NHL 1978/79

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NHL 1978/79
league NHL Logo 2005.svg National Hockey League
Period October 11, 1978 to May 21, 1979
Teams 17th
Games / team 80
Draft
Event 1978 NHL Amateur Draft
Top pick CanadaCanada Bobby Smith
Elected by Minnesota North Stars
Regular season
winner New York Islanders
MVP CanadaCanada Bryan Trottier (NY Islanders)
Top scorer CanadaCanada Bryan Trottier (NY Islanders)
Playoffs
Stanley Cup winner Canadiens de Montréal
finalist New York Rangers
Playoff MVP CanadaCanada Bob Gainey (Montréal)
NHL seasons
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The 1978/79 NHL season was the 62nd season in the National Hockey League . 17 teams played 80 games each. The Montréal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in a row after beating the New York Rangers 4-1 in the final series. Boston's coach, the charismatic Don Cherry , also helped . In the semifinals, Boston led 4: 3 in Game 7 and there were still 2:34 to play when a mistake or the subsequent power play brought the Bruins out of the final and Cherry out of his job. After his sixth knee operation, Bobby Orr had tried again, but on November 8th it was all over for Orr.

In the shadow of the NHL, the WHA struggled to survive, but it would be the final season of the competitive league. But a 17-year-old caused a stir there. Wayne Gretzky started his first season as a professional in Indianapolis . Because of substance abuse, the NHL banned Don Murdoch from the Rangers for the entire season, but pardoned him after 40 games.

Regular season

Closing tables

Abbreviations: W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws, GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded, Pts = points

Wales Conference

Adams Division W. L. T GF GA Pts
Boston Bruins 43 23 14th 316 270 100
Buffalo Sabers 36 28 16 280 263 88
Toronto Maple Leafs 34 33 13 267 252 81
Minnesota North Stars 28 40 12 257 289 68
Norris Division W. L. T GF GA Pts
Montréal Canadiens 52 17th 11 337 204 115
Pittsburgh Penguins 36 31 13 281 279 85
Los Angeles Kings 34 34 12 292 286 80
Washington Capitals 24 41 15th 273 338 63
Detroit Red Wings 23 41 16 252 295 62

Campbell Conference

Patrick Division W. L. T GF GA Pts
New York Islanders 51 15th 14th 358 214 116
Philadelphia Flyers 40 25th 15th 281 248 95
New York Rangers 40 29 11 316 292 91
Atlanta Flames 41 31 8th 327 280 90
Smythe Division W. L. T GF GA Pts
Chicago Blackhawks 29 36 15th 244 277 73
Vancouver Canucks 25th 42 13 217 291 63
St. Louis Blues 18th 50 12 249 348 48
Colorado Rockies 15th 53 12 210 331 42

Best scorer

Abbreviations: GP = games, G = goals, A = assists , Pts = points

player team GP G A. Pts
Bryan Trottier NY Islanders 76 47 87 134
Marcel Dionne los Angeles 80 59 71 130
Guy Lafleur Montreal 80 52 77 129
Mike Bossy NY Islanders 80 69 57 126
Bob MacMillan Atlanta 79 37 71 108
Guy Chouinard Atlanta 80 50 57 107
Denis Potvin NY Islanders 73 31 70 101
Bernie Federko St. Louis 74 31 64 95
Dave Taylor los Angeles 78 43 48 91
Clark Gillies NY Islanders 75 35 56 91

Stanley Cup playoffs

  Preliminary round Quarter finals Semifinals Stanley Cup Final
                                 
1 New York Islanders              
  bye
1 New York Islanders 4th
 
11 Chicago Black Hawks 0
2 Canadiens de Montréal
 
  bye
1 New York Islanders 2
5 New York Rangers 4th  
3 Boston Bruins    
 
  bye
2 Canadiens de Montréal 4th
 
9 Toronto Maple Leafs 0
4th Philadelphia Flyers 2
 
12 Vancouver Canucks 1
2 Canadiens de Montréal 4th
(The teams were reset after the first and second round.)
  5 New York Rangers 1
5 New York Rangers 2        
 
10 Los Angeles Kings 0
3 Boston Bruins 4th
 
8th Pittsburgh Penguins 0
6th Atlanta Flames 0
 
9 Toronto Maple Leafs 2
2 Canadiens de Montréal 4th
3 Boston Bruins 3  
7th Buffalo Sabers 1    
 
8th Pittsburgh Penguins 2
4th Philadelphia Flyers 1
 
5 New York Rangers 4th
11 Chicago Black Hawks
 
  bye

NHL awards

Art Ross Trophy : Bryan Trottier , New York Islanders
Hart Memorial Trophy : Bryan Trottier , New York Islanders
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy : Bob MacMillan , Atlanta Flames
Vezina Trophy : Ken Dryden and Michel Larocque , Montréal Canadiens
Calder Memorial Trophy : Bobby Smith , Minnesota North Stars
James Norris Memorial Trophy : Denis Potvin , New York Islanders
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy : Serge Savard , Montréal Canadiens
Lester Patrick Trophy : Bobby Orr
Lester B. Pearson Award : Marcel Dionne , Los Angeles Kings
NHL Plus / Minus Award : Bryan Trottier , New York Islanders
Jack Adams Award : Al Arbor , New York Islanders
Frank J. Selke Trophy : Bob Gainey , Montreal Canadiens

See also

Web links