1978-79 NHL season

The 1978-79 NHL season was the 62nd season of the National Hockey League. The 17 teams of the league played an 80 game season.

The Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals four games to one for their fourth Cup in a row.

League Business

This season saw the first reduction in the total number of teams since the Brooklyn Americans folded following the 1941-42 season. The financially unstable Cleveland Barons were merged with the also struggling Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars), reducing the number of teams to seventeen, with the North Stars assuming the Barons' place in the Adams Division.

This reduction would only be temporary, however, as the World Hockey Association would fold following this season and four of its teams, the Edmonton Oilers, Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers, would be admitted to the NHL as expansion franchises for the 1979-80 season.

For the first time since the NHL All-Star Game became an annual tradition, it was not played. In its stead was the 1979 Challenge Cup, which saw Soviet Union players come over to North America to play against NHL players. The Soviets won the series two games to one.

Regular Season

For the past three seasons, the Montreal Canadiens had dominated the regular season, but times were changing. The New York Islanders had been steadily improving over the past few seasons and this season saw them beat out the Canadiens by one point for the best record in the league.

Final Standings

Prince of Wales Conference

Adams Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
Boston Bruins	80	43	23	14	316	270	100
Buffalo Sabres	80	36	28	16	280	263	88
Toronto Maple Leafs	80	34	33	13	267	252	81
Minnesota North Stars	80	28	40	12	257	289	68

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Norris Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
Montreal Canadiens	80	52	17	11	337	204	115
Pittsburgh Penguins	80	36	31	13	281	279	85
Los Angeles Kings	80	34	34	12	292	286	80
Washington Capitals	80	24	41	15	273	338	63
Detroit Red Wings	80	23	41	16	252	295	62

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Clarence Campbell Conference

Patrick Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
New York Islanders	80	51	15	14	358	214	116
Philadelphia Flyers	80	40	25	15	281	248	95
New York Rangers	80	40	29	11	316	292	91
Atlanta Flames	80	41	31	8	327	280	90

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Smythe Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	PTS
Chicago Black Hawks	80	29	36	15	244	277	73
Vancouver Canucks	80	25	42	13	217	291	63
St. Louis Blues	80	18	50	12	249	348	48
Colorado Rockies	80	15	53	12	210	331	42

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Scoring Leaders

GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes

Player	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Bryan Trottier	New York Islanders	76	47	87	134	50
Marcel Dionne	Los Angeles Kings	80	59	71	130	30
Guy Lafleur	Montreal Canadiens	80	52	77	129	28
Mike Bossy	New York Islanders	80	69	57	126	25
Bob MacMillan	Atlanta Flames	79	37	71	108	14
Guy Chouinard	Atlanta Flames	80	50	57	107	14
Denis Potvin	New York Islanders	73	31	70	101	58
Bernie Federko	St. Louis Blues	74	31	64	95	14
Dave Taylor	Los Angeles Kings	78	43	48	91	124
Clark Gillies	New York Islanders	75	35	56	91	68

Leading Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; Min - Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts

Player	Team	GP	MIN	GA	GAA	W	L	T	SO
Ken Dryden	Montreal Canadiens	47	2814	108	2.30	30	10	7	5
Chico Resch	N.Y. Islanders	43	2539	106	2.50	26	7	10	2
Bernie Parent	Philadelphia Flyers	36	1979	89	2.70	16	12	7	4
Michel Larocque	Montreal Canadiens	34	1986	94	2.84	22	7	4	3
Billy Smith	N.Y. Islanders	40	2261	108	2.87	25	8	4	1
Mike Palmateer	Toronto Maple Leafs	58	3396	167	2.95	26	21	10	4
Don Edwards	Buffalo Sabres	54	3160	159	3.02	26	18	9	2
Mario Lessard	L.A. Kings	49	2860	148	3.10	23	15	10	4
Glen Hanlon	Vancouver Canucks	31	1821	94	3.10	12	13	5	3
Gerry Cheevers	Boston Bruins	43	2509	132	3.16	23	9	10	1

Stanley Cup Playoffs

All dates in 1979

Playoff Bracket

	Preliminary Round					Quarterfinals					Semifinals					Stanley Cup Finals
						1	NY Islanders	4
						8	Chicago	0
											1	NY Islanders	2
										4	NY Rangers	4
	1	Philadelphia	2
	8	Vancouver	1
						4	Philadelphia	1
						5	NY Rangers	4
	2	NY Rangers	2
	7	Los Angeles	0
																2	Montreal	4
																4	NY Rangers	1
						2	Montreal	4
						7	Toronto	0
	3	Atlanta	0
	6	Toronto	2
											2	Montreal	4
										3	Boston	3
						3	Boston	4
						6	Pittsburgh	0
	4	Buffalo	1
	5	Pittsburgh	2

• Division winners earned a bye to the Quarterfinals
• Teams were re-seeded based on regular season record after the Preliminary and Quarterfinal rounds

Preliminary Round

Vancouver Canucks vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 10	Vancouver	3	Philadelphia	2
April 12	Philadelphia	6	Vancouver	4
April 14	Vancouver	2	Philadelphia	7

Philadelphia wins best-of-three series 2 games to 1

Los Angeles Kings vs. New York Rangers

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 10	Los Angeles	1	New York	7
April 12	New York	2	Los Angeles	1	(OT)

NY Rangers win best-of-three series 2 games to 0

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Atlanta Flames

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 10	Toronto	2	Atlanta	1
April 12	Atlanta	4	Toronto	7

Toronto wins best-of-three series 2 games to 0

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 10	Pittsburgh	4	Buffalo	3
April 12	Buffalo	3	Pittsburgh	1
April 14	Pittsburgh	4	Buffalo	3	(OT)

Pittsburgh wins best-of-three series 2 games to 1

Quarter-finals

Chicago Black Hawks vs. New York Islanders

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 16	Chicago	2	New York	6
April 18	Chicago	0	New York	1	(OT)
April 20	New York	4	Chicago	0
April 22	New York	3	Chicago	1

NY Islanders win best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 16	Toronto	2	Montreal	5
April 18	Toronto	1	Montreal	5
April 21	Montreal	4	Toronto	3
April 22	Montreal	5	Toronto	4	(OT)

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 16	Pittsburgh	2	Boston	6
April 18	Pittsburgh	3	Boston	4
April 21	Boston	2	Pittsburgh	1
April 22	Boston	4	Pittsburgh	1

Boston wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 0

New York Rangers vs. Philadelphia Flyers

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 16	New York	2	Philadelphia	3	(OT)
April 18	New York	7	Philadelphia	1
April 20	Philadelphia	1	New York	5
April 22	Philadelphia	0	New York	6
April 24	New York	8	Philadelphia	3

NY Rangers win best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

Semi-finals

New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 26	Rangers	4	Islanders	1
April 28	Rangers	3	Islanders	4	(OT)
May 1	Islanders	1	Rangers	3
May 3	Islanders	3	Rangers	2	(OT)
May 5	Rangers	4	Islanders	3
May 8	Islanders	1	Rangers	2

NY Rangers win best-of-seven series 4 games to 2

Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

Game seven of the Montreal-Boston Semifinal is perhaps one of the most memorable in the history of the NHL. About a minute and a half after Boston's Rick Middleton scored with four minutes remaining in the third period to give the Bruins a 4-3 lead, linesman John D'Amico called a bench minor for too many men on the ice against the Bruins. Montreal's Guy Lafleur scored on the ensuing power play, sending the game to overtime where Yvon Lambert gave the Canadiens the win and a trip to their fourth straight Stanley Cup final.

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
April 26	Boston	2	Montreal	4
April 28	Boston	2	Montreal	5
May 1	Montreal	1	Boston	2
May 3	Montreal	3	Boston	4	(OT)
May 5	Boston	1	Montreal	5
May 8	Montreal	2	Boston	5
May 10	Boston	4	Montreal	5	(OT)

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 3

Finals

New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens

As of 2007. It was the last Stanley Cup Final where two Original Six teams met in a Stanley Cup Final.

Date	Away	Score	Home	Score	Notes
May 13	New York	4	Montreal	1
May 15	New York	2	Montreal	6
May 17	Montreal	4	New York	1
May 19	Montreal	4	New York	3	(OT)
May 21	New York	1	Montreal	4

Montreal wins best-of-seven series 4 games to 1

NHL Awards

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

All-Star Teams

First Team	Position	Second Team
Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens	G	Glenn Resch, New York Islanders
Denis Potvin, New York Islanders	D	Borje Salming, Toronto Maple Leafs
Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens	D	Serge Savard, Montreal Canadiens
Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders	C	Marcel Dionne, Los Angeles Kings
Guy Lafleur, Montreal Canadiens	RW	Mike Bossy, New York Islanders
Clark Gillies, New York Islanders	LW	Bill Barber, Philadelphia Flyers

Debuts

The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1978-79 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):

• Brad Marsh, Atlanta Flames
• Reggie Lemelin, Atlanta Flames
• Al Secord, Boston Bruins
• Bobby Smith, Minnesota North Stars
• Steve Payne, Minnesota North Stars
• Rod Langway, Montreal Canadiens
• John Tonelli, New York Islanders
• Anders Hedberg, New York Rangers
• Ulf Nilsson, New York Rangers
• Ken Linseman, Philadelphia Flyers
• Pete Peeters, Philadelphia Flyers
• Greg Millen, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Wayne Babych, St. Louis Blues
• Curt Fraser, Vancouver Canucks
• Thomas Gradin, Vancouver Canucks
• Stan Smyl, Vancouver Canucks
• Ryan Walter, Washington Capitals

Last Games

The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1978-79 (listed with their last team):

• Bobby Orr, Chicago Black Hawks
• Joe Watson, Colorado Rockies
• Danny Grant, Los Angeles Kings
• Jean-Paul Parise, Minnesota North Stars
• Jacques Lemaire, Montreal Canadiens
• Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadiens
• Yvan Cournoyer, Montreal Canadiens
• Ed Westfall, New York Islanders
• Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers
• Garry Monahan, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Pit Martin, Vancouver Canucks

See Also

• List of Stanley Cup champions
• 1978 NHL Amateur Draft
• 1979 Challenge Cup
• 1978-79 WHA season

References

• Hockey Database
• NHL.com