Left to right: Serge Savard (18), Larry Robinson (19),
Yvan Cournoyer (12), Guy Lapointe (5), Jacques Lemaire (25).
This looks more like the Boston Garden than The Spectrum,
So it could be the 1977 or the 1978 clincher, instead of 1976.
May
16, 1976: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3 at The Spectrum, and clinch a 4-game sweep for the Stanley Cup, defeating the 2-time defending Champions. The slogan "Hat Trick in '76" did not come true for the "Broad Street Bullies."
Coached by Scotty Bowman, the Canadiens had gone 12-1 during the Playoffs. That remains the best postseason record since the 1967 expansion. (The 1960 Canadiens and the 1952 Detroit Red Wings went 8-0 -- in the Wings' case, the 8 wins needed inspiring the creation of the throwing of the 8-legged octopus onto the ice.)
The Canadiens had 9 Hall-of-Famers on their roster: Goaltender Ken Dryden; defensemen Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard and Larry Robinson; center Jacques Lemaire; left wings Steve Shutt and Bob Gainey; and right wings Yvan Cournoyer (their Captain) and the man who would go on to become the franchise's all-time leading scorer, Guy Lafleur. Arguably, they should be joined by centers Doug Risebrough and Doug Jarvis (who would eventually hold the NHL's record for consecutive games played, since broken).
They would make this the 1st of 4 straight Stanley Cups for Les Habitantes, and help the NHL move away from the era epitomized by the Flyers and Boston's "Big Bad Bruins" into one of style and flair, later exemplified in the 1980s by the Edmonton Oilers. In between those 2 dynasties, the New York Islanders would combine the formats.
*
May 16, 1976 was a Sunday. The World Hockey Association Playoffs were a little behind the NHL. The Houston Aeros, 2-time defending WHA Champions, beat the New England Whalers, 2-0 at The Summit in Houston, to reach the Finals for the 3rd straight season. But they were swept in 4 straight by the Winnipeg Jets. (The Summit is now the Central Campus of
televangelist Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church.)
The American Basketball Association title was won 3 days earlier, by the New York Nets over the Denver Nuggets, ending that league's competitive history. There were 2 games in the NBA Playoffs. The Boston Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 99-94 at the Boston Garden. And the Phoenix Suns beat the Golden State Warriors, 94-86 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
And these games were played in Major League Baseball:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 7-0 at Yankee Stadium. Ken Holtzman pitched a 5-hit shutout, while Dock Ellis couldn't get out of the 3rd inning. A month later, Holtzman went to the Yankees in a great trade in the short term, as Holtzman was key to the Yankees winning the 1976 Pennant and the 1977 World Series; but controversial in the long term, due to who they gave up.
Willie Randolph got 2 of the Yankees' 5 hits. Reggie Jackson, in his only season with the Orioles, went 0-for-2 before leaving the game with a minor injury. Brooks Robinson went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The New York Mets split a doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. The Mets won the opener, 7-5. Jon Matlack outpitched Gary Nolan. Ed Kranepool and Joe Torre hit home runs. The Reds won the nightcap, 8-1. Don Gullett outpitched Craig Swan. Johnny Bench sat this game out, after going 0-for-4 in the 1st game. Over the 2 games, Pete Rose went 3-for-8 with a walk and an RBI.
* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Boston Red Sox, 11-5 at Fenway Park in Boston. Jim Slaton outpitched Rick Wise. Hank Aaron, in his final season, went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Brewers. Don Money went 4-for-6 with a home run and 5 RBIs. George Scott, the once-and-future Red Sock, went 2-for-6 with an RBI. Gorman Thomas went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Robin Yount went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
For the Red Sox, Carl Yastrzemski went 2-for-5 with an RBI. So did Cecil Cooper, who would be traded to the Brewers for Scott after the season.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Atlanta Braves, 5-4 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
* The Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-0 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Burt Hooton pitched a 4-hit shutout. Willie Stargell did not play.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-0 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Jackie Brown pitched a 4-hit shutout.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the San Diego Padres, 6-5 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Dave Winfield went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-3 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Lou Brock went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and an RBI.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-3 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) in Kansas City.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Houston Astros, 12-2 at the Astrodome in Houston. Steve Carlton went the distance: It was "Win Day." Mike Schmidt went 2-for-2 with 4 walks and an RBI.
* The California Angels beat the Minnesota Twins, 5-1 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Rod Carew went 1-for-4.
* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers, 3-2 at the Oakland Coliseum. Vida Blue outpitched Steve Barr.
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