| TEAM |
GP
Games played - Number of games the team has played
|
W
Wins - Games the team has won, either in regulation or in overtime
|
L
Losses - Games the team has lost in regulation
|
T
Ties - Games that have ended in a tie
|
PTS
Points - Team points, calculated from W, L, T, OTL and SOL; used to determine standings
|
GF
Goals for - Number of goals the team has scored
|
GA
Goals against - Number of goals scored against the team
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Red Wings | 60 | 34 | 19 | 7 | 75 | 195 | 145 |
| Boston Bruins | 60 | 29 | 23 | 8 | 66 | 178 | 163 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 60 | 28 | 23 | 9 | 65 | 152 | 126 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 60 | 22 | 25 | 13 | 57 | 147 | 161 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 60 | 21 | 31 | 8 | 50 | 173 | 211 |
| New York Rangers | 60 | 18 | 31 | 11 | 47 | 133 | 172 |
| # | SKATERS |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
G
Goals - Number of goals the player has scored
|
A
Assists - Number of goals the player has assisted in
|
PTS
Points - Scoring points, calculated as the sum of G and A
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Billy Reay | 60 | 22 | 23 | 45 |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | 59 | 20 | 18 | 38 |
| 6 | Joe Carveth | 60 | 15 | 22 | 37 |
| 16 | Elmer Lach | 36 | 11 | 18 | 29 |
| 18 | Ken Mosdell | 60 | 17 | 9 | 26 |
| # | #1 GOALIE |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
RECORD
Record - Goalie record (W-L-T)
|
SO
Shutouts - Number of games where the goaltender has not allowed a goal
|
GAA
Goals against average - Mean goals-per-game scored on the goaltender
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Durnan | 60 | 28-23-9 | 10 | 2.10 |
| DATE | AWAY | HOME |
|---|
THE REGULAR SEASON
Like the year before, the Canadiens suffer through another injury-plagued season in 1948-49.
Elmer Lach gets off to a good start with 29 points in 36 games before he breaks his jaw in a collision with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, Bob Goldham.
Montreal’s defense corps is then dealt a crippling blow when Emile Bouchard suffers a knee injury.
Without longtime linemates Lach and Toe Blake, Maurice Richard records just 38 points in 59 games, including 20 goals. Billy Reay steps into the breach with 22 goals and 23 assists in 60 games, a 25-point increase over the previous season.
Goalie Bill Durnan ensures that the previous season’s outcome is avoided with 28 wins, including a career high 10 shutouts. Durnan puts together a remarkable streak late in the season when he posts a 7-1-2 record and five shutouts, including four in a row from February 26 through March 6, 1949. His shutout streak lasts 309 minutes and 21 seconds.
Durnan’s exploits lead to his fifth Vezina Trophy in six years and help the Canadiens clinch a playoff spot.
The Canadiens’ offense struggles to put the puck in the net, but the team’s defense carries its weight as evidenced by its 126 goals allowed, the least during the league’s 60-game schedule.
THE PLAYOFFS
In the first round, the Canadiens face the regular season champions, the Detroit Red Wings. Dick Irvin’s team defies the hockey pundits with a strong effort against the powerful Red Wings.
Detroit claims the first game with a 2-1 win in overtime. Two days later, the Canadiens even the series with a 4-3 victory, also in overtime, as Gerald Plamondon delivers the winning goal.
The Habs take a 2-1 series lead with a 3-2 win in the third game, but the visiting Red Wings even it again with a 3-1 victory over the Canadiens in Game 4.
The Red Wings claim the fifth game, 3-1. With the series shifting back to the Forum, the Canadiens avoid elimination with a 3-1 win, much to their fans’ delight.
The Olympia hosts the seventh and deciding game. The home team wins it 3-1 to claim the hard-fought series, four games to three. All seven games are decided by a margin of two goals or less.
Underdogs from the outset, the Canadiens’ playoff effort is a great display of character. Reay’s strong regular season production continues as he posts six points in the playoffs. Plamondon scores five goals, including his overtime winner in Game 2.
| Semi-finals - Detroit Red Wings | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| March 22nd, 1949 | MTL 1 | DET 2 | ||
| March 24th, 1949 | MTL 4 | DET 3 | ||
| March 26th, 1949 | DET 2 | MTL 3 | ||
| March 29th, 1949 | DET 3 | MTL 1 | ||
| March 31st, 1949 | MTL 1 | DET 3 | ||
| April 2nd, 1949 | DET 1 | MTL 3 | ||
| April 5th, 1949 | MTL 1 | DET 3 | ||
| Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-3 | ||||
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