| 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 | 70 | 37 | 19 | 14 | 88 | 191 | 132 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 81 | 195 | 141 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 32 | 24 | 14 | 78 | 152 | 131 |
| Boston Bruins | 70 | 32 | 28 | 10 | 74 | 177 | 181 |
| New York Rangers | 70 | 29 | 31 | 10 | 68 | 161 | 182 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 70 | 12 | 51 | 7 | 31 | 133 | 242 |
| # | 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
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Maurice Richard | 70 | 37 | 30 | 67 |
| 5 | Bernard Geoffrion | 54 | 29 | 25 | 54 |
| 15 | Bert Olmstead | 70 | 15 | 37 | 52 |
| 18 | Ken Mosdell | 67 | 22 | 24 | 46 |
| 2 | Doug Harvey | 68 | 8 | 29 | 37 |
| # | #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 | Gerry McNeil | 53 | 28-19-6 | 6 | 2.15 |
| DATE | AWAY | HOME |
|---|
THE REGULAR SEASON
While the Stanley Cup Champions were unable to dethrone Detroit as regular season titlists, the 1953-54 Canadiens, runners-up for the third straight year, cut the Red Wings lead in the final standings to only seven points.
The most productive offense in the NHL features three 20-goal men. A healthy Maurice Richard plays all 70 games and leads the league with 37 markers. Bernard Geoffrion, now almost universally known as “Boom Boom” nets 29 and veteran Ken Mosdell pots 22 of his own.
A defensive specialist, Mosdell was pressed into service on the top line when Elmer Lach, playing out his final campaign, and his heir-apparent, Jean Beliveau, both lose significant portions of the season to injury.
Left winger Dickie Moore is out of commission for the bulk of the season, suiting up only 13 times in the regular season but he returns to be a force in the playoffs. Other wingmen step up to help reduce the impact of his loss during the regular schedule.
The defense, intact for the past three seasons, continues to improve with experience as Tom Johnson joined Butch Bouchard and Doug Harvey among the league’s elite blue-liners and the hard-hitting Dollard St. Laurent establishes a reputation among opposing forwards as a man to be avoided
Gerry McNeil posts a more than respectable, 2.15 goals-against average, seeing action in 53 games, his lightest workload since taking over from Bill Durnan. Jacques Plante gets the call 17 times, and answers with a 1.59 goals-against average and earning the team’s confidence going into the postseason.
THE PLAYOFFS
With Plante between the pipes and a healthy Moore back in harness, fourth-place Boston is unable to match the Canadiens as the Habs sweep the series, shutting the Bruins out 2-0 in the opener and drubbing them 8-1 in the second game.
Montreal takes the third game 4-3 before ending the series as they’d started it, with a 2-0 blanking of the Bruins, earning them the right to defend their Stanley Cup crown against Detroit.
The teams trade 3-1 wins in the opening games at The Olympia. When the series moves to Montreal, Detroit seizes the initiative, beating the Canadiens 5-2 in front of the Forum faithful. Two nights late,r a 2-0 victory gives the Red Wings a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.
As he had the year before, coach Dick Irvin switches his goaltenders, turning to the veteran McNeil to go the rest of the way. The teams play almost 66 minutes of scoreless hockey before Mosdell lights the lamp, setting the stage for a sixth game.
Paced by a pair of goals by veteran grinder, Floyd Curry, Montreal wins 4-1, sending the series to Detroit for a final showdown. Once again, it’s a goaltenders battle through regulation, with the teams tied at a goal apiece as time winds down.
Four and a half minutes into overtime, Tony Leswick’s soft shot bounces off Doug Harvey’s glove and into the Montreal net.
While the big prize may have escaped their grasp, the youthful trio of Moore, Geoffrion and Beliveau finish atop the playoff scoring ladder providing a sign that things are on the upswing for the franchise.
| Semi-finals - Boston Bruins | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| March 23rd, 1954 | BOS 0 | MTL 2 | ||
| March 25th, 1954 | BOS 1 | MTL 8 | ||
| March 28th, 1954 | MTL 4 | BOS 3 | ||
| March 30th, 1954 | MTL 2 | BOS 0 | ||
| Canadiens won best-of-seven series 4-0 | ||||
| Stanley Cup Finals - Detroit Red Wings | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| April 4th, 1954 | MTL 1 | DET 3 | ||
| April 6th, 1954 | MTL 3 | DET 1 | ||
| April 8th, 1954 | DET 5 | MTL 2 | ||
| April 10th, 1954 | DET 2 | MTL 0 | ||
| April 11th, 1954 | MTL 1 | DET 0 | ||
| April 13th, 1954 | DET 1 | MTL 4 | ||
| April 16th, 1954 | MTL 1 | DET 2 | ||
| Detroit won best-of-seven series 4-3 | ||||
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