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1976–77 NHL season

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The 1976–77 NHL season was the 60th season of the National Hockey League. The Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver, Colorado, and became the Colorado Rockies and the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became the Cleveland Barons. The Montreal Canadiens once again dominated the playoffs as, for the second straight year, they swept their opponent four games to none in the final series for the Stanley Cup.

1976–77 NHL season
LeagueNational Hockey League
SportIce hockey
DurationOctober 5, 1976 – May 14, 1977
Number of games80
Number of teams18
TV partner(s)CBC, SRC (Canada)
NHL Network (United States)
Draft
Top draft pickRick Green
Picked byWashington Capitals
Regular season
Season championsMontreal Canadiens
Season MVPGuy Lafleur (Canadiens)
Top scorerGuy Lafleur (Canadiens)
Playoffs
Playoffs MVPGuy Lafleur (Canadiens)
Stanley Cup
ChampionsMontreal Canadiens
  Runners-upBoston Bruins
NHL seasons

League business

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Two teams relocated: The Kansas City Scouts moved to Denver, Colorado, and became the Colorado Rockies and the California Golden Seals moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and became the Cleveland Barons. These were the first franchise moves since the original Ottawa Senators had relocated in 1934 to become the St. Louis Eagles. Instability and the poor performances of the Washington Capitals and the Scouts since the 1974 expansion caused the league to shelve an expansion to Denver and Seattle that had been proposed for this season. Seattle would not have a team until the expansion Seattle Kraken in the 2021–22 season.

The 1976 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 1, at the NHL offices in Montreal, Quebec. Rick Green was selected first overall by the Washington Capitals.

This season was Clarence Campbell's last as NHL President before he was succeeded by John Ziegler.

Arena changes

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Regular season

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The previous season saw the Montreal Canadiens set new records in wins and points. Both of those records were broken again by the Canadiens this season as, with the highest points percentage in post-expansion NHL history (.825), they had 60 wins and 132 points. Their home record was 33 wins, 1 loss, and 6 ties. Scoring 216 more goals than they allowed, the Canadiens were a full 20 points ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers, however, were swept in four straight games by the third-place Boston Bruins in the semi-finals. The Bruins were in turn swept by the Canadiens in four straight in the finals.

On February 2, 1977, Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Ian Turnbull became the first player in NHL history to score five goals on five shots.[1]

Final standings

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Prince of Wales Conference
Adams Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Boston Bruins 80 49 23 8 312 240 106
Buffalo Sabres 80 48 24 8 301 220 104
Toronto Maple Leafs 80 33 32 15 301 285 81
Cleveland Barons 80 25 42 13 240 292 63

[2]

Norris Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Montreal Canadiens 80 60 8 12 387 171 132
Los Angeles Kings 80 34 31 15 271 241 83
Pittsburgh Penguins 80 34 33 13 240 252 81
Washington Capitals 80 24 42 14 221 307 62
Detroit Red Wings 80 16 55 9 183 309 41

[2]

Clarence Campbell Conference
Patrick Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Philadelphia Flyers 80 48 16 16 323 213 112
New York Islanders 80 47 21 12 288 193 106
Atlanta Flames 80 34 34 12 264 265 80
New York Rangers 80 29 37 14 272 310 72

[2]

Smythe Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
St. Louis Blues 80 32 39 9 239 276 73
Minnesota North Stars 80 23 39 18 240 310 64
Chicago Black Hawks 80 26 43 11 240 298 63
Vancouver Canucks 80 25 42 13 235 294 63
Colorado Rockies 80 20 46 14 226 307 54

[2]

Playoffs

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The New York Islanders won six consecutive games before the semifinal and were the only team from the preliminary round to make it to the semifinals, where they lost to the first-ranked, defending, and eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens swept the St. Louis Blues and dispatched the Islanders in six to reach the final. The losses to the Islanders were the Canadiens' only losses of their playoff run. Second-ranked Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the quarterfinals, before being swept by the third-ranked Boston Bruins in the semifinals.

Playoff structure

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For the 1977 playoffs, the top three teams in each division were awarded playoff berths. These twelve teams were then ranked 1–12 according to their regular season records, regardless of divisional affiliation. The four division winners automatically qualified for the quarterfinals, while the remaining eight teams (2nd and 3rd place teams in each division) played a preliminary round. For the preliminary round, the best non-division winner played the twelfth-ranked team, the second-best non-division winner played the eleventh-ranked team, and the third-best non-division winner played the third-lowest ranked non-division winner. (This did not necessarily have to be the tenth-ranked team, as a tenth-ranked team could win its division. In fact, St. Louis did win the Smythe Division as the tenth-ranked playoff team.) The remaining two non-division winners formed the final preliminary round pairing. The preliminary round consisted of a best-of-three series with game one played on the home ice of the higher-ranked team, and game two on the home ice of the lower-ranked team. If a deciding game three was necessary, it was played on the home ice of the higher-ranked team.

For the quarterfinal, semifinal, and the Stanley Cup Finals, each series was a best-of-seven, with home-ice advantage in games 1, 2, 5, and 7 (if necessary) going to the team with the better regular season record. The other team hosted games 3, 4, and 6 (if necessary). The four preliminary round winners joined the four division winners for the quarterfinals. The matchups were determined according to regular season records regardless of divisional affiliations. Of the eight remaining teams, the top-ranked team played the lowest-ranked remaining team, the second-highest-ranked remaining team played the second-lowest-ranked remaining team, and so on. The four quarterfinal winners advanced to the semifinals, with the match-ups again being reseeded by regular season records. The highest-ranked remaining team played the lowest-ranked remaining team, and the other two teams formed the second semifinal. The two semifinal winners played each other in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Playoff seeds

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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.

  1. Montreal Canadiens, Norris Division champions, Prince of Wales Conference regular season champions – 132 points
  2. Philadelphia Flyers, Patrick Division champions, Clarence Campbell Conference regular season champions – 112 points
  3. Boston Bruins, Adams Division champions – 106 points (49 wins)
  4. New York Islanders – 106 points (47 wins)
  5. Buffalo Sabres – 104 points
  6. Los Angeles Kings – 83 points
  7. Pittsburgh Penguins – 81 points (34 wins)
  8. Toronto Maple Leafs – 81 points (33 wins)
  9. Atlanta Flames – 80 points
  10. St. Louis Blues, Smythe Division champions – 73 points
  11. Minnesota North Stars – 64 points
  12. Chicago Black Hawks – 63 points

Playoff bracket

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Preliminary round Quarterfinals Semifinals Stanley Cup Finals
            
1 Montreal 4
8 St. Louis 0
1 Montreal 4
4 NY Islanders 2
1 NY Islanders 2
8 Chicago 0
4 NY Islanders 4
5 Buffalo 0
2 Buffalo 2
7 Minnesota 0
1 Montreal 4
3 Boston 0
2 Philadelphia 4
7 Toronto 2
4 Pittsburgh 1
5 Toronto 2
2 Philadelphia 0
3 Boston 4
3 Boston 4
6 Los Angeles 2
3 Los Angeles 2
6 Atlanta 1
  • 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

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(1) New York Islanders vs. (8) Chicago Black Hawks

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This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams. The Black Hawks were originally scheduled as the home team for the second game, but its home rink Chicago Stadium had already been booked that night for the second of three Led Zeppelin concerts.[3]


April 5 Chicago Black Hawks 2–5 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
Grant Mulvey (1) – pp – 15:22 First period No scoring
Kirk Bowman (1) – pp – 08:24 Second period 02:31 – J.P. Parise (1)
No scoring Third period 03:18 – pp – Denis Potvin (1)
04:53 – Billy MacMillan (1)
11:56 – Bob Bourne (1)
19:22 – en – J.P. Parise (2)
Tony Esposito 32 saves / 37 shots Goalie stats Billy Smith 14 saves / 16 shots
April 7 Chicago Black Hawks 1–2 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
Dennis Hull (1) – pp – 11:12 First period 13:56 – Jude Drouin (1)
No scoring Second period 14:18 – Clark Gillies (1)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Tony Esposito 33 saves / 35 shots Goalie stats Billy Smith 18 saves / 19 shots
New York won series 2–0


(2) Buffalo Sabres vs. (7) Minnesota North Stars

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This was the first playoff series meeting between these two teams.


April 5 Minnesota North Stars 2–4 Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Recap  
Roland Eriksson (1) – 02:08 First period 02:55 – Rene Robert (1)
Tim Young (1) – 7:35 Second period 02:47 – Jim Lorentz (1)
04:35 – Jerry Korab (1)
No scoring Third period 19:55 – en – Rene Robert (2)
Pete LoPresti 37 saves / 41 shots Goalie stats Don Edwards 23 saves / 25 shots
April 7 Buffalo Sabres 7–1 Minnesota North Stars Met Center Recap  
Jim Lorentz (2) – 04:33
Rick Martin (1) – 16:11
Jim Lorentz (3) – 17:07 		First period 10:07 – Doug Hicks (1)
Gary McAdam (1) – 16:36
Jocelyn Guevremont (1) – 17:55 		Second period No scoring
Jocelyn Guevremont (2) – pp – 02:09
Jim Lorentz (4) – 15:28 		Third period No scoring
Don Edwards 24 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Pete LoPresti 5 saves / 8 shots
Gary Smith 11 saves / 15 shots
Buffalo won series 2–0


(3) Los Angeles Kings vs. (6) Atlanta Flames

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This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's preliminary round, in which Los Angeles won in a two-game sweep.


April 5 Atlanta Flames 2–5 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
Guy Chouinard (1) – pp – 04:07 First period 00:23 – Glenn Goldup (1)
10:33 – pp – Mike Murphy (1)
17:38 – pp – Butch Goring (1)
Willi Plett (1) – 08:06 Second period 14:04 – Don Kozak (1)
No scoring Third period 17:57 – Glenn Goldup (2)
Dan Bouchard 20 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Rogie Vachon 20 saves / 22 shots
April 7 Los Angeles Kings 2–3 Atlanta Flames Omni Coliseum Recap  
Marcel Dionne (1) – 15:30 First period 15:14 – Guy Chouinard (2)
16:52 – Curt Bennett (1)
Don Kozak (2) – pp – 15:13 Second period 08:47 – Eric Vail (1)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Rogie Vachon 31 saves / 34 shots Goalie stats Phil Myre 22 saves / 24 shots
April 9 Atlanta Flames 2–4 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
Bill Clement (1) – sh – 14:58 First period 03:47 – Butch Goring (2)
05:52 – Marcel Dionne (2)
No scoring Second period 03:06 – Butch Goring (3)
Tom Lysiak (1) – pp – 05:05 Third period 19:59 – en – Butch Goring (4)
Phil Myre 19 saves / 22 shots Goalie stats Rogie Vachon 25 saves / 27 shots
Los Angeles won series 2–1


(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Toronto Maple Leafs

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This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's preliminary round, in which Toronto won the series 2–1.


April 5 Toronto Maple Leafs 4–2 Pittsburgh Penguins Civic Arena Recap  
No scoring First period 13:25 – Bob Kelly (1)
Don Ashby (1) – 04:12
Lanny McDonald (1) – 12:11 		Second period No scoring
Dave Williams (1) – 10:32
Darryl Sittler (1) – en – 19:52 		Third period 18:34 – pp – Mario Faubert (1)
Wayne Thomas 29 saves / 31 shots Goalie stats Denis Herron 29 saves / 32 shots
April 7 Pittsburgh Penguins 6–4 Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
Jean Pronovost (1) – 01:01
Ron Stackhouse (1) – 06:37
Syl Apps Jr. (1) – pp – 12:30 		First period No scoring
Lowell MacDonald (1) – 07:38 Second period 06:10 – pp – Darryl Sittler (2)
12:38 – Stan Weir (1)
Greg Malone (1) – 13:57
Ron Stackhouse (2) – en – 19:23 		Third period 03:37 – pp – Ian Turnbull (1)
07:52 – Borje Salming (1)
Denis Herron 37 saves / 41 shots Goalie stats Wayne Thomas 28 saves / 33 shots
April 9 Toronto Maple Leafs 5–2 Pittsburgh Penguins Civic Arena Recap  
Borje Salming (2) – pp – 08:34
Ian Turnbull (2) – pp – 14:14 		First period 19:40 – pp – Jean Pronovost (2)
Lanny McDonald (2) – 08:46
Lanny McDonald (3) – 14:17 		Second period 16:06 – Blair Chapman (1)
Lanny McDonald (4) – en – 19:44 Third period No scoring
Mike Palmateer 38 saves / 40 shots Goalie stats Denis Herron 37 saves / 41 shots
Toronto won series 2–1


Quarterfinals

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(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (8) St. Louis Blues

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This was the third, and as of 2023, most recent, playoff series meeting between the two teams. Montreal won both previous meetings in four-game sweeps in both the 1968 & 1969 Stanley Cup Finals.


April 11 St. Louis Blues 2–7 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Bernie Federko (1) – 18:38 First period 00:51 – Guy Lafleur (1)
07:54 – pp – Larry Robinson (1)
16:30 – Guy Lafleur (2)
19:35 – Jacques Lemaire (1)
No scoring Second period 11:27 – Guy Lafleur (3)
14:33 – pp – Guy Lapointe (1)
Brian Sutter (1) – 12:32 Third period 02:23 – Bill Nyrop (1)
Ed Staniowski 26 saves / 32 shots
Eddie Johnston 9 saves / 10 shots 		Goalie stats Ken Dryden 18 saves / 20 shots
April 13 St. Louis Blues 0–3 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 06:15 – Steve Shutt (1)
13:19 – Bob Gainey (1)
No scoring Second period 18:01 – Guy Lafleur (4)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Eddie Johnston 38 saves / 41 shots
Ed Staniowski 0 saves / 0 shots 		Goalie stats Ken Dryden 23 saves / 23 shots
April 16 Montreal Canadiens 5–1 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Serge Savard (1) – pp – 02:57
Serge Savard (2) – 19:45 		First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Steve Shutt (2) – 01:35
Rick Chartraw (1) – 08:46
Jacques Lemaire (2) – 13:10 		Third period 16:50 – Claude Larose (1)
Ken Dryden 36 saves / 37 shots Goalie stats Eddie Johnston 30 saves / 35 shots
April 17 Montreal Canadiens 4–1 St. Louis Blues St. Louis Arena Recap  
Steve Shutt (3) – pp – 18:21 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 02:46 – Larry Patey (1)
Guy Lafleur (5) – 02:34
Peter Mahovlich (1) – 14:49
Bob Gainey (2) – sh-en – 19:55 		Third period No scoring
Ken Dryden 24 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Ed Staniowski 27 saves / 30 shots
Montreal won series 4–0


(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Toronto Maple Leafs

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This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won both previous meetings in the last two seasons. The latter of which Philadelphia won in seven games in last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.


April 11 Toronto Maple Leafs 3–2 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
Darryl Sittler (3) – pp – 04:10
Tiger Williams (2) – 07:11
Errol Thompson (1) – 8:52 		First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 13:25 – pp – Rick MacLeish (1)
No scoring Third period 10:27 – pp – Bob Dailey (1)
Mike Palmateer 17 saves / 18 shots
Wayne Thomas 10 saves / 11 shots 		Goalie stats Bernie Parent 21 saves / 24 shots
April 13 Toronto Maple Leafs 4–1 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
Bob Neely (1) – pp – 06:55
Stan Weir (2) – pp – 11:15 		First period No scoring
Tiger Williams (3) – 00:37
Darryl Sittler (4) – 15:08 		Second period 06:07 – Bill Barber (1)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Mike Palmateer 27 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Bernie Parent 11 saves / 15 shots
Wayne Stephenson 5 saves / 5 shots
April 15 Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 OT Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
No scoring First period 03:48 – pp – Darryl Sittler (5)
18:27 – pp – Ian Turnbull (3)
Ross Lonsberry (1) – 03:18
Orest Kindrachuk (1) – pp – 12:53 		Second period No scoring
Rick MacLeish (2) – 19:22 Third period 15:41 – Errol Thompson (2)
Rick MacLeish (3) – 02:55 First overtime period No scoring
Wayne Stephenson 25 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Mike Palmateer 33 saves / 37 shots
April 17 Philadelphia Flyers 6–5 OT Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
Bobby Clarke (1) – pp – 13:28 First period No scoring
Reggie Leach (1) – 11:21 Second period 04:03 – Lanny McDonald (5)
06:16 – pp – Borje Salming (3)
18:45 – pp – Lanny McDonald (6)
Mel Bridgman (1) – sh – 14:11
Tom Bladon (1) – 18:11
Bobby Clarke (2) – 18:27 		Third period 06:24 – Lanny McDonald (7)
12:44 – pp – Lanny McDonald (8)
Reggie Leach (2) – 19:10 First overtime period No scoring
Wayne Stephenson 37 saves / 42 shots Goalie stats Mike Palmateer 39 saves / 45 shots
April 19 Toronto Maple Leafs 0–2 Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
No scoring First period 14:12 – Reggie Leach (3)
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 15:07 – Reggie Leach (4)
Mike Palmateer 37 saves / 39 shots Goalie stats Wayne Stephenson 21 saves / 21 shots
April 21 Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 Toronto Maple Leafs Maple Leaf Gardens Recap  
No scoring First period 11:43 – pp – Ian Turnbull (4)
Bobby Clarke (3) – 04:10
Bob Dailey (2) – 15:36 		Second period 07:17 – Lanny McDonald (9)
Rick MacLeish (4) – pp – 07:37
Jimmy Watson (1) – 17:22 		Third period 05:06 – pp – Lanny McDonald (10)
Wayne Stephenson 21 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Wayne Thomas 26 saves / 30 shots
Philadelphia won series 4–2


(3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Los Angeles Kings

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This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, in which Boston won in seven games.


April 11 Los Angeles Kings 3–8 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
No scoring First period 01:49 – Bobby Schmautz (1)
02:45 – Brad Park (1)
04:50 – Bobby Schmautz (2)
12:15 – sh – Gregg Sheppard (1)
19:24 – Bobby Schmautz (3)
Don Kozak (3) – 09:45
Vic Venasky (1) – pp – 18:37 		Second period 11:30 – Terry O'Reilly (1)
Dave Hutchison (1) – 10:24 Third period 02:06 – Stan Jonathan (1)
15:52 – pp – Peter McNab (1)
Rogie Vachon 24 saves / 32 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 19 saves / 22 shots
April 13 Los Angeles Kings 2–6 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
No scoring First period 06:14 – Stan Jonathan (2)
07:28 – Terry O'Reilly (2)
09:53 – Bobby Schmautz (4)
No scoring Second period 17:03 – Jean Ratelle (1)
17:59 – Bobby Schmautz (5)
Tom Williams (1) – pp – 14:11
Marcel Dionne (3) – pp – 19:29 		Third period 03:09 – Gregg Sheppard (2)
Rogie Vachon 11 saves / 16 shots
Gary Simmons 6 saves / 7 shots 		Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 15 saves / 17 shots
April 15 Boston Bruins 7–6 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
Bobby Schmautz (6) – pp – 05:49 First period 03:40 – Mike Murphy (2)
10:51 – pp – Bob Murdoch (1)
19:20 – Butch Goring (5)
Terry O'Reilly (3) – 01:59
Don Marcotte (1) – 03:39 		Second period 07:00 – Gary Sargent (1)
16:33 – Tom Williams (2)
Bobby Schmautz (7) – pp – 00:10
Wayne Cashman – 11:27
Don Marcotte (2) – 17:08
Stan Jonathan (3) – 19:47 		Third period 18:05 – Marcel Dionne (4)
Gerry Cheevers 18 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Rogie Vachon 22 saves / 29 shots
April 17 Boston Bruins 4–7 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
No scoring First period 00:06 – Don Kozak (4)
18:39 – Frank St. Marseille (1)
Peter McNab (2) – 01:30 Second period 15:56 – pp – Butch Goring (6)
18:40 – pp – Gary Sargent (2)
Jean Ratelle (2) – pp – 03:26
Bobby Schmautz (8) – 05:51
Rick Middleton (1) – 15:08 		Third period 10:08 – Marcel Dionne (5)
10:51 – Mike Murphy (3)
14:45 – Gene Carr (1)
Gerry Cheevers 11 saves / 15 shots
Gilles Gilbert 4 saves / 7 shots 		Goalie stats Rogie Vachon 30 saves / 34 shots
April 19 Los Angeles Kings 3–1 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Dave Schultz (1) – pp – 16:22 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 13:42 – Rick Middleton (2)
Bob Murdoch (2) – 01:00
Mike Murphy (4) – en – 19:59 		Third period No scoring
Rogie Vachon 39 saves / 40 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 18 saves / 20 shots
April 21 Boston Bruins 4–3 Los Angeles Kings The Forum Recap  
Rick Middleton (3) – 03:42
Stan Jonathan (4) – 07:35
Rick Middleton (4) – 07:46 		First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Gregg Sheppard (3) – pp – 12:58 Third period 00:42 – pp – Gary Sargent (3)
05:39 – Tom Williams (3)
08:51 – pp – Butch Goring (7)
Gerry Cheevers 15 saves / 18 shots Goalie stats Rogie Vachon 34 saves / 38 shots
Boston won series 4–2


(4) New York Islanders vs. (5) Buffalo Sabres

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This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, in which New York won in six games.


April 11 Buffalo Sabres 2–4 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
No scoring First period 12:28 – Garry Howatt (1)
18:44 – Billy Harris (1)
Gilbert Perreault (1) – 09:38
Rene Robert (3) – 11:39 		Second period 12:04 – Clark Gillies (2)
18:33 – Jude Drouin (2)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Don Edwards 24 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Billy Smith 37 saves / 39 shots
April 13 Buffalo Sabres 2–4 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
Don Luce (1) – 11:26
Rene Robert (4) – pp – 15:40 		First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 13:50 – Bob Bourne (2)
16:31 – Bryan Trottier (1)
No scoring Third period 08:30 – Clark Gillies (3)
11:35 – Dave Lewis (1)
Don Edwards 18 saves / 22 shots Goalie stats Billy Smith 24 saves / 26 shots
April 15 New York Islanders 4–3 Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Recap  
Billy Harris (2) – 17:39 First period 02:18 – pp – Rick Martin (2)
06:29 – pp – Jerry Korab (2)
Jude Drouin (3) – 10:55
Jude Drouin (4) – pp – 13:40 		Second period No scoring
Clark Gillies (4) – 00:09 Third period 10:10 – pp – Don Luce (2)
Billy Smith 45 saves / 48 shots Goalie stats Don Edwards 19 saves / 23 shots
April 17 New York Islanders 4–3 Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Recap  
Billy Harris (3) – pp – 10:29 First period 02:49 – Jocelyn Guevremont (3)
Ed Westfall (1) – sh – 09:54
Denis Potvin (2) – 18:51 		Second period 06:16 – pp – Don Luce (3)
Billy MacMillan (2) – 07:42 Third period 04:57 – Rene Robert (5)
Billy Smith 26 saves / 29 shots Goalie stats Gerry Desjardins 17 saves / 21 shots
New York won series 4–0


Semifinals

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(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) New York Islanders

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This was the second playoff series meeting between these two teams. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Semifinals, in which Montreal won in five games.


April 23 New York Islanders 3–4 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Billy Harris (4) – pp – 08:39
Billy Harris (5) – 12:56 		First period 12:14 – Peter Mahovlich (2)
Billy Harris (6) – 00:49 Second period 09:40 – Murray Wilson (1)
No scoring Third period 02:25 – Guy Lafleur (6)
04:07 – Steve Shutt (4)
Billy Smith 34 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Ken Dryden 16 saves / 19 shots
April 26 New York Islanders 0–3 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 07:46 – sh – Jimmy Roberts (1)
11:31 – Larry Robinson (2)
19:24 – pp – Peter Mahovlich (3)
Billy Smith 30 saves / 33 shots Goalie stats Ken Dryden 19 saves / 19 shots
April 28 Montreal Canadiens 3–5 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
Guy Lapointe (2) – 11:10
Jimmy Roberts (2) – 17:29 		First period 12:49 – pp – Denis Potvin (3)
19:50 – Denis Potvin (4)
No scoring Second period 06:04 – J.P. Parise (3)
Guy Lapointe (3) – 16:20 Third period 11:09 – Andre St. Laurent (1)
19:49 – en – Bryan Trottier (2)
Ken Dryden 19 saves / 23 shots Goalie stats Billy Smith 35 saves / 38 shots
April 30 Montreal Canadiens 4–0 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
Steve Shutt (5) – 01:04
Guy Lafleur (7) – 02:23
Jimmy Roberts (3) – 08:18 		First period No scoring
Steve Shutt (6) – 17:31 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
Ken Dryden 18 saves / 18 shots Goalie stats Billy Smith 18 saves / 22 shots
Chico Resch 11 saves / 11 shots
May 3 New York Islanders 4–3 OT Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
J.P. Parise (4) – pp – 08:11 First period 09:08 – Jacques Lemaire (3)
Denis Potvin (5) – 18:11 Second period 03:27 – Mario Tremblay (1)
Jude Drouin (5) – 13:09 Third period 11:38 – Yvon Lambert (1)
Billy Harris (7) – 03:58 First overtime period No scoring
Chico Resch 26 saves / 29 shots Goalie stats Ken Dryden 15 saves / 19 shots
May 5 Montreal Canadiens 2–1 New York Islanders Nassau Coliseum Recap  
Bob Gainey (3) – 00:07 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period No scoring
Bob Gainey (4) – 9:12 Third period 19:51 – Denis Potvin (6)
Ken Dryden 27 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Chico Resch 18 saves / 20 shots
Montreal won series 4–2


(2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (3) Boston Bruins

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This was the third playoff series meeting between these two teams. Philadelphia won both previous meetings. This was a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Semifinals, in which Philadelphia won in five games.


April 24 Boston Bruins 4–3 OT Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
Jean Ratelle (3) – 11:36 First period No scoring
Bobby Schmautz (9) – pp – 06:56
Don Marcotte (3) – sh – 15:31 		Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period 01:45 – pp – Bobby Clarke (4)
16:33 – Bob Dailey (3)
19:31 – Bobby Clarke (5)
Rick Middleton (5) – 02:57 First overtime period No scoring
Gerry Cheevers 35 saves / 38 shots Goalie stats Wayne Stephenson 17 saves / 20 shots
Bernie Parent 3 saves / 4 shots
April 26 Boston Bruins 5–4 2OT Philadelphia Flyers Spectrum Recap  
Peter McNab (3) – 13:45 First period 14:53 – Andre Dupont (1)
Gregg Sheppard (4) – 14:01
Mike Milbury (1) – 15:01
Jean Ratelle (4) – 15:39 		Second period 05:35 – Orest Kindrachuk (2)
07:58 – Paul Holmgren (1)
15:16 – Gary Dornhoefer (1)
No scoring Third period No scoring
Terry O'Reilly (4) – 10:07 Second overtime period No scoring
Gerry Cheevers 43 saves / 47 shots Goalie stats Wayne Stephenson 28 saves / 33 shots
April 28 Philadelphia Flyers 1–2 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Bob Dailey (4) – pp – 08:59 First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 12:07 – Peter McNab (4)
No scoring Third period 07:51 – Mike Milbury (2)
Wayne Stephenson 26 saves / 28 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 14 saves / 15 shots
May 1 Philadelphia Flyers 0–3 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 10:45 – Jean Ratelle (5)
No scoring Third period 14:05 – Don Marcotte (4)
19:13 – en – Don Marcotte (5)
Wayne Stephenson 35 saves / 37 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 21 saves / 21 shots
Boston won series 4–0


Stanley Cup Finals

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Main article: 1977 Stanley Cup Finals

This was the 16th playoff series meeting between these two teams. Montreal lead 13–2 in previous meetings. They last met in the 1971 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, in which Montreal upset Boston in seven games.

The defending champion Montreal Canadiens took on the "Original Six" rival, the third-ranked Boston Bruins in the Finals. Both teams had swept a series and had lost only two games in the earlier rounds. The Canadiens swept the series in four games to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.


May 7 Boston Bruins 3–7 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
Brad Park (2) – 05:23 First period 01:45 – Doug Risebrough (1)
04:23 – pp – Yvon Lambert (2)
14:35 – Mario Tremblay (2)
Terry O'Reilly (5) – 11:54
Bobby Schmautz (10) – pp – 16:35 		Second period 05:08 – Jacques Lemaire (4)
No scoring Third period 00:59 – Rick Chartraw (2)
02:04 – Mario Tremblay (3)
13:58 – Yvon Lambert (3)
Gerry Cheevers 17 saves / 24 shots Goalie stats Ken Dryden 17 saves / 20 shots
May 10 Boston Bruins 0–3 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Forum Recap  
No scoring First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 07:43 – pp – Peter Mahovlich (4)
12:07 – Doug Risebrough (2)
No scoring Third period 05:40 – Steve Shutt (7)
Gerry Cheevers 16 saves / 19 shots Goalie stats Ken Dryden 22 saves / 22 shots
May 12 Montreal Canadiens 4–2 Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
Guy Lafleur (8) – pp – 04:08
Steve Shutt (8) – pp – 07:58
Jacques Lemaire (5) – pp – 18:29 		First period No scoring
No scoring Second period 06:32 – Gregg Sheppard (5)
Guy Lafleur (9) – 12:52 Third period 18:34 – pp – Peter McNab (5)
Ken Dryden 23 saves / 25 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 15 saves / 19 shots
May 14 Montreal Canadiens 2–1 OT Boston Bruins Boston Garden Recap  
No scoring First period 11:38 – Bobby Schmautz (11)
Jacques Lemaire (6) – 01:34 Second period No scoring
No scoring Third period No scoring
Jacques Lemaire (7) – 04:32 First overtime period No scoring
Ken Dryden 25 saves / 26 shots Goalie stats Gerry Cheevers 26 saves / 28 shots
Montreal won series 4–0


Awards

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1977 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)		 Ed Westfall, New York Islanders
Calder Memorial Trophy:
(Top first-year player)		 Willi Plett, Atlanta Flames
Conn Smythe Trophy:
(Most valuable player, playoffs)		 Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
Hart Memorial Trophy:
(Most valuable player, regular season)		 Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens
Jack Adams Award:
(Best coach)		 Scotty Bowman, Montreal Canadiens
James Norris Memorial Trophy:
(Best defenceman)		 Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy:
(Excellence and sportsmanship)		 Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings
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 & Michel Larocque, Montreal Canadiens

All-Star teams

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First Team   Position   Second Team
Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens G Rogie Vachon, Los Angeles Kings
Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens D Denis Potvin, New York Islanders
Börje Salming, Toronto Maple Leafs D Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiens
Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings C Gilbert Perreault, Buffalo Sabres
Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens RW Lanny McDonald, Toronto Maple Leafs
Steve Shutt, Montreal Canadiens LW Rick Martin, Buffalo Sabres

Player statistics

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Scoring leaders

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GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes

Player Team GP G A Pts PIM
Guy Lafleur Montreal Canadiens 80 56 80 136 20
Marcel Dionne Los Angeles Kings 80 53 69 122 12
Steve Shutt Montreal Canadiens 80 60 45 105 28
Rick MacLeish Philadelphia Flyers 79 49 48 97 42
Gilbert Perreault Buffalo Sabres 80 39 56 95 30
Tim Young Minnesota North Stars 80 29 66 95 58
Jean Ratelle Boston Bruins 78 33 61 94 22
Lanny McDonald Toronto Maple Leafs 80 46 44 90 77
Darryl Sittler Toronto Maple Leafs 73 38 52 90 89
Bobby Clarke Philadelphia Flyers 80 27 63 90 71

Source: NHL.[4]

Leading goaltenders

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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
Michel Larocque Montreal Canadiens 26 1525 53 2.09 19 2 4 4
Ken Dryden Montreal Canadiens 56 3275 117 2.14 41 6 8 10
Chico Resch N.Y. Islanders 46 2711 103 2.28 26 13 6 4
Billy Smith N.Y. Islanders 36 2089 98 2.50 21 8 6 2
Don Edwards Buffalo Sabres 25 1480 62 2.51 16 7 2 2
Gerry Desjardins Buffalo Sabres 49 2871 126 2.63 31 12 6 3
Bernie Parent Philadelphia Flyers 61 3525 159 2.71 35 13 12 5
Rogatien Vachon Los Angeles Kings 68 4059 184 2.72 33 23 12 8
Denis Herron Pittsburgh Penguins 34 1920 94 2.94 15 11 5 1
Dunc Wilson Pittsburgh Penguins 45 2627 129 2.95 18 19 8 5

Coaches

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Patrick Division

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Adams Division

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Norris Division

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Smythe Division

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Debuts

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The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1976–77 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

Last games

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The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1976–77 (listed with their last team):

Broadcasting

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Hockey Night in Canada on CBC Television televised Saturday night regular season games and Stanley Cup playoff games. CTV stopped regularly airing HNIC-produced Wednesday night regular season game telecasts, and started to give the rights to these midweek games back to local stations.

In the U.S., this was the second season that NHL games aired in national broadcast syndication under the NHL Network package.

See also

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References

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  • 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
  1. ^ Hockey's Book of Firsts, p.27, James Duplacey, JG Press, ISBN 978-1-57215-037-9
  2. ^ a b c d Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 151. ISBN 9781894801225.
  3. ^ Herman, Robin. "Islanders Get Home Ice for All Hawk Games," The New York Times, Tuesday, April 5, 1977. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. ^ Dinger 2011, p. 150.
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