Montreal Canadiens win Stanley Cup
The 1957 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the defending champion Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins.
The Canadiens were making their seventh consecutive Final appearance, while Boston was making their first appearance since the 1953 Final, also against Montreal. The Canadiens would win the series 4–1, for their second-straight Cup victory.
Montreal defeated the New York Rangers 4–1 to reach the final. Boston defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4–1 to reach the final.
Rocket Richard scored four times in game one, including three in the second period to tie Ted Lindsay's record. Jacques Plante held the Bruins to just six goals in the five games, four of which were scored by Fleming Mackell.
Many did not expect Boston to defeat Detroit in the semi-finals. They did, however, and were matched up against the Montreal Canadiens in a battle for the Stanley Cup. Montreal, coming off a 4-1 series win against New York, defeated the Bruins by the same series score. Maurice Richard scored four goals in game four, tying Ted Lindsay's record for most goals in a Stanley Cup game. The Canadiens won their second straight Stanley Cup as netminder Jacques Plante allowed but five goals in five games in the finals.
Most observers predict a repeat of the previous season’s Final match up between Montreal and Detroit, but are forced to rethink things when third-place Boston wins the opening game in Detroit and then captured the series in five games.
As the Bruins upset the Wings, Montreal opens their postseason against New York. Playing the first two games at Madison Square Garden before coming home to the Forum for the next three, the Canadiens make sure they don’t have to leave home for a sixth game. After winning the opener, they drop the second game in overtime before ending things at home in Game 5.
Forum fans watch as their heroes take the opener 5-1 on the strength of Maurice Richard’s record-tying, four-goal night before shutting out the Bruins 1-0 two nights later, with Jean Beliveau the lone marksman. A 4-2 win in Boston Garden on the strength of two Geoffrion blasts puts the Bruins down 3-0 in the series.
Boston tries to turn the tables with a 2-0 shut out performance, as both Bruins goals come from Montreal native, Fleming Mackell. The Canadiens put five pucks behind Bruins goaltender Al Simmons in the fifth game and Plante allows only one to find the twine.
Seconds after the opening faceoff in the second period, Dickie Moore scores what proves to be the Stanley Cup-winning goal. It is a sign of things to come for the gritty, fearless forward, who would soon enjoy the best years of his career.
Repeat Stanley Cup Champions for the first time since 1931, the Canadiens take aim on becoming only the second NHL team to threepeat. They would accomplish that and more.
