Montreal Canadiens win Stanley Cup
The 1966 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the Detroit Red Wings and the defending champion Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to two to win the Stanley Cup for the seventh time in eleven years.
Montreal defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 to advance to the finals, and Detroit defeated the Chicago Black Hawks 4–2.
With this series, Toe Blake had coached the Canadiens to seven Cups in eleven years. Henri Richard, a member of all seven championship teams, would score the series winner in game six in overtime. Despite the Wings losing, their goalie Roger Crozier would win the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The Montreal Canadiens, fresh off a Stanley Cup celebration, went into the 1965-66 season with a strong team and desire to repeat, and finished the season in first place. They met the Toronto Maple Leafs in the semi-finals, and made short work of the Leafs, eliminating them in four straight games. Meanwhile, Detroit and Chicago met to decide who would challenge Montreal for the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings won the series four games to two, to enter the fray for the Stanley Cup. Detroit won the first two games of the final, with Roger Crozier at his acrobatic best in goal. But Montreal persevered to win the next four straight, and took the series four games to two to win their second straight Stanley Cup. Henri Richard scored the overtime Cup-winning goal in game six. Although his team lost the final, Detroit goaltender Roger Crozier posted a 2.17 goals-against average in 12 games and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy.
After posting a losing 5-7-2 record against Toronto during the regular season, the Canadiens face the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row.
For the second straight season, the Habs end the Leafs’ drive for the Cup, this time with a four-game sweep.
In the Stanley Cup Final, Toe Blake’s squad takes on the Detroit Red Wings.
The Canadiens struggle at the outset of the series and the Wings quickly take the lead by beating Montreal 3-2 and 5-3 to claim the first two games at the Forum.
After recovering with 4-2 and 2-1 wins at the Olympia in Detroit, the Canadiens put their opponents in a tight spot with a convincing 5-1 win in the fifth game in Montreal.
Unable to score since the start of the Final, Henri Richard ends the series in overtime in Game 6 by sliding with the puck into the back of Roger Crozier’s goal after losing his edge and falling, giving the team a 3-2 win. For a second consecutive year, Montreal ends the postseason with a Stanley Cup parade.
Defenseman Jean-Claude Tremblay leads the team in scoring with 11 points, including nine assists. Béliveau follows with 10 points and leads the team with five goals.
