Stanley Cup playoffs 1968

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Stanley Cup playoffs 1968
Period April 4, 1968 to May 11, 1968
Stanley Cup winner Canadiens de Montréal (15th title)
finalist St. Louis Blues
Playoff MVP CanadaCanada Glenn Hall (St. Louis)
Top scorer CanadaCanada Bill Goldsworthy (Minnesota)
Gates 224 (5.6 per game)
Events
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The playoffs for the Stanley Cup of 1968 began on April 4, 1968 and ended on May 11, 1968 with the 4-0 victory of the Canadiens de Montréal over the St. Louis Blues . The Canadiens won their 15th title in franchise history and also third in the last four years. The St. Louis Blues presented in person by goalkeeper Glenn Hall , however, the one with the Conn Smythe Trophy winning Most Valuable Player , who thus becomes the second player after Roger Crozier ( 1966) who received this honor even though his team lost in the final. Meanwhile, Bill Goldsworthy of the Minnesota North Stars led the scorer list, although they had already failed in the semifinals.

These were the first playoffs after the league's expansion from six to twelve teams at the beginning of the 1967/68 season, so that a new mode was established in which eight instead of four teams qualified for the post-season . One of the six new teams was guaranteed entry into the finals, as they played a winner within their division who then competed in the final against the best representative of the Original Six . As a result, the St. Louis Blues were swept in the Stanley Cup finals in the following two years before the mode was adjusted in the 1971 playoffs .

In addition, a reigning Stanley Cup winner missed the following playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the fourth time in NHL history. The last time this happened to the Maple Leafs themselves was in 1946. In addition, the Boston Bruins qualified for the first time since 1959, so that the longest negative series of eight seasons ended without a playoff participation at that time.

mode

The four best teams from the Eastern and Western divisions qualified for the playoffs . In the quarter-finals, the first and third as well as the second and fourth on the seeding list faced each other within each division. The semifinals were then also played within the divisions, so that the two division winners contested the subsequent Stanley Cup final.

All series were held in best-of-seven mode , which means that a team needed four wins to advance. The higher seeded team had home rights in the first two games, the next two the opposing team. If no winner has emerged from the round by then, the home law changed from game to game. The higher-ranked team had a home advantage in games 1, 2, 5 and 7, i.e. four of the maximum seven games. This usual mode was deviated from in this final, so this year the lower-ranked team had home rights first.

Overtime followed for games that remained tied after 60 minutes of regular playing time . It ended with the first goal scored ( Sudden Death ) .

Qualified teams

Eastern Division
Western Division

Playoff tree

  Quarter finals Semifinals Stanley Cup Final
                           
  E1 Canadiens de Montréal 4th        
E3 Boston Bruins 0  
E1 Canadiens de Montréal 4th
  E4 Chicago Black Hawks 1  
E2 New York Rangers 2
E4 Chicago Black Hawks 4th  
E1 Canadiens de Montréal 4th
  W3 St. Louis Blues 0
W1 Philadelphia Flyers 3    
W3 St. Louis Blues 4th  
W3 St. Louis Blues 4th
  W4 Minnesota North Stars 3  
W2 Los Angeles Kings 3
  W4 Minnesota North Stars 4th  

Quarter finals

(E1) Canadiens de Montréal - (E3) Boston Bruins

0Apr 4, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Henri Richard (14:08)
Claude Provost (54:40)
2: 1
(1: 1, 0: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 1: 0
Boston Bruins
Ken Hodge (4:00)
Forum de Montréal , Montréal , Québec
0Apr 6, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Jacques Lemaire (9:33)
Jacques Laperrière (24:15)
Jacques Lemaire (29:24)
Dick Duff (50:24)
Jean Béliveau (57:34)
5: 3
(1: 1, 2: 1, 2: 1)
Match report
as of: 2: 0
Boston Bruins
Ken Hodge (13:58)
Ted Green (33:06)
John McKenzie (50:47)
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
0Apr 9, 1968 Boston Bruins
Ed Westfall (5:15)
Tommy Williams (39:55)
2: 5
(1: 1, 1: 3, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 0: 3
Canadiens de Montréal
Jean Béliveau (15:35)
Claude Provost (27:39)
Ralph Backstrom (28:41)
John Ferguson (38:23)
Dick Duff (48:23)
Boston Garden , Boston , Massachusetts
Apr 11, 1968 Boston Bruins
Ed Westfall (20:49)
Ken Hodge (58:34)
2: 3
(0: 0, 1: 1, 1: 2)
Match report
as of: 0: 4
Canadiens de Montréal
Claude Larose (32:58)
Claude Larose (47:20)
Ralph Backstrom (56:33)
Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Spectators: 14,398

(E2) New York Rangers - (E4) Chicago Black Hawks

0Apr 4, 1968 New York Rangers
Orland Kurtenbach (11:22)
Harry Howell (27:34)
Rod Gilbert (41:36)
3: 1
(1: 0, 1: 0, 1: 1)
Match report
as of: 1: 0
Chicago Black Hawks
Pierre Pilote (52:27)
Madison Square Garden , New York City , New York
Spectators: 17,250
0Apr 9, 1968 New York Rangers
Rod Gilbert (15:57)
Don Marshall (52:40)
2: 1
(1: 0, 0: 1, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 2: 0
Chicago Black Hawks
Bobby Hull (30:12)
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Apr 11, 1968 Chicago Black Hawks
Pit Martin (11:35)
Stan Mikita (28:48)
Pit Martin (42:36)
Stan Mikita (45:25)
Dennis Hull (48:59)
Doug Mohns (58:19)
Gilles Marotte (59: 42)
7: 4
(1: 1, 1: 2, 5: 1)
Match report
as of: 1: 2
New York Rangers
Vic Hadfield (16:47)
Rod Gilbert (29:32)
Rod Gilbert (29:38)
Rod Seiling (53:22)
Chicago Stadium , Chicago , Illinois
Spectators: 16,000
Apr 13, 1968 Chicago Black Hawks
Kenny Wharram (15:33)
Gilles Marotte (23:33)
Chico Maki (48:24)
3: 1
(1: 1, 1: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 2: 2
New York Rangers
Ron Stewart (17:20)
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Spectators: 16,000
Apr 14, 1968 New York Rangers
Don Marshall (5:20)
1: 2
(1: 1, 0: 0, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 2: 3
Chicago Black Hawks
Bobby Hull (16:14)
Bobby Schmautz (56:46)
Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Spectators: 17,250
Apr 16, 1968 Chicago Black Hawks
Doug Jarrett (5:50)
Chico Maki (39:25)
Pit Martin (42:39)
Stan Mikita (56:35)
4: 1
(1: 0, 1: 1, 2: 0)
Match report
as of: 4: 2
New York Rangers
Rod Gilbert (23:15)
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Spectators: 16,666

(W1) Philadelphia Flyers - (W3) St. Louis Blues

0Apr 4, 1968 Philadelphia Flyers
0: 1
(0: 0, 0: 0, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 0: 1
St. Louis Blues
Jim Roberts (54:13)
The Spectrum , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
Spectators: 10,469
0Apr 6, 1968 Philadelphia Flyers
Pat Hannigan (1:32)
Don Blackburn (18:37)
Claude LaForge (19:10)
Léon Rochefort (46:51)
4: 3
(3: 1, 0: 2, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 1: 1
St. Louis Blues
Dickie Moore (7:11)
Don McKenney (24:22)
Larry Keenan (25:46)
The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Spectators: 11,111
Apr 10, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Terry Crisp (22:54)
Frank St. Marseille (47:38)
Larry Keenan (84:10)
3: 2 n.V.
(0: 0, 1: 1, 1: 1, 0: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
: 2: 1
Philadelphia Flyers
Jean Gauthier (37:35)
Joe Watson (53:54)
St. Louis Arena , St. Louis , Missouri
Spectators: 10,867
Apr 11, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Bill McCreary (6:52)
Gordon Berenson (13:29)
Dickie Moore (36:55)
Gordon Berenson (40:49)
Barclay Plager (56:05)
5: 2
(2: 1, 1: 0, 2: 1)
Match report
as of: 3: 1
Philadelphia Flyers
André Lacroix (2:26)
Don Blackburn (54:04)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Spectators: 11,072
Apr 13, 1968 Philadelphia Flyers
Léon Rochefort (9:01)
Rosaire Paiement (13:18)
Forbes Kennedy (15:52)
Brit Selby (37:00)
Rosaire Paiement (50:27)
Rosaire Paiement (53:26)
6: 1
(3: 0, 1: 0, 2: 1)
Match report
as of: 2: 3
St. Louis Blues
Gerry Melnyk (51:05)
The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Spectators: 10,587
Apr 16, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Gerry Melnyk (18:06)
1: 2 n.V.
(1: 0, 0: 0, 0: 1, 0: 0, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 3: 3
Philadelphia Flyers
André Lacroix (59:45)
Don Blackburn (91:18)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Spectators: 13,738
Apr 18, 1968 Philadelphia Flyers
Bill Sutherland (18:25)
1: 3
(1: 1, 0: 1, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 3: 4
St. Louis Blues
Frank St. Marseille (7:38)
Larry Keenan (30:45)
Gordon Berenson (56:10)
The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Spectators: 14,646

(W2) Los Angeles Kings - (W4) Minnesota North Stars

0Apr 4, 1968 Los Angeles Kings
Eddie Joyal (39:55)
Bill White (54:46)
2: 1
(0: 0, 1: 0, 1: 1)
Match report
as of: 1: 0
Minnesota North Stars
Dave Balon (43:54)
The Forum , Inglewood , California
Spectators: 6,847
0Apr 6, 1968 Los Angeles Kings
Lowell MacDonald (8:45)
Eddie Joyal (38:12)
2: 0
(1: 0, 1: 0, 0: 0)
Match report
as of: 2: 0
Minnesota North Stars
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Spectators: 8,144
0Apr 9, 1968 Minnesota North Stars
Bill Collins (5:51)
Ray Cullen (15:48)
Mike McMahon (17:34)
Parker MacDonald (21:25)
Wayne Connelly (36:56)
Bill Collins (40:09)
André Boudrias (57: 50)
7: 5
(3: 3, 2: 0, 2: 2)
Match report
as of: 1: 2
Los Angeles Kings
Lowell MacDonald (12:44)
Lowell MacDonald (13:56)
Howie Hughes (15:19)
Ted Irvine (43:23)
Doug Robinson (44:15)
Metropolitan Sports Center , Bloomington , Minnesota
Spectators: 6,797
Apr 11, 1968 Minnesota North Stars
Ray Cullen (11:30)
Mike McMahon (26:31)
Dave Balon (29:27)
3: 2
(1: 2, 2: 0, 0: 0)
Match report
as of: 2: 2
Los Angeles Kings
Bill Flett (3:37)
Bill White (4:45)
Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota
Spectators: 8,843
Apr 13, 1968 Los Angeles Kings
Gord Labossiere (2:14)
Gord Labossiere (2:29)
Eddie Joyal (32:23)
3: 2
(2: 0, 1: 0, 0: 2)
Match report
as of: 3: 2
Minnesota North Stars
Wayne Connelly (47:15)
Wayne Connelly (54:55)
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Spectators: 10,685
Apr 16, 1968 Minnesota North Stars
Mike McMahon (8:05)
Bill Goldsworthy (47:23)
Bob McCord (56:39)
Milan Marcetta (69:11)
4: 3 n.V.
(1: 1, 0: 2, 2: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 3: 3
Los Angeles Kings
Doug Robinson (11:12)
Réal Lemieux (21:37)
Howie Hughes (24:20)
Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota
Spectators: 8,308
Apr 18, 1968 Los Angeles Kings
Doug Robinson (2:51)
Eddie Joyal (25:12)
Poul Popiel (36:45)
Doug Robinson (59:36)
4: 9
(1: 3, 2: 5, 1: 1)
Match report
as of: 3: 4
Minnesota North Stars
Parker MacDonald (2:24)
Wayne Connelly (8:05)
Bill Goldsworthy (16:25)
Milan Marcetta (28:45)
Parker MacDonald (31:58)
Milan Marcetta (32:49)
Dave Balon (35: 58)
André Boudrias (36:12)
Bill Goldsworthy (49:07)
The Forum, Inglewood, California
Spectators: 11,214

Semifinals

(E1) Canadiens de Montréal - (E4) Chicago Black Hawks

Apr 18, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Ralph Backstrom (6:37)
Yvan Cournoyer (7:31)
John Ferguson (9:24)
Yvan Cournoyer (35:26)
John Ferguson (40:10)
Gilles Tremblay (41:28)
Jacques Lemaire (47: 08)
Jean Béliveau (56:03)
Claude Larose (57:50)
9: 2
(3: 0, 1: 0, 5: 2)
Match report
as of: 1: 0
Chicago Black Hawks
Doug Jarrett (50:20)
Gilles Marotte (51:26)
Forum de Montréal , Montréal , Québec
Apr 20, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Jean Béliveau (10:58)
Jean Béliveau (30:04)
Jacques Lemaire (35:41)
Jean Béliveau (37:57)
4: 1
(1: 1, 3: 0, 0: 0)
Match report
as of: 2: 0
Chicago Black Hawks
Stan Mikita (5:03)
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Spectators: 15,114
Apr 23, 1968 Chicago Black Hawks
Doug Jarrett (15:25)
Doug Jarrett (30:35)
2: 4
(1: 1, 1: 3, 0: 0)
Match report
as of: 0: 3
Canadiens de Montréal
Jean Béliveau (0:39)
Yvan Cournoyer (22:39)
Yvan Cournoyer (26:11)
JC Tremblay (32:05)
Chicago Stadium , Chicago , Illinois
Spectators: 16,666
Apr 25, 1968 Chicago Black Hawks
Bobby Hull (8:57)
Bobby Hull (26:50)
2: 1
(1: 0, 1: 1, 0: 0)
Match report
as of: 1: 3
Canadiens de Montréal
Henri Richard (23:37)
Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
Apr 28, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Bobby Rousseau (8:10)
JC Tremblay (31:15)
Jacques Lemaire (46:38)
Jacques Lemaire (62:14)
4: 3 n.V.
(1: 0, 1: 1, 1: 2, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 4: 1
Chicago Black Hawks
Bobby Schmautz (29:59)
Stan Mikita (41:23)
Wayne Maki (48:14)
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Spectators: 15,436

(W3) St. Louis Blues - (W4) Minnesota North Stars

Apr 21, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Tim Ecclestone (14:27)
Frank St. Marseille (29:31)
Dickie Moore (30:05)
Bill McCreary (32:36)
Larry Keenan (54:08)
5: 3
(1: 1, 3: 2, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 1: 0
Minnesota North Stars
Milan Marcetta (7:49)
Wayne Connelly (20:49)
Wayne Connelly (35:41)
St. Louis Arena , St. Louis , Missouri
Spectators: 11,117
Apr 22, 1968 Minnesota North Stars
Milan Marcetta (42:12)
Bill Goldsworthy (47:00)
Parker MacDonald (63:41)
3: 2 n.V.
(0: 1, 0: 0, 2: 1, 1: 0)
Match report
as of 1: 1
St. Louis Blues
Jim Roberts (12:28)
Frank St. Marseille (44:58)
Metropolitan Sports Center , Bloomington , Minnesota
Spectators: 9,776
Apr 25, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Dickie Moore (24:53)
1: 5
(0: 3, 1: 1, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 1: 2
Minnesota North Stars
Milan Marcetta (9:38)
Bill Goldsworthy (13:00)
Jean-Paul Parisé (19:01)
Bill Goldsworthy (36:33)
Dave Balon (40:09)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Apr. 27, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Jim Roberts (51:57)
Dickie Moore (52:57)
Jim Roberts (59:49)
Gary Sabourin (61:32)
4: 3 n.V.
(0: 2, 0: 1, 3: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 2: 2
Minnesota North Stars
Walt McKechnie (4:42)
Jean-Paul Parisé (14:40)
Wayne Connelly (39:37)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Spectators: 12,991
Apr 29, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Bob Plager (1:53)
Gary Sabourin (10:44)
Bill McCreary (77:27)
3: 2 n.V.
(2: 1, 0: 1, 0: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 3: 2
Minnesota North Stars
Walt McKechnie (5:39)
Bob McCord (26:31)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Spectators: 11,931
0May 1, 1968 Minnesota North Stars
Wayne Connelly (5:28)
André Boudrias (10:54)
Bill Goldsworthy (26:34)
Bill Goldsworthy (37:16)
Milan Marcetta (49:52)
5: 1
(2: 0, 2: 1, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 3: 3
St. Louis Blues
Gary Sabourin (33:53)
Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, Minnesota
Spectators: 15,172
0May 3, 1968 St. Louis Blues
Dickie Moore (57:20)
Ron Schock (82:50)
2: 1 n.V.
(0: 0, 0: 0, 1: 1, 0: 0, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 4: 3
Minnesota North Stars
Walt McKechnie (56:49)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Spectators: 15,566

Stanley Cup Final

(E1) Canadiens de Montréal - (W3) St. Louis Blues

05th May 1968 St. Louis Blues
Barclay Plager (9:19)
Dickie Moore (28:16)
2: 3 n.V.
(1: 1, 1: 1, 0: 0, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 0: 1
Canadiens de Montréal
Henri Richard (9:42)
Yvan Cournoyer (38:14)
Jacques Lemaire (61:41)
St. Louis Arena , St. Louis , Missouri
Spectators: 10,231
0May 7, 1968 St. Louis Blues
0: 1
(0: 0, 0: 0, 0: 1)
Match report
as of: 0: 2
Canadiens de Montréal
Serge Savard (42:17)
St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Spectators: 16,177
0May 9, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Yvan Cournoyer (14:24)
Serge Savard (21:23)
Ralph Backstrom (51:43)
Bobby Rousseau (61:13)
4: 3 n.V.
(1: 1, 1: 1, 1: 1, 1: 0)
Match report
as of: 3: 0
St. Louis Blues
Frank St. Marseille (10:22)
Gordon Berenson (23:37)
Gordon Berenson (57:25)
Forum de Montréal , Montréal , Québec
Spectators: 14,559
May 11, 1968 Canadiens de Montréal
Dick Duff (16:47)
Henri Richard (47:24)
JC Tremblay (51:40)
3: 2
(1: 0, 0: 2, 2: 0)
Match report
as of: 4: 0
St. Louis Blues
Craig Cameron (26:53)
Gary Sabourin (27:50)
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec
Spectators: 15,506

Stanley Cup winner

Stanley Cup winner Canadiens de Montréal
Montréal Canadiens logo

Goalkeepers: Rogatien Vachon , Ernie Wakely , Gump Worsley

Defenders: Terry Harper , Ted Harris , Jacques Laperrière , Serge Savard , JC Tremblay , Carol Vadnais

Attackers: Ralph Backstrom , Jean Béliveau  ( C ), Yvan Cournoyer , Dick Duff , John Ferguson , Danny Grant , Claude Larose , Jacques Lemaire , Claude Provost , Henri Richard , Mickey Redmond , Bobby Rousseau , Gilles Tremblay

Head Coach: Toe Blake   General Manager: Sam Pollock

Best scorer

Abbreviations: GP = games, G = goals, A = assists , Pts = points, +/− = plus / minus , PIM = penalty minutes; Fat: best value

player team GP G A. Pts +/- PIM
Bill Goldsworthy Minnesota 14th 8th 7th 15th +2 12
Milan Marcetta Minnesota 14th 7th 7th 14th ± 0 4th
Dickie Moore St. Louis 18th 7th 7th 14th -1 15th
Yvan Cournoyer Montréal 13 6th 8th 14th +5 4th
Jacques Lemaire Montréal 13 7th 6th 13 +5 8th
Frank St. Marseille St. Louis 18th 5 8th 13 +2 0
Dave Balon Minnesota 14th 4th 9 13 +4 14th
Stan Mikita Chicago 11 5 7th 12 -2 6th
Wayne Connelly Minnesota 14th 8th 3 11 -1 2
Jean Béliveau Montréal 10 7th 4th 11 +4 6th

The best plus / minus statistic was achieved by JC Tremblay from the Canadiens de Montréal with a value of +14.

Best goalkeeper

The combined table shows the three best goalkeepers in the categories conceded goals and catch quota as well as the leaders in the categories shutouts and wins.

Abbreviations: GP = games, Min = ice age (in minutes), W = wins, L = defeats, GA = goals conceded, SO = shutouts , Sv% = saved shots (in%), GAA = goals against goals against; Fat: best value; Sorted by goal conceded.
Only goalkeepers who have played 180 minutes of play are recorded.

player team GP Min W. L. GA SO Sv% ATM
Bernie Parent Philadelphia 5 353: 33 2 3 8th 0 96.2 1.35
Gump Worsley Montréal 12 671: 48 11 0 21st 1 93.0 1.87
Glenn Hall St. Louis 18th 1108: 12 8th 10 45 1 91.6 2.43
Cesare Maniago Minnesota 14th 893: 21 7th 7th 39 0 91.8 2.61
Terry Sawchuk los Angeles 5 279: 44 2 2 18th 1 87.1 3.86

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