1979 MONTREAL VS. BOSTON

‘TOO MANY MEN’

IaMsotnhtermeaolsCt T’S SPRING danoamdiineannstrteiagmn 1979. THE fwCuuotpunsr.eiTtnHhheaeNllsHpoqLafusFathadmistitsheorrlresoy,ea.fdrTeoSdmhtaewnyGl’iuevthyye Lafleur up front to Larry Robinsinongoanl. dPeofiesnesdettoowKiennaDfroyudretnh bstrreaeizgeh thrtoituleg,h tthheequCaarnteardfinenals, Lsweaefesp. iTnhge stheme ifTinoarol nptoseMs aplelegthiteimBaotsetothnreBartu. iTnhse, tHhaebirs dmroawst thhaetepdrervivioaul,swtwhomfintahlesy. beat in Wwa beenakttnilnewtaonittdhw,artaessaelglryoi,einwsg,hwteoenbkweneew STEVE SHUTT: (Montreal left winger) wtuhseorNer ebBweotstYteorrntk,enRaomandsgistehrreassn,pbteuhctetwtoe SuRsetsaarninineglseethyrwseC,afuwsinpgha.ooli.nwBgeatrsoeicwwalialnyit, tithnhegisfor If you look at the ’76-77 seafsorn6,

SCOTTY BOWMAN: (Montreal coach) w0 hweirnes,weeigshettltohseserse,c1o2rd atineds,iwt we alosstooBnoesgtaomn.eAalstoh,omf e, tghaemeeisghtot ltohsesmes.,Wwheelnosytotuhrloeoek back at those four seasons, ’76, c’7lo7s, e’7s8t rainvadl.’7T9h,etrhee’sy nwoeqreueosu-r tion about that.

When I first came

LARRY ROBINSON: (Montreal defenseman) iwBnoetsorteothanelionlet taorgfaugineu,iynwsgetchhaaamtdcpta.omTpheleaurype wreiatlhiztehde i‘tBuonstoilnI fwlue.’nIt’dountevoenr rmoyokfiires.tNsehvifetrahsaavi1n9g-ypel ayre-odld iwtnhheBymonsbotoebfno,drbeye, wcIarauensatelelydevftoeonugntohdpeolauyt exhibition games were wars. tTehaamt’s pjulasyt ethde. way these two

The series sets up a clash of team identities and styles. The rugged Bruins represent a physical, bloody brand of hockey on its way out. The Habs boast the most breathtaking skill of any team ever assembled and foreshadow the explosion of dynastic finesse that will take off in the 1980s.

If you used to go into Montreal DON CHERRY: (Boston coach)

and look over the lineup, you wSJahecuqrteutedhseaaLdde6.m0BaegicroaeaulcsoeouSnldteesyvceoare, g3o5a, lasnidn I1t9h7in9k. CLaanflyeouur himadag5i2ne today, trying to check a line like tShaavta?rdA,nGdutyhLenapyoiuntheaadnSdeLrgaerry Rhaodbianlsl-osntaorns, tHhaelldoefeFnasme.eYros…u I think there were 10 Hall of Famers on that club.

Ten!

FteraemncthBh,oasttwone hwaodualdgcoaoldl which i,nsolid is like REJEAN HOULE: (Montreal left winger)

pbluayeecrosl.lPar,eytetyahto?uBglhu,ep-croeltltayr

“col bleu,”

tight and all that. So they had wtheartepparettotyf tghoeogdaamt.e that they

It’s a little bit of a misconception. Don’t forget, they SHUTT: hAand swoemheagdresoatmsekipllreptltayetorsu.gh rpelaylleyrtsh, atotom. Suochthdeirffeerweanscne’t btheetywmeeinghtht’evetwbeoetneamlistt. lYeeah, bmitigthotu’vgehebreethnajnusutsa, alintdtlewbeit faster, but if you go through the lineups of both rosters, you’ll soeneetahcaht tehaemre. aArnedsbkeilliegvueysme, there were tough guys on each team as well.

Don liked to portray the RICK MIDDLETON: (Boston right

Bwreuwinosrakshaalrudnbcuhtpwaiel ’graenngo, that winger)

all that talented, just to play it tdhoewfnin. aInl trheraeleity,eyaorus idnoan’rtogwo if kyonue’wrewneothtaadleantoeudg. hEvteraymb,obduyt you’ve got to score, too, and get lgionaelutepntdhionsge. Wyeearhsaidnathbealanteced ’70s, and a very inspirational coach in Don Cherry.

We were in Montreal, and BRAD PARK: (Boston defenseman) (mCehetrirnyg), acanldlewdeawdefnetnfsoermaan’s few beers. I think he was just ienxpurse. sI’sminngohtisacyoinfgidweenchealdevel amnaykcinergtuaisnaswtraarteeogyf. hTehewyahsad 10 Hall of Famers, and we had

Rtharteell.eGwererryeC3h8e.eBvuetrws aenkdnJeewan twheatwweerehnaodtaggooinogdtyoebaer, abnlde to match their finesse.

Don tried to smtrourcetduerefetnhseettehaamn aorffoeunnsde.

MIDDLETON:

cBhyatnhgeeldatseo’7m0usc, hthferotmeamthahtad tohffeeenasrivlyel’y70psowtoemreodreteoafma of dWeefejnoksieveabteoaumt itunodwer, bDuotnh. e malwe atoysthseaigdohaeliehadt thoeinetnrdodouf ce hthoewyteoarp, lbaeycdaeufseenIsediadtna’tllk. now they knTowckoeydeuasrsoubet fionrfeotuhrat,

PARK:

straight in the final. The year ianftseirxtghamt, eths einy tkhneofcikneadl. uTshoatut was a positive note for us, that gtwhaeamnweteshrwe ifbtihrestthe, terhmtah.teWwseckwonenendwtyseixar they were a powerhouse. I’m thinking, “Anything’s possible.”

A major storyline to watch in the series: the battle of wits between ocouascphueps.peBtomwamstaenr wisitthhetomtaylscteorni-trol over his players. Cherry is the charismatic talker. Both enjoy battling each other using the media.

I respected him as a coach. Who couldn’t? We were

CHERRY:

good friends.

In the ’76 Canada ACul pM,aIchNaedilBaonbdbDyoKnroCmhemrraynd

BOWMAN:

aDnodnmChyeserrlfyaws acsoathchee“sfa. tAhnedr” up ibnigthcealpl rdeosws nbotox.tHhe mbeandceht. hHee called Al MacNeil and mentViloandeidmairbDouzut rthilelaC, czoemchinggoaoluiet, to challenge all the time, before gave birth to twins in October mofe’7t 6in. Tthepnleaxytoyffesa,ra,nodurDtoenams bgaovueghmtetwa ogisftilfvoer mcuypws.iWfe.eH’ve been friends for a long time.

But we really did have a thing going for the

CHERRY:

on’ecwloscpkaipnetrhse. Hmeogrontinugp. Tatheight referees used to speak at eight o’clock before anybody got to the rink, and he used to give twhoenm’thmeackeacllatlhlseotnimBeo:s“tYoonu.” One time he called in the press tgouyshsoewt utpheamll .thHeepheandaaltiveisdewoe wshaosuuldsi’vneg beevenrycmalleeadnos no.fHheis dpiodwne’tr,mainnddItrheastp. ected that. I

Scotty was the king of the

ROD LANGWAY: (Montreal defenseman)

toeaems. .MHyefkirespttyyeoaur ionnMyounrtreal, in training camp, he saw mupeasntadnsdaiindg, “aHroeyu,nId’manScdoctatyme OBohw, bmyathne. Kweaeyp, ywoourkpilnaygehdard. gColulfbaitnWNenwtwHoarmthpCshoiurne,traynd LI konckeew.” yTohuernhheeadwpalrkoe, dToanwyay. I said, “How do you know

Tony Locke?” I went back to the mcoeutrn,SatcrnoydtctTlyuoBbnoytwhseamifdoa,nll“o.”I’wveinngesvuemr

I came to the cus“stoWemrhiesastg’sustyayrointuerCdar, enaanasdoatnhbfeoyfro…sra”eidth, e

CHERRY:

SToheIysakinde, w“Towbheyawt tehweef-r-e-itnh’ere. MwaosnrtreeaallyCgaonoad ifeonrst.”heAnpdreists. aSgthnecaotdtmtIdyteirdaaines’ddtmmtIouwacgtehetretaerhs.fiHrhmie.nctrdoiuse,lddbt,uot coaching thrSocuogtthytdhiedparleostso. f

LANGWAY:

Tthhiengpraebsosuwt wouhladtsSacyosttoymsea-id dthoetnhiegohpt pboefsoitre,daunrdinhgethweould lgiasmh ree. pGolerntenrCforlethweaCsatnhaedEinengs-, and he would write about monyeseolfftahneddBerfeiannseEmngebnl,osmayoinrg, “thYeanhe,xhtet’hsrgeoeinggamtoeps.l”aAynydouthe pnleaxytinigg,hatn, dyoyuouthrisnhkirytowu’arsen’t You’d be sitthiannggiingthuepsthanerdes..

A key matchup that will define the series: Bruins shutdown cen

THEY BOTH GOT CUT. THE TRAINERS WERE TOUCHING THE BLOOD UP. IT WAS BIG-BOY HOCKEY – Don Cherry, Boston coach

ter Don Marcotte vs. Lafleur. It is Marcotte’s job to shadow the Habs superstar.

Marcotte could skate as good, as fast as Lafleur, and

CHERRY:

thhimat.’sItw’shaysMhamrceothte dwiadsn’otnwin the Selke. That was ridiculous. cHheegcokted20Lagfoleaulsr,. and he still

If you look at defensive forwards in the game

BOWMAN:

acet rtthaaitntlyimthee, Breo,bwGoanintheey Swealkses, mibnuigtgihinfttthhaeovrseeewwyeoaasnrnaso,SMGelakrienc.oeytteplay

I remember once Ldaufrlienugrabsohthiftg,oMt acructo. tTtheeaynd

CHERRY:

were loonotkhinegbaetnecahc, hanodthtehre.y oTvher,ganmdetwhearseowna, asnMdaIrcloottkeed Lloaoflkeiunrg laotohkiimng, abnadckt.hTehr e wtrasinuerps. Iwt ewraestobuigc-hbionyg hthoeckbelyo.od

The series begins, and it’s business as usual for the Canadiens, who win Games 1 and 2 in Montreal by a 9-4 margin. Bruins starting goalie Gerry Cheevers, nearing the end of his career, struggles to the tune of an .800 save percentage in the defeats. With the series shifting back to Boston, Cherry benches Cheevers for 29-year-old Gilles Gilbert.

Before the series, I was playing

GILLES GILBERT: (Boston goalie)

urthepgewuplilatarhylyot.hfBfesu,itDdweoanhteConhgeworerwysitctaharmteed CGherereyveCrhse. eTvheerys u“tsheedwtoincnailnl g tghoealStteanndlery,”Cbuepcainus1e9t7h0eyanwdon 1gsua9md7d2ee.snWinIegaleortsottwhte,haecnafdilrl asftrllotowmfoaDon. ready. I was surprised, And I was but well-prep, Iawreads,

ca va

tmhenMtaolnlytraenadl Cpahnyasidciaelnlys,.to face

I’m not saying that hCehedeivdenr’ts, pbluatyhede dbiaddn,’wt phliacyh

CHERRY: great. And I knew ‘Gilly’ was a French-Canadian, and he was coming up for a contract, and he was fantastic. because inItMwoanstreexatlr,aliskpeeQciuael

GILBERT:

bec City, I had so many uncles abnridngauanltost. oMfybdroatdhuerssedantod sisoteldrse,sbteincaaufsaemhielywoafs2t4h.eStohitrdcost me a lot of money to get tinicMkeotsntfroeraelvoerrQy ufreibckeicnC’ igtaym. e But I was not nervous. I was wbaidsh. OinrgiftoI lboesaetaMgoanmtree,aIldsiodn’t ywoaunht etoarloaollksbuamdm. Beerc, aut stheewghoalft tchoeurgsre,atthseayvdesony’otutemllaydoeu. all

‘Gilly’ was a great goalie and a great competitor.

MIDDLETON:

Hone awnads ovfefrtyhepaicses.ioBnuattoenptehreson hicaedhtehwe caosntufindedncien.iWn ‘eGaillwy’ays cthoautldwdhoenthheejowba.s in net, he

At that time, ‘Cheevesy’ was an older goalie who came

SHUTT:

out and played his angles, whereas Gilles Gilbert was a younger goalie, more active. He was going to go out and make a save, he played a great series. He really, really played well.

The reason we went s‘Geivlleyn’ Ggailmb erst.was because of

CHERRY:

Buoyed by Gilbert’s outstanding play, the Bruins take three of the next four games. The series goes to Game 7 after each side wins three times at home. The Bruins have their best chance yet to topple the Habs dynasty.

2I a-0s,kwede tghoeWt sohtneewtnhawerdepelwasnseerife, awdneodwn

CHERRY:

ghlaadssaensy. Icshaimd,p“aTghnaet’asnfodrptlhaestic stheevesnetvhengathmgea. mWe.”’llI bheadbacfkeefol-r Tinhgewseeg’dubyse hbadcka. lAontdofwheewaretr. e.

By the time we get to

PARK: Game 7, this was as physical a series as we could muster. We kabnleewtowsekwaterwenit’thgtohienmg .tWo bee abwnee,drbeugntoawitntirtgahtcootuibvt et aksinwrugeddceuo, mucrlbdude penalties, because of the qualtithyeopfotwhe rplpalyaeyr. s they put on

The Bruins are apprehensive heading into the Forum on May 10, 1979, for Game 7. They fear Ma ocnotnresaplirmacoyredpeoswigenrepdlaytos. give

Let’s remember, this iusnMdeornsttraenadl, iatnndopwe, obpultetdhoeyn’t

CHERRY:

Sranmtmhey lPeoalgloucek. A. Tnhdeiyt wearse(GthMe) glamor team of the NHL. That’s theatwtoaythIifsedlta. yA.nd I still feel

It was pretty tough for any referee to come into the

LANGWAY:

tMhoenCtarnealdFieonrus.mI tahnindkgbooatghainst teams had a typical home-rink advantage with the referees. I dcaolnls’tinthBinokstohna,tawned hthaed sgarmeaet thing for the Bruins in Montreal.

You always felt that, somehow, Montreal ended

MIDDLETON:

uthpegireftatinsgwthoeulcdalml, obaencasuosemuch that the referees had to blow the whistle. (laughs)

We never had the referees on our side. Come

HOULE:

on! What are you guys talking about? (laughs)

The puck drops for Game 7 before a frenzied crowd at the Forum. The Bruins and Habs trade goals in the first period, with Middleton converting from othffeasslcortamanbdle LinemfroanirteoffiGniilsbheinrtg. The Bruins take over in the second, with consecutive goals by captain Wayne Cashman. They reach the second intermission with a 3-1 lead. The experienced Habs aren’t worried yet.

Going into the second intermission, we were just

SHUTT: thinking, “Maybe this is it. We’re playing against a really gooindgtteoambe, aitn.”dBmutaoybne tohfitshies fallbacks we had on our team was, when we were down or not playing well, everybody would go in the dressing room and say, “Listen, everybody just gdooydouatr, jaonbd. Dwoe’wllhbaetOyoKu.”’re

I don’t think we were pushing the panic but

LANGWAY:

twoen.wTehre wthaeybweestloteoakmed. Wateit, sbheostutldea’vme winotnh.eWleawgueere. Wthaeyne tGhraet zrkuyn,aannddEtdhme Iosnlatonndehrasd, ythoeuyjuhsatdhtahde abefustntneyafmee, laindg that they were going to pull it out even when they played bad.

Despite the two-goal lead, the Bruins can’t shake their nerves over the officiating after a jarringly controversial hooking call on center Jean Ratelle in the second period. Ratelle, a fourtime Lady Byng Trophy winner, had no prior penalties this postseason. The call doesn’t result in a Montreal goal, but it leaves the Bruins rattled.

I’m not going to knock (referee) Bob Myers,

CHERRY:

bgueceassusIewhiell’.sIfdtehaedyngowt…hrbouutgIh ythoeu’rlel cfionrd sto, Iodmonan’tythtimnkes that h‘GaednatlehmooakninJegapneRnatletyll.eIt’ ewvaesr the strangest thing.

Ratelle had the puck, and he made a pass, and Bob

PARK:

Gainey was moving on him in the neutral zone. ‘Raty’ had passed the puck, and Gainey had hit him with a late hit. ‘sRoautyp’swetatshsaot shuercphroispepdeadnhdim on the pants. Jean Ratelle, for years, I’d try to get him to slash people, and he would never slash people. I’d say, “I’ll fight ’em, Jeanny. Just please slash soonmtheebopdayn!t”s,HaencdhtohpepyecdalGleadiney him on a penalty. I went over and said (to the ref), “What are

you doing? That’s Jean Ratelle. Dsoomyeobuotdhyinwkihtheowutoaulrdeaslsaosnh?”

At 6:10 of the third, Mark Napier one-times a perfect feed from Lafleur to beat Gilbert, narrowing the lead to 3-2. Shortly thereafter, Bruins defenseman Dick Redmond hauls down Lemaire, earning a hooking penalty. Believing Lemaire sold the call, Cherry mockingly gestures to the Forum crowd like an orchestra conductor, as if to say, “Happy now?”

I said to myself (about Myers), “This guy. This

CHERRY:

ignuythies gtraymineg.”to get them back

The way ‘Grapes’ trhierdetwo acsoacbhi…g wgahmene,ehvertried

ROBINSON:

tporegsest fteheelionfgfiscoiarlrsyafnodr their tCeaanmad. “ieOnhs,,iat’nsdthteheMyo’rnetgreoainl g ttitohwegeautspapjulelsrtheaedpgclaeol,ylbst.e”ocIat’mruyssetuotrhgeaet’s ‘wGhr apt ecso’awchaessvderidy adnradmstaitllicd. o.

On the ensuing power play, Lafleur circles the net and spots defenseman Lapointe, who blasts a snap shot through traffic past Gilbert. Tie game, 3-3. But the Bruins don’t back down. After Lapointe exits the game with a knee injury, Middleton collects the puck behind Montreal’s net and tries a wraparound. He banks the puck off Dryden and in. Boston takes a 4-3 lead with 3:59 remaining in Game 7.

Middleton was, tyhoeupkuncokwb, e‘Nhifntdy.’tWhehneenthoer hinad

LANGWAY:

thereoaftfeanllstihve ztiomne., KhenwDarsyaden pa“Wrooianuttncehd.hHeivmeew!ryWatsaimatclweh RaMyicisdkydyelewlltiaonsng!, ” goalie dressedWine hstardeeatthird

MIDDLETON:

c‘Sloeathweese. dH’iPs entatime,ehwisansiJcikmname hwaaisr.‘HSeacwaemeed’dboewcnautsoemoef hinis between the second and third, aingdDhreysdaeind., H“Ie’vleikbeesetno wpuatchi-s pacardodslse. dIfoywonu,gheits astcihckansctrea, ight fire it in the far side. It’ll go in under the knob.” If you look at the goal, I was in the opposite corner, and I started going behind the net, and it must have flashed in my mind, because I did fire it to the far side. I didn’t have the angle, but the puck hit the inside of Dryden’s blocker and went in. I would hcraevdeitgivnetnheJimwoPreldttief walel’tdhheave won that game 4-3. ’secmor.eWde,WIg’mhoetsn’aeyRmiin.cWgk,ye“MWfiinedagdlollyetton

PARK:

gkonto’wems t.”hBeiercjaoubs,eaenvdewryeb’roednyot Wgoeinkgntoowgitvheathweemcan aofpfoenrdintgo. pduromtepcitttohuat alenaddiwceitiht jtuhsrteteo

taine,dW-iaBt-hohwaMmlofanmntriendaulotuepbsulsetho-isnghgoif.tfsorLtahfeleur. Marcotte, still deployed as Lafleur’s shadow, follows him off the ice. When Lafleur jumps back on quickly after a shift, Marcotte jumps on, too, honoring his assignment, and the Bruins get confused. The result is two lines worth of Boston forwards on the ice at once – and a call from linesman John D’Amico: too many men on the ice.

Marcotte often gets criticized but, to me, players

BOWMAN:

know when they have to get on. As soon as Lafleur got on, isfoMmaerbcodttye woauslnd’tconmtehoefifcrei,ght caowmaye, oand. WthheennMLafrlceoutrtewwasould double-shifted, that’s when SBtoasntoJonnhaatdhatnwoanledftMwarincogettres. on, ice every tMimaercLoatftleuwraws aosnotnh.e

CHERRY:

uApn.dYtohuenlgefgtuwysinwgerhsagdogt omtixed mixed up.

We got off the ice, Marcotte’s line went off the ice

SHUTT:

and then, about 30 seconds later, Scotty called Lafleur to go bhaecjkumonpethdeornigthtewicien,gB. oAsntdonas swaaws mLaafkleiunrggaocihnagnogne.thMeaircceo,tstoe he jumped on the ice, and then Marcotte’s linemates saw them, they jumped on the ice, but so did the line that Cherry had just called to go on the ice. So now, tyhoeu’ivce,gaontdsiaxwgauyytshjeuymgpoi.ng on

I remember John D’Amico looking at me with

CHERRY:

“thI’omsesobrirgy, ,bDrown,nI ehyaevse, tsoaycianllg, aitw.”aAyn, dI tIhkinkewif.sIosmawebiotdryigchatme near the bench, he would’ve let us off. men on the iTcheefyorhaldmtosotm10any

LANGWAY:

sdeidconn’tdws.aAnnt dtotchaelliint.eIstmjuasnt saenedmgeodinlgik. e they kept going

They should’ve never yweell’veedgfrootmtotohme banenycmh,e“nHoeny,

GILBERT:

bthhleeeawricdtehi!t”e, Pwreohnbistat“blOely.h,D” ’tAhmenichoejust

I didn’t watch it for, like, 15 years. When I did, I

MIDDLETON:

saw my No. 16 on the ice, and I have no memory of being on the ice. I was surprised to see myself. Then I started thinking, “S---, maybe it was me, maybe I jumped.” (laughs)

Both teams sense a palpable shift in momentum after the toomany-men call.

We said, “OK, we’ve got a chance here.” We knew that

SHUTT:

wtthheirsocwuoguahlsdtohjuersbtlaefesnteclchih.tagnoceri.gAhntd sCeHnEsRe RthYa:tIftawnsaswteoruegrhiginhtthe

oandyotouu. cTh eyyouc.oAunld rtehaecyhwoeurte theroswquinagrebabtattetreireise.sY?oTuhkenow rectangle? So it was a little different than it is now. It was really something. The crowd was into the whole deal.

It’s a booster to gtmhuaeynmsyg. mForteosnmoomtnhutachthepcieconena,fltithdyo,etsnoecoe.

GILBERT:

We were winning, and all of a sudden, we played so tight.

I said, “We’re going to kill this sucker, and we’ll get the

PARK:

gAutysobmacekpwoitnht 3th0esye’rceongodisntgotgoo. pull their goalie, and…” The last wthhinegthIewr aitswthaisnakignogoadbcoaullt owras bad call.

With a little more than a minute remaining in the third period, Lafleur circles back into Montreal’s zone and begins a rush up the ice. He feeds Lemaire, who strides into Boston territory, dekes, then leaves a drop pass for Lafleur.

right away I say, “Uh, oh. This

PthAinRgK’s: WanhiennchLaofflfetuhresihcoeoatnsd, hpaolsfta.”nI icnacllhitinasoidneetihneafa1r,000. You give him a 1,000 shots aogf athine,mangdoIadnoin’cththoifnfkthaenyice saintduaitnisoind.eIthweapsoaspt einrftehcattshot. wIt ewlla, sits’stiacktiseidbealolgnaGmiell.es, and, might have sTtopdpaeyd’sigt.oBaulite

ROBINSON:

baucttketrhfleyn. ‘,Fgloawlieers’ cdoidunld’tdo tthaet shot again, because what made phirmacstiosegdretahteis hoetsw. ent out and

So many, many times, I will tell people, “Did

GILBERT:

you ever stop a bullet? No?” Ipmreettayn, ,toitow. Haselal,bIudlolent’.tIktnwoaws iwt hwaatsyaouhawrdansthtot.cPaelloipt.leBusat y, t“hOaht,.”yYoeuacho. uSludr’ev,essutroep. ped best shoFtsloaws earrhigahdtowniengoef rthe

HOULE:

when he was coming down the boards into the other team’s zone. He always had a vtheerypgoosto.dItlowwasshnot rthigehftirbsyt time I saw him score goals like

tohabte, bpelacyauinsge wI withasthparitvtieleagmed aconudldbesiotnonthtehtehbirednlcihnea,nsdo lIook asht oFolotiwnegrtshkeaptiuncgkb. Oyursbaenndch whoams ael,wfoarytswoonpheisrisoidse. aSto we (hladugthes)best seat in the place.

I always said to uwgahsocuotatchheicnogacinhitnhgesNtaHffLs,,t“hIfroI

GILBERT:

ygeoarl,. IAwf oruwldarpdu,tdaefpelnasyemr iann, hwporhawactteiocvue gri,nhhgietoihasal.”saTnthodipsrlelaiatyltilozene e thing, sometimes it’s the size of taimpeas, tahnedssizoemoeftiambeas kite’stbtahlrle. e You can see it sometimes, and dotohoerrktniombe,sit,’ms syogloitdt,leit.’s like a guy I felt sorryIfftohreirnet’shaotne

MIDDLETON:

hserpielas,yietdwhais ‘hGeilalryt,’ obuectaunsde jounsltygtowtobpeaetoopnleainshthoet tlheagt ue mcoauyldbe’vMe mikaedBeo, sGsuyy. and

Tied 4-4, the Bruins and Habs head to overtime. Next goal wins the series. The teams exchange heart-stopping chances.

We’d lost Guy aLnapdohientceo. uHlde nh’at dgoa aknyeme oinrjeu. rSyo,

BOWMAN:

ain dovSearvtaimrde,,“IIswaiadntooRneoboifnysoun on the ice at all times. Sometimes I might have both of you. Syou, ifhIahs atovestbaoythono.f” yBouut,Iodnoeno’tf know how long we could do it.

My wife asks me,

GILBERT: “You must be nertvhoeusovwehrteinmyeo?u” Ngo.in aYobuoudtoint.’tWehveant ytohuink wgaamnte ifsotrothweinpltahyeers.

Gilbert was playing incredihbolcek, LANGWAY: ienyc. rHeedicbolueld’ve gtIWthoewettbsaeeosnrmlitiehkbseea, rwfModarVetdPscuhorifienm.g. oSlfaspavSehso,tw. Ahecnouhpelegot ahintehFcero.eHunlecdhwn’latikseevceuinnssibunrpge, the movie.

Slap Shot

our chanceWseinhad CHERRY:

OI r’ReemilelymboveerrTteimrrey. had the puck, and Dhirsykdneenews,aasndohwen’sosno otaflhl tishasht oitujludsetrg. Wraezewdetrheeotnop the bench, and you know how ethvoeurygbhot ditywjuams ipns. up? We RI’mOBgIoNinSgO,N“O: Ih’ mlyogookdin, gnoa!t”it, And Terry fired the puck right over the net.

Later in the overtime period, Middleton stickhandles into Montreal’s zone, but Savard strips him and head-mans the puck to Houle.

Savard 1-on-1Iwtriitehdotnoeboefat MIDDLETON:

my patented moves, outsideitnsiodme.aAnnydtihme’edspthroabt ahbelygosteemne ethaesiplyuwckitfhroitm. Wmhee, nhehefi reodbbed it up pretty quick. Montreal galowt aityus ptrtaontshiteiofonrewd awrdelsl.tHo e Ibrtheainkko, ugot tsoa qliuttilcekfllyat-hfaotoBterda,d, ganetd, lYikvoe,noLnaemstbeeprtown ahsimab. le to

Serge made a hell of a

YVON LAMBERT: (Montreal left

ppRaleasjyesaeondnHidtoetuofelMen,saRer,eipojeaTasrnseeHmdobiutlalteoy.

winger)

iytMfoeIeatwhrasenatdsnoeaMgtbealttehrhiaetootr,,fwgsoeoretIspfurklearnyeeeIgwdowtsionheugavtledn ahcatvley twhheaptuhcakp, paenndetdh.aBt’esceaxu-se BthreadplPaayrwk eonfftgsuoafrads.t, I caught

When Mario passes the lpiuncek. A, hset’hsealpmasostisactothmeinggoal

PARK:

through, I can see that it’s goof itnhge tcoregaoseth. rInousglohwthme oto- p tion, I think, “If I reach into tIhceoucrldeadseflteocgt eit itnhitshpeuncekt,.” Mgoyinsgectontdhethtopugohftthweasc,re“Iats’se.” Iwnitehve‘Grihllay,d’ bthuitsmcoynfevelrisnagtiwonas that anything going through tahnedcerveearsyethisinthgethgaota’slieo’ustpsiudcek, the crease is my puck.

I still remember the pass from Mario Tremblay to

GILBERT:

Lambert. I should have had the opportunity to pokecheck, but igptoahisnasgpinptoefnruoesndetsmoofyqtshuteicnkelyto., Ibcwutahsthee could have shot the puck right gboentwneaelnoomkystluegpsid. T?hMeen. who’s

As soon as I saw that I‘Gsialliyd’,w“Oahsnf’-t--g.”oing to deflect it,

PARK:

Lambert redirects the puck past Gilbert. It’s a goal. Game over. Series over. Habs win 5-4.

I grabbed Mario. I said, “Oh myWgeodju!s”t went crazy.

LAMBERT:

sWeecownedrsefolant.the ice in two

LANGWAY:

THOSE BIDG’A, MBRICOOWLNOEOYKEESD, A‘IT’MMESWORITRHY, DON, I HAVE TO CALL IT’ – Don Cherry, Boston coach

Everybody came jumping off the bench. I felt

ROBINSON:

bhaedwfaosr aLtatmhebebrottbtoemcauosf ethe jpuimle.pEinv’eorynbtodpyowf haismc.oming,

Oh f---, we were just sWoehdaipdpny’tttoalmk.aWkeeiwt heareppjuesnt.,

HOULE:

m“Aahdheh!itA!”h(hlahu! gUhnsb)elievable! We

Lambert was a Hshpeothkaaelkdsemada,gnerevoeanrt ystohenerieteeslia,smatne.ndWedh.en

LANGWAY:

the guy just never stopped working. To see him get the aonvedratimfrie ngoda, ilt, awsaastgeraematm. ate

Lambert scored 90 percent of his goals in that

ROBINSON:

area around the net. Not a gmraenat, asnkdatheer,’dbujut shtepwluanskahbimigwsealfsignofordonattotifptphienngeptu, acnksdihne.

I don’t think Yvon

YVAN COURNOYER: (Montreal

Lambert ever came back from

right winger)

thhea’st sgtoialll.s(lelaeupginhgs)oInthitinankd dreaming about it. But it’s guys like that you need in the pthlaeypolfafys.oPffesoaprle baeskttemr,eawndhyit’s sbaemcaeumseoenveeyryabftoedrythmeapkleasyothffes ateraemovaenr.dTthe bfoeustrtghu-ylinoengtuhyes monotnheey.teSaomyomuahkaevethteosdaomyeour job, and that’s why the playoffs nareevesrokenxcoiwtinwgh. Boeiscaguosinegyotou come out in the playoffs and do very well. career. But I tfedlitdlnik’tecIhkanegwe my LAMBERT: then how a kid like Guy Lafleur

IorwWasatyhneekGinregtiznkydofewltn. tBoewcanuse TMoopnmtreaanlfforr2a4t lheoaustrs2.4Ithwoausrs. tIaowhueaclshl gomof iean, fgteh,epelyeinowgp.alEenvtweeradynawtephdiectr-oe cBtuaurmteae, tfbtheaercyk2w4toahntothueedrsa,anemvaeurrtyeotaghlrinatypg.h. tohehnis, LhaomusbSeorfmot rasdnkiynedtniemr,ebsteso-ingcoe

GILBERT:

hcaeussceohredhhaisshgiosapliacgtuarineswt hmeen. hAnoenvudesIre,s.”eav(ildear,u“sgNhos.w)Fourpgetot iyto. Iuwr ill

The Canadiens are jubilant, off to compete for the Stanley Cup. The Bruins are devastated, having blown two third-period leads in the Game 7 defeat.

After the game, I kthne wrepI owratesnrs’tignoriingghtoawleat y.

CHERRY:

Imfineludteds sqouethsteiognusysfocro1u5ld Icodmonp’ot stheitnhkemthseerlevewsa, sbecvaeur se stahonawot voeelnlr.eti, mbecasusde vthasetyaptilnagyeads

It was the most egmrinodtiionngaglaamnde pofhmysyiccaallryeer,

MIDDLETON:

rEesgpuelcairalsleyassoobneocrapulsaey, owffhse. n we flew back to Boston, there awtetrheeaaciropuoprlte. Ethvoeunstahnodupgheople gwre’edtluos.t,I’tdhenyevweerrseetehnetrheatto bsteifllotrhee. Trehteofascutptphoeryt wuse,rtehat’s emotional to me.

Every time I see tTheorrsye Ogu’Ryes,iltlhyeoyrwBorardkePdasrko…

LAMBERT:

yheaardrs. BanraddnPeavrekrpwlaoyneadS1t7anley

vCeurpy. Shoartdhafot rmtuhsetmh.ave been

Emotionally and physically drained, the Canadiens must host the Rangers in the Stanley Cup final three days later.

After Game 7, the na ehxatnddafyu,ltohfegreuywsacsampaabylbeeof

ROBINSON:

gwmoeairnnegnneb’tra,bctahknaogtneddtidhunep’itcinee, steohdmaateday orff.sWixeguhyesarodnrBeopsotrotns twheant tfive wthheekthneifreitowraespaikrnseoemoertuhnidnegr, a gshruoeullldinegr oserrwiehsa. tever. It was playingDwuirtihnga tphaarttisaelrlyieseIpwa-as

PARK:

rsthahteoetgduasmphweouaitlnhddenrbo. eIvtowwcaeaseingneptbteeirnfiogordes. IpthwysaiscaplrsoebraibeslyI’tvheeemveorstbeen finri.eAnfdteWr IalgtoetrbTakcakc,zIuckalilnedNemwy Ysorbke,atnudpIysoauidw, “oWna’tltbeerl,iIeavme it. Aupn.dYiofuI’mre bgeoaint gupto, twhieny’trheebfeirastt gaomt teoipnhMysoincatrlleyapl.uBnuitshyothue’vme .” AsunpdeNrbewin YnoJeortkhfonhraDtdahaveigdRosaoondngewras.s

BOWMAN:

Etesapmos. iAton,dtehresyHheadbaerggo,oPdh,il hwexaapnsedtrshiefunclcloe.adchte. aSmo .wFerehdadShoeurro

The Rangers stun the exhausted Canadiens 4-1 at the Forum in Game 1. Afterward, the Rangers savor their win a little too much, poking the bear.

found it in thIetnheinwksspoamperb. oItdy

ROBINSON:

waesreparbetotuyth1a5rdpanpoet rtso.inThere CMhoaorcnoktlerVye.aaIdlwnwaiintshtatcnodvseasryo-mtitoew--caosver Rboadnyg erlsep,lanyedrist wshiothwbeedetrhse raenpdocritgearrssh. Iadthwinrkitotenne aofcathpetion on top, “Next Stanley Cup” or something like that. We took that picture and posted that up wonasthoeubr umlloetivnabtioanrdfo, ranthdetrheastt of the playoffs.

A couple of dteiadmthsadtiodntehayteator. uTsh. eDyebtreoait COURNOYER:

Fuosrtuhme f,iarnstdttwhoeygamll ceosmatetohuet Stwhoietymhotuihnhefaboviuegrtcsoitgrbaerisgc,haatrneadfutwel,reetsbhpeaeat-.t cially in the playoffs. Anything you can say to help the other team is a problem. You have to be very, very humble. You hgoavnenatowhianv, ebucot nyofiudehnacve ytoub’ree scared to lose.

Montreal steamrolls New York to win the next four games, cruising to a fourth consecutive Stanley Cup, putting the exclamation point on a dynasty. It marks the end of an era. Cherry never coaches the Bruins again, Bowman leaves Montreal to coach Buffalo, and the NHL/ WHA merger revamps the team and player pool for the 197980 season. The ’79 semifinal between Montreal and Boston will always be remembered as the “real” Cup final that season. Game 7 lives on as one of the NHL’s most memorable moHteiatslpbees, chbiaauldltywmfooarnnytaheBforBuurrinuthsismntrsea.niTgtshhet– saw their best and only chance at a championship die.

I always felt sorry for the players. The Bruins

CHERRY: were never quite the same. We should’ve won that game, watonodumtldha’avntey’s. mIitwe. Inifllowneetvheaerd,inecv’ete,hwraed say the name of the guy who jumped. You can guess at it, but you’ll never know.

Even though it’s

MIDDLETON: 40 years, some of it seems like yesterday.I wish we could play that frickin’ game tomorrow. I

GILBERT:

tdhoant’tfrtihciknikn’Mpouncktroenalcew, itlhl etoyu’lcl h be so afraid of us.

It’s a great story for Montreal Canadiens folklore.

PARK:

BItr’suninost fsoolkTgloioeorDed.ofomrit, hwehBeonshtoen was playing for the Maple Leafs

CHERRY: in the 2000s, said the team got in late one night. They always shtoatyelo, nanthdeesvaemryeofnloeoorfotfhtehme tsehwaeimt1c9hw7ea9dsgowanmatthceehoiTnV.gT,, aahnneddwitthhoeayled couldn’t believe how fast it was, what a great game it was. Still atondaIy,taI lwkatlokpaelonpgleinthaitrpsaoyr,ts, “I’ll never forget that game.”

RICK CHARTRAW