| 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
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 70 | 41 | 19 | 10 | 92 | 254 | 188 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 70 | 39 | 19 | 12 | 90 | 234 | 176 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 70 | 29 | 24 | 17 | 75 | 198 | 180 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 70 | 25 | 29 | 16 | 66 | 195 | 215 |
| New York Rangers | 70 | 22 | 38 | 10 | 54 | 204 | 248 |
| Boston Bruins | 70 | 15 | 42 | 13 | 43 | 176 | 254 |
| # | 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
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Bernard Geoffrion | 64 | 50 | 45 | 95 |
| 4 | Jean Béliveau | 69 | 32 | 58 | 90 |
| 12 | Dickie Moore | 57 | 35 | 34 | 69 |
| 16 | Henri Richard | 70 | 24 | 44 | 68 |
| 18 | Marcel Bonin | 65 | 16 | 35 | 51 |
| # | #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 | Jacques Plante | 40 | 23-11-6 | 2 | 2.80 |
| DATE | AWAY | HOME |
|---|
THE REGULAR SEASON
A strong team studded with future Hall of Famers the Montreal Canadiens chose Doug Harvey to replace Maurice Richard as captain but the big story in 1959-60 was Bernard Geoffrion’s run at both the Art Ross Trophy and the NHL’s single season scoring record, one that saw him also take home the Hart Trophy as league MVP.
After a season-long chase, Boom Boom finally managed to tie Richard’s mark with two games remaining on the schedule but was unable to pass him. The season ended with Geoffrion capturing the scoring title with 95 points and becoming the second NHLer to score 50 in a season.
Jean Beliveau finished second in the NHL scoring race his 90 points including a new NHL-record 58 assists. Both he and Geoffrion were named to the first all-Star team at season’s end. Dickie Moore’s 35-goal season earned him a second team mention alongside Henri Richard.
The top scoring team in the league for the eighth year running, Montreal fell to third place when it came to number of goals allowed. Goaltender Charlie Hodge took over the crease when Plante fell to a knee injury, playing 30 games and leading the NHL with a 2.47 goals against average.
Second year man, Bill Hicke, scored 18 from his position on right wing, one short of the number his predecessor, Maurice Richard, put into the book the year before.
Jean-Claude Tremblay, a smart, stylish defenceman who policed his zone effectively with remarkably little physical contact, spent 29 games with the big club, showing he was ready to make the jump to the NHL.
When the regular season ended, the Canadiens were once again sitting on top of the pile, two points above a much-improved Toronto Maple Leafs squad.
THE PLAYOFFS
The Canadiens’ opponents in the semi-finals were the Chicago Blackhawks. No longer the league’s doormats, their line-up featured a number of veterans but their success lay in the youngsters who had joined the team in recent years, most notably Pierre Pilote, Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita.
Backstopped by Glenn Hall, one of the NHL’s top goaltenders, the Hawks’ regular season third-place finish was not a reflection of their true potential, as Montreal and their fans would learn over the next six games.
After taking the first game by a decisive 6-2 score, Montreal then disappointed Forum fans when they dropped the next game, 4-3 before travelling to Chicago where they split the next two, the Hawks taking game three in overtime before the Habs evened things up with a 5-2 win.
That would be the end of the scoring for the 1960-61 Montreal Canadiens, who were shut out in the next two games and got to watch the Stanley Cup finals on television for the first time.
| Semi-finals - Chicago Blackhawks | ||||
| Date | AWAY | HOME | ||
| March 21st, 1961 | CHI 2 | MTL 6 | ||
| March 23rd, 1961 | CHI 4 | MTL 3 | ||
| March 26th, 1961 | MTL 1 | CHI 2 | ||
| March 28th, 1961 | MTL 5 | CHI 2 | ||
| April 1st, 1961 | CHI 3 | MTL 0 | ||
| April 4th, 1961 | MTL 0 | CHI 3 | ||
| Chicago won best-of-seven series 4-2 | ||||
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