The 1970s Montreal Canadiens are amongst the greatest dynasties of any sport. The resume through the decade speaks for itself.
This is the best hockey team to step foot in a hockey arena. You can throw out the ’80s Islanders, ’90s Red Wings, and the ’80s Oilers. None of those great teams locked down an entire decade like the Canadiens did during the 1970s.
Montreal kept rivals like the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs from having more championships. They could skill it up or throw hands with the best of them. No team dominated like the ’70s Canadiens.
1976-77 Montreal Canadiens Are The Greatest Team Ever
The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens were the best team of the decade record-wise. This is a team that finished 60-8-12, good for 132 points. Both the wins and points records stood until the schedule was expanded.
The 1976 Canadiens came into the season as defending champions and only lost 11 games. Somehow, they managed to improve on their prior season. No team has matched their record of 8 losses even in strike or pandemic-shortened seasons.
Maybe one statistic stands out the most. The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens only lost 1 game the entire season at home. The 76-77 team walked through the playoffs on their way to another Stanley Cup, sweeping their arch rivals the Boston Bruins.
Looking at the roster, they could defeat a few all-time teams. With 9 Hall of Famers, nobody could stop Montreal in the late 70s.
Unforgettable Legends All Over the Roster
What stands out about the 1970s Canadiens is how stacked their roster was. Throughout the decade, the team had Hall of Famers at every level on the ice. Few teams wanted to face Montreal in a 7 game series.
Sam Pollock and Scotty Bowman formed a formidable duo as general manager and head coach. The duo was together for the duration of the 70s and developed the majority of the Hall of Fame core. It’s a standard that teams hope to follow today.
Guy Lafleur was perhaps the best player of the 1970s. Ken Dryden was the best goaltender of the 1970s as well. Hall of Famers also included remarkable players such as Larry Robinson, Steve Shutt, and Serge Savard.
What also can’t be forgotten is that the NHL had just begun expanding. Several new teams took the ice starting in 1968. The expansion era led to more competition across the league as more talent flooded in.
1970s Montreal Canadiens Could Not Be Replicated
Perhaps the most underrated aspect of this run for Montreal was that they started the 1970s by missing the playoffs. In 1969-1970, the Montreal Canadiens missed the playoffs for the first time in 21 seasons. It would be the last time until 1994-1995 they would miss the playoffs.
The Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s had a level of dominance that would not be possible today. Organizations can’t keep their team together like they did due to the salary cap. They were an unstoppable force in their time.
The Boston Bruins lost to Montreal in the playoffs as defending champions in 1971, then again in 1977, 1978, and 1979, cementing their fierce rivalry. Montreal also swept the 2-time defending champion “Broadstreet Bullies” Philadelphia Flyers in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1976.
This is a team that would have dominated no matter what era. Their accomplishments can never be forgotten. While other great teams have come before and after, the 1970s Montreal Canadiens might be the greatest dynasty of all time.
About The Author
Alex is a writer at Total Apex Sports and Total Apex Gaming. He’s a loyal fan of many teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco Giants. You can find him on X at @alex_furtotti. Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.
