||||
| Gilles Gilbert 28 saves/ 34 shots | Goalie stats | Rogie Vachon 27 saves / 31 shots | ||||||
| April 17 | Boston Bruins | 3–0 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| Gregg Sheppard (2) – pp – 17:28 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jean Ratelle (4) – 03:52 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Don Marcotte (2) – 18:49 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gerry Cheevers 27 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Rogie Vachon 25 saves / 27 shots | ||||||
| April 20 | Los Angeles Kings | 1–7 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| Marcel Dionne (6) – pp – 06:39 | First period | 17:41 – Don Marcotte (3) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 00:55 – Bobby Schmautz (1) 06:31 – pp – Ken Hodge (2) 13:52 – sh – Brad Park (2) 16:12 – pp – Jean Ratelle (5) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 09:03 – pp – Brad Park (3) 10:46 – Terry O'Reilly (1) | ||||||
| Gary Edwards 33 saves / 40 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Cheevers 19 saves / 20 shots | ||||||
| April 22 | Boston Bruins | 3–4 | OT | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Bobby Schmautz (2) – 01:00 Darryl Edestrand (1) – 16:14 Gregg Sheppard (3) – 19:45 | Second period | 00:21 – Tom Williams (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 10:50 – Mike Corrigan (1) 17:48 – Mike Corrigan (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 18:28 – Butch Goring (2) | ||||||
| Gerry Cheevers 32 saves / 36 shots | Goalie stats | Rogie Vachon 24 saves / 27 shots | ||||||
| April 25 | Los Angeles Kings | 0–3 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 09:42 – pp – Jean Ratelle (6) 12:21 – pp – Ken Hodge (3) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 06:16 – Jean Ratelle (7) | ||||||
| Rogie Vachon 35 saves / 38 shots | Goalie stats | Gilles Gilbert 15 saves / 15 shots | ||||||
| Boston won series 4–3 | |
(4) Buffalo Sabres vs. (5) New York Islanders
This was the first playoff series between these two teams. The teams split this year's four-game regular season series.
| April 11 | New York Islanders | 3–5 | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 05:37 – Rene Robert (1) 15:30 – Gilbert Perreault (2) | ||||||
| Billy Harris (2) – 12:43 | Second period | 00:19 – Don Luce (2) 16:28 – pp – Rick Martin (2) | ||||||
| Bob Nystrom (2) – pp – 06:19 Garry Howatt (2) – 16:37 | Third period | 07:26 – Rene Robert (2) | ||||||
| Chico Resch 18 saves / 22 shots Billy Smith 3 saves/ 4 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Desjardins 19 saves / 22 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | New York Islanders | 2–3 | OT | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 10:27 – Brian Spencer (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 02:05 – Don Luce (3) | ||||||
| Denis Potvin (1) – pp – 13:07 J.P. Parise (2) – 18:55 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 14:04 – Danny Gare (3) | ||||||
| Billy Smith 40 saves / 43 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Desjardins 27 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 15 | Buffalo Sabres | 3–5 | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 03:23 – Billy Harris (3) 07:17 – Jude Drouin (1) | ||||||
| Gilbert Perreault (3) – 11:34 Don Luce (4) – 19:55 | Second period | 12:39 – J.P. Parise (3) | ||||||
| Rick Martin (3) – pp – 08:50 | Third period | 11:04 – Bill MacMillan (2) 11:39 – Billy Harris (4) | ||||||
| Gerry Desjardins 32 saves / 37 shots | Goalie stats | Billy Smith 25 saves / 28 shots | ||||||
| April 17 | Buffalo Sabres | 2–4 | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | Recap | |||
| Rene Robert (3) – 05:25 | First period | 02:08 – pp – Denis Potvin (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 13:00 – Garry Howatt (3) 18:02 – Denis Potvin (3) 18:44 – Billy Harris (5) | ||||||
| Danny Gare (4) – 12:31 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gerry Desjardins 19 saves / 23 shots | Goalie stats | Billy Smith 27 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 20 | New York Islanders | 4–3 | Buffalo Sabres | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium | Recap | |||
| Andre St. Laurent (1) – 07:40 J.P. Parise (4) – pp – 14:10 | First period | 05:37 – Rick Martin (4) 06:57 – Danny Gare (5) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Denis Potvin (4) – 15:32 Bert Marshall (1) – 19:41 | Third period | 10:16 – Jim Lorentz (1) | ||||||
| Billy Smith 21 saves / 24 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Desjardins 26 saves / 30 shots | ||||||
| April 22 | Buffalo Sabres | 2–3 | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 07:45 – Jude Drouin (2) | ||||||
| Gilbert Perreault (4) – 04:42 | Second period | 13:07 – pp – Ed Westfall (1) | ||||||
| Jerry Korab (1) – 4:09 | Third period | 05:58 – Clark Gillies (2) | ||||||
| Gerry Desjardins 26 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Billy Smith 15 saves / 17 shots | ||||||
| New York won series 4–2 | |
Semifinals
(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) New York Islanders
This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.
| April 27 | New York Islanders | 2–3 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Ed Westfall (2) – 03:40 | Second period | 08:05 – Steve Shutt (1) | ||||||
| Bill MacMillan (3) – 06:59 | Third period | 13:18 – Larry Robinson (2) 14:44 – Yvan Cournoyer (2) | ||||||
| Billy Smith 26 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 15 saves / 17 shots | ||||||
| April 29 | New York Islanders | 3–4 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 02:46 – Bob Gainey (1) 04:06 – Steve Shutt (2) | ||||||
| Jude Drouin (3) – pp – 16:33 | Second period | 06:23 – pp – Guy Lapointe (1) | ||||||
| Ralph Stewart (1) – pp – 04:34 Jude Drouin (4) – 08:14 | Third period | 02:42 – Serge Savard (2) | ||||||
| Billy Smith 17 saves / 21 shots Chico Resch 6 saves / 6 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 38 saves / 41 shots | ||||||
| May 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 11:29 – Garry Howatt (4) 12:44 – Bryan Trottier (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Guy Lapointe (2) – 03:29 Jimmy Roberts (2) – sh – 11:50 Yvon Lambert (2) – 16:12 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Ken Dryden 33 saves / 35 shots | Goalie stats | Chico Resch 30 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| May 4 | Montreal Canadiens | 2–5 | New York Islanders | Nassau Coliseum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 06:55 – Jude Drouin (5) 07:30 – Denis Potvin (5) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 05:53 – Jude Drouin (6) 13:29 – Bill MacMillan (4) | ||||||
| Guy Lafleur (4) – 17:21 Guy Lafleur (5) – 18:26 | Third period | 19:14 – pp-en – Lorne Henning (2) | ||||||
| Ken Dryden 28 saves / 32 shots | Goalie stats | Chico Resch 36 saves / 38 shots | ||||||
| May 6 | New York Islanders | 2–5 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Garry Howatt (5) – 11:51 | Second period | 02:38 – Steve Shutt (3) 10:29 – Murray Wilson (1) 19:01 – pp – Serge Savard (3) | ||||||
| Bob Nystrom (3) – 16:30 | Third period | 14:47 – pp – Peter Mahovlich (3) 17:10 – Steve Shutt (4) | ||||||
| Chico Resch 28 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 21 saves / 23 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–1 | |
(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (3) Boston Bruins
This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won the only previous meeting in a major upset in the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals in six games.
| April 27 | Boston Bruins | 4–2 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Gary Doak (1) – 07:45 | First period | 18:45 – Orest Kindrachuk (3) | ||||||
| Ken Hodge (4) – pp – 12:09 | Second period | 15:10 – pp – Reggie Leach (7) | ||||||
| Dallas Smith (2) – 04:29 Gregg Sheppard (4) – 06:17 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gilles Gilbert 25 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 20 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| April 29 | Boston Bruins | 1–2 | OT | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 08:20 – Don Saleski (6) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Johnny Bucyk (2) – pp – 13:17 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 13:38 – Reggie Leach (8) | ||||||
| Gerry Cheevers 36 saves / 38 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Stephenson 32 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| May 2 | Philadelphia Flyers | 5–2 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| Ross Lonsberry (3) – 05:26 | First period | 11:09 – pp – Jean Ratelle (8) | ||||||
| Bill Barber (5) – 19:11 | Second period | 13:56 – Wayne Cashman (1) | ||||||
| Mel Bridgman (5) – 02:11 Reggie Leach (9) – 07:02 Tom Bladon (2) – 14:30 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Wayne Stephenson 26 saves / 28 shots | Goalie stats | Gilles Gilbert 21 saves / 26 shots | ||||||
| May 4 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4–2 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| Mel Bridgman (6) – 18:31 | First period | 11:49 – Terry O'Reilly (2) 19:39 – Terry O'Reilly (3) | ||||||
| Reggie Leach (10) – 00:23 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Orest Kindrachuk (4) – 02:59 Joe Watson (1) – 17:59 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Wayne Stephenson 27 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Cheevers 21 saves / 25 shots | ||||||
| May 6 | Boston Bruins | 3–6 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 05:45 – Reggie Leach (11) | ||||||
| Gregg Sheppard (5) – 00:59 | Second period | 02:02 – Reggie Leach (12) 08:51 – Reggie Leach (13) 17:09 – Reggie Leach (14) | ||||||
| Don Marcotte (4) – 06:09 Andre Savard (1) – 17:57 | Third period | 08:07 – Reggie Leach (15) 17:13 – Larry Goodenough (2) | ||||||
| Gilles Gilbert 15 saves / 21 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Stephenson 25 saves / 28 shots | ||||||
| Philadelphia won series 4–1 | |
Stanley Cup Finals
This was the second playoff series (and only Finals) meeting between these two teams. Montreal won the only previous meeting in the 1973 Stanley Cup Semifinals in five games.
The two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Philadelphia Flyers, once again made it to the finals, but were swept in four games by the Montreal Canadiens.
| May 9 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3–4 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Reggie Leach (16) – 00:21 Ross Lonsberry (4) – 13:22 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 04:04 – Jim Roberts (3) 06:30 – Larry Robinson (3) | ||||||
| Larry Goodenough (3) – pp – 05:17 | Third period | 10:02 – Jacques Lemaire (2) 18:38 – Guy Lapointe (3) | ||||||
| Wayne Stephenson 32 saves / 36 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 17 saves / 20 shots | ||||||
| May 11 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1–2 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 15:19 – sh – Jacques Lemaire (3) | ||||||
| Dave Schultz (2) – 17:35 | Third period | 02:41 – Guy Lafleur (6) | ||||||
| Wayne Stephenson 17 saves / 19 shots | Goalie stats | Ken Dryden 25 saves / 26 shots | ||||||
| May 13 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Steve Shutt (5) – pp – 03:17 | First period | 08:40 – pp – Reggie Leach (17) 18:14 – Reggie Leach (18) | ||||||
| Steve Shutt (6) – pp – 01:09 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Pierre Bouchard (1) – 09:16 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Ken Dryden 20 saves / 22 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Stephenson 22 saves / 25 shots | ||||||
| May 16 | Montreal Canadiens | 5–3 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Steve Shutt (7) – pp – 05:35 Pierre Bouchard (2) – pp – 11:48 | First period | 00:40 – Reggie Leach (19) 18:20 – pp – Bill Barber (6) | ||||||
| Yvan Cournoyer (3) – pp – 19:49 | Second period | 13:59 – pp – Anrde Dupont (2) | ||||||
| Guy Lafleur (7) – 14:18 Peter Mahovlich (4) – 15:16 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Ken Dryden 21 saves / 24 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Stephenson 25 saves / 30 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–0 | |
Awards
| 1976 NHL awards | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Wales Trophy: (Wales Conference regular season champion) | Montreal Canadiens |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: (Campbell Conference regular season champion) | Philadelphia Flyers |
| Art Ross Trophy: (Top scorer, regular season) | Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
| Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy: (Perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication) | Rod Gilbert, New York Rangers |
| Calder Memorial Trophy: (Top first-year player) | Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: (Most valuable player, playoffs) | Reggie Leach, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Hart Memorial Trophy: (Most valuable player, regular season) | Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers |
| Jack Adams Award: (Best coach) | Don Cherry, Boston Bruins |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy: (Best defenceman) | Denis Potvin, New York Islanders |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: (Excellence and sportsmanship) | Jean Ratelle, New York Rangers/Boston Bruins |
| Lester B. Pearson Award: (Outstanding player, regular season) | Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens |
| Vezina Trophy: (Goaltender(s) of team(s) with best goaltending record) | Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens |
All-Star teams
Player statistics
Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy Lafleur | Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 56 | 69 | 125 | 36 |
| Bobby Clarke | Philadelphia Flyers | 76 | 30 | 89 | 119 | 136 |
| Gilbert Perreault | Buffalo Sabres | 80 | 44 | 69 | 113 | 36 |
| Bill Barber | Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 50 | 62 | 112 | 104 |
| Pierre Larouche | Pittsburgh Penguins | 76 | 53 | 58 | 111 | 33 |
| Jean Ratelle | New York Rangers/Boston Bruins | 80 | 36 | 69 | 105 | 18 |
| Pete Mahovlich | Montreal Canadiens | 80 | 34 | 71 | 105 | 76 |
| Jean Pronovost | Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 52 | 52 | 104 | 24 |
| Darryl Sittler | Toronto Maple Leafs | 79 | 41 | 59 | 100 | 90 |
| Syl Apps Jr. | Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 32 | 67 | 99 | 24 |
Source: NHL.[3]
Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts
| Player | Team | GP | MIN | GA | GAA | W | L | T | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Dryden | Montreal Canadiens | 62 | 3580 | 121 | 2.03 | 42 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Chico Resch | N.Y. Islanders | 44 | 2546 | 88 | 2.07 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| Dan Bouchard | Atlanta Flames | 47 | 2671 | 113 | 2.54 | 19 | 17 | 8 | 2 |
| Wayne Stephenson | Philadelphia Flyers | 66 | 3819 | 164 | 2.58 | 40 | 10 | 13 | 1 |
| Billy Smith | N.Y. Islanders | 39 | 2254 | 98 | 2.61 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Gilles Gilbert | Boston Bruins | 55 | 3123 | 151 | 2.90 | 33 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
| Tony Esposito | Chicago Black Hawks | 68 | 4003 | 198 | 2.97 | 30 | 23 | 13 | 4 |
| Rogatien Vachon | L.A. Kings | 51 | 3060 | 160 | 3.14 | 26 | 20 | 5 | 5 |
| Wayne Thomas | Toronto Maple Leafs | 64 | 3684 | 196 | 3.19 | 28 | 24 | 12 | 2 |
| Gary Simmons | California Golden Seals | 40 | 2360 | 131 | 3.33 | 15 | 19 | 5 | 2 |
Other statistics
- Plus-minus: Bobby Clarke, Philadelphia Flyers
Coaches
Patrick Division
- Atlanta Flames: Fred Creighton
- New York Islanders: Al Arbour
- New York Rangers: Ron Stewart and John Ferguson Sr.
- Philadelphia Flyers: Fred Shero
Adams Division
- Boston Bruins: Don Cherry
- Buffalo Sabres: Floyd Smith
- California Golden Seals: Jack Evans
- Toronto Maple Leafs: Red Kelly
Norris Division
- Detroit Red Wings: Alex Delvecchio
- Los Angeles Kings: Bob Pulford
- Montreal Canadiens: Scotty Bowman
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Marc Boileau and Ken Schinkel
- Washington Capitals: Milt Schmidt and Tom McVie
Smythe Division
- Chicago Black Hawks: Billy Reay
- Kansas City Scouts: Bep Guidolin, Sid Abel and Eddie Bush
- Minnesota North Stars: Ted Harris
- St. Louis Blues: Garry Young, Lynn Patrick and Leo Boivin
- Vancouver Canucks: Phil Maloney
Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1975–76 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):
- Willi Plett, Atlanta Flames
- Dennis Maruk, California Golden Seals
- Bob Murray, Chicago Blackhawks
- Gary Sargent, Los Angeles Kings
- Doug Jarvis, Montreal Canadiens
- Doug Risebrough, Montreal Canadiens
- Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders
- Mel Bridgman, Philadelphia Flyers
Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1975–76 (listed with their last team):
- Gary Bergman, Kansas City Scouts
- Bryan Hextall Jr., Minnesota North Stars
- Chico Maki, Chicago Black Hawks
- Bob Nevin, Los Angeles Kings
- Noel Price, Atlanta Flames
- Mickey Redmond, Detroit Red Wings
- Bill White, Chicago Black Hawks
- Terry Crisp, Philadelphia Flyers
- Andre Boudrias, Vancouver Canucks
- Tommy Williams, Washington Capitals
NOTE: Boudrias finished his major professional career in the World Hockey Association.
Broadcasting
Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. This was the last season that HNIC aired both radio and television broadcasts of games; the broadcasts would become exclusive to television the next season. This was also the last season that CTV regularly aired HNIC-produced Wednesday night regular season game telecasts before the network started to give the rights to these midweek games back to local stations. CBC did not televise any opening round playoff games this postseason, selling those rights back to the individual Canadian teams.
Unable to sign a U.S. national television contract, the league put together a broadcast syndication package called the NHL Network to have games aired on various American independent stations. The 1976 Stanley Cup Finals on the NHL Network marked the first time that the NHL's championship series was nationally televised in its entirety in the United States.
On January 4, 1976, CBS decided to televise the Soviet Wings–Buffalo Sabres Super Series game nationally in the U.S., but that was the network's only involvement in broadcasting an NHL team this season.
See also
Notes
References
- Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Hockey. Kingston, New York: Total Sports. ISBN 1-892129-85-X.
- Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Toronto, ON: Dan Diamond & Associates. ISBN 978-1-894801-22-5.
- Dryden, Steve, ed. (2000). Century of hockey. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart Ltd. ISBN 0-7710-4179-9.
- Fischler, Stan; Fischler, Shirley; Hughes, Morgan; Romain, Joseph; Duplacey, James (2003). The Hockey Chronicle: Year-by-Year History of the National Hockey League. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Publications International Inc. ISBN 0-7853-9624-1.
- Notes