100 Years Ago Today, Silver Miners Taught The Habs To Play...

Hey, our last big anniversary gave us a cracking result. Maybe we can count on the same luck again. If only we were so lucky as to be playing the team they now ice in Cobalt Ontario...




Anyway, if you're not full of centennial fatigue after a good holiday, then I recommend checking out the Our History entry on the Canadiens first victory on January 5, 1910. It is made more interesting by the newspaper clipping which puts Montreal's victory against the mining town into harsh perspective (Ottawa pummeling the challengers for their Cup).

If you want more newspaper clippings and stories of the days that followed, check Habs Eyes on the Prize, the keepers of the Habs history flame.

Putting History To Bed My Habs Centennial

I had a great weekend.


Not least because I can stop searching through the archives for a while. Not least because it felt like we finally put the unruly child that was the Canadiens Centennial celebrations to bed.


December 4th was excellent

I have to say, watching the Canadiens game last Friday night was certainly the highlight of this whole year of celebration so far. The pre-game skate, the player presentations, Viggo presenting Le Demon Blond in French, Gordie Howe holding up Maurice's #9, the sweater retirements, Patrick Roy's bursting enthusiasm – they couldn't fail to eclipse even the previous high of Patrick Roy night.

The faces
One of the greatest thrills of the evening was to see all the old faces come back to visit. I think we all knew the ubiquitous Richer and Houle as well as all the greats would. But, honestly, did anyone expect to see Brent Gilchrist? Mats Naslund? Seeing those alums back for the first time in ages was brilliant. And to see their wide smiles as they recalled their times playing in front of us all, well that was brilliant too.

The current team
After the pre-game extravaganza, I was resigned that the game on this night would be a secondary attraction. However, in one of the most unexpected turns of events all evening, the current team showed once again, if not for the very first time, that they wanted to continue the tradition of effort, of innovation, of winning at least as long as they wore the sweaters.

Tobalev did the full recap, so I won't o over everything. But might I say that the performances of a few of the players on this night were nothing short of stunning.

We start with Carey Price, who following his discovering that working hard in practice is worthwhile, took a massive step in this game by going beyond solid angle play to simply willing a win from himself and ultimately his teammates. If there was a final lesson for Carey, it was this. Big games will come again and soon, but we can at least allay our fear that all the good work will crumble under the application of heat. Carey won the first true must-win game since the playoffs.

Words escape for the display that Cammalleri left on the ice. His hat trick a stunning display of timing and opportunism – something the Canadiens most recent 50-goal man in the audience must have recognised from the early 1990s. We've seen hat tricks and nights of dominance before, but seldom on such big occasions as this. The fact he didn't take a full night off the night before is certainly an endorsement for the hockey player Bob Gainey managed to sign this summer.

Others made sure to turn up as well – Metropolit looked ready to play 60 minutes, Gomez decided to showcase the passing only he possesses on the team, Marc-Andre Bergeron playing as if he's still playing for ice time (I guess he is), Sergei playing for the team, and more.

I have some experience with big occasions in sport myself. I know there are three types of athletes – those that find energy and inspiration from the bigger stage, those that simply offer what they always offer and those that buckle under the pressure of the whole affair. There's optimism to be taken from this Centennial night: it seems we have more vaulters than bucklers.

Surprises
One of the things that made the experience of watching the event so special for me was being able to watch the game as a naive viewer.

Usually, I might have spent some time surfing various blogs and tracking twitter in the lead up to the game. Thanks to the World Cup draw and a last minute job, I had to forego the last 5 hours of ceaseless conversation about the celebrations. As such, I was positively giddy to spot Patrick Roy leading the Habs out the gate, genuinely surprised to watch M. Bouchard and Mr. Lach step to centre ice with the banners to watch them raised amidst proud tears. Coming into the event naive made it so much more special in the end – a throwback to another time almost.

Tobalev, who watched the whole thing unfolding on RDS and CBC informed me that is was not just so for him and those watching the pre-pre-game. Apparently Fracois Gagnon went for the scoop and gave away the ending – a sweater retirement kept secret from even Elmer Lach himself until Friday am.

The National Post cites 4 pm as the time when rumours began to pour onto the internet about the details of the ceremony which was set to begin a mere 2 hours later.

I understand the internet – heck, I'm a blogger – but the question that comes to mind:

What on earth for?

Why would someone like Francois Gagnon who just learned of a surprise that has been hush hush for months decide to spill the beans minutes before the wonderful surprise. Why did Robert Lefebvre (who I know values a good touching moment in history) set right to writing this article when he heard the news?

My experience was a salient reminder of the power of surprises, of pleasant surprises. It was a reminder that seeing Patrick Roy ("No it isn't it can't be. Quick. Quick come see this...") and the sweater retirements without prior knowledge was better than any rush I could have achieved by being the 47th person to read the tweet. For me it was the most satisfying end to a year of constant speculation, research and looking back. A reminder that I'm still as big a fan as I ever was.


Putting the history bed

Anyway, December 7th, 2009 now. As many have said it is now time to take a break from the history game.

I'll be happy to put the history on the backburner for a while as we turn our focus to real hockey games. But unlike the Jack Todds of the world, I don't think that means we must bury this forever. I think Habs history has had a long day and could use a rest, but this team still has stories for us to discover, still has lessons to offer the fans of today.

I hope we can reawaken the history again after a good solid rest.

Prepping For The NightRDS Top 100, Celebrations (and a Game?)

You remember voting for players 91-100, right? About 22 months ago?

Well RDS is revealing the top 100 players as determined by their "democratic" vote.

After they got first choice on chunking players into the 100, then by groups of ten, RDS gave us the wonderful opportunity to select how to order the players within the top 10 (or in the case of the top 20, the whole top 20).

I do mock, but let's face it, at least they asked you. Some people just go ahead an publish these things, as if they have some sort of authority on the matter.

As it is such a fun occasion (well, admit that it is for guys who spent far too long making their own lists), I thought I'd share with you some other dissections of the top 100 Canadiens of all-time that should prime you right up for the RDS (I mean fans') verdict.

To start with, I wanted to share a few more lists with you. Below is a spreadsheet that contains the top 100 lists from Lions in Winter, Eyes on the Prize, Habs World, Ken Campbell's outrageously named "Habs Heroes: The Definitive List of the 100 Greatest Canadiens Ever" and one Ryan Coke's more off-beat (and by off-beat I mean Lyle Odelein is on the list) foray into the game. For those who thought we were mad with some of the inclusions we made, take heart in seeing that at the end of the day the authors of other blogs go just as mad in the course of list-making activities.



If you still haven't had your fill, then you'll want to use whatever spare minutes you have checking out the following sites to sate your historical urges:

Joe Pelletier's Greatest Hockey Legends – with profiles, stories and more

Puck Daddy – with a more humorous look at this night/year/5 years of celebration

Eyes on the Prize – with a list of links to his excellent in-depth articles on so many of the topics from across the century


Enjoy the coverage tonight. Enjoy the ceremonies and the history. I'd say enjoy the game, but that'd be a bit rich.

Happy century, see you tomorrow.

Top 100 Montreal Canadiens Players of All Time

Happy Birthday Montreal Canadiens!

As you know, we've been putting out some decade-by-decade lists of the Montreal Canadiens players from the last 100 years. The list I have for you today is the integrated version of the list, the list where you see whether I like Lafleur or Richard, Plante or Dryden, Malone or Gagnon.

I'm sure you'll all have some fun perusing the list. I encourage all to do it and come back to us with their own amendments, as the discussion today could not be about anything more than the history of the Habs – and with last night's debacle, the more distant, the better.

Just a quick note on how we came to this list. All the editorial team and some friends of Lions in Winter submitted a list and basically we averaged the picks. It was a very democratic process, and I think it shows. As a result, I think we've come up with a pretty good list. Having looked through the history in depth, i can tell you one thing – there have been more than 100 good players on this team, and picking between all of them is a sport in itself.


Without further ado, the 100:

LIW Ranking	Name	Position	Years
100	Ray Getliffe	C	1939-45
99	Billy Couture	D	1916-20, 1921-26
98	Craig Ludwig	D	1982-90
97	Brian Bellows	LW	1992-95
96	Gilles Tremblay	LW	1960-69
95	Ken Mosdell	C	1954-56, 1957-59
94	Shayne Corson	LW	1985-92, 1996-2000
93	Bill Reay	C	1946-53
92	Petr Svoboda	D	1984-92
91	Howard McNamara	D	1915-16, 1919-20
90	Floyd Curry	RW	1947-58
89	Marcel Bonin	LW	1957-62
88	Mark Napier	RW	1978-84
87	Claude Lemieux	LW	1983-90
86	Phil Goyette	C	1957-63
85	Eric Desjardins	D	1988-95
84	Jimmy Gardner	LW	1913-15
83	Doug Jarvis	C	1975-82
82	Pierre Bouchard	D	1970-78
81	Jim Roberts	D	1963-77
80	Denis Savard	C	1990-93
79	Mathieu Schneider	D	1987-95, 2009
78	Alfred Lepine	C	1925-38
77	Johnny Gagnon	RW	1930-40
76	Rejean Houle	LW	1969-83
75	Pierre Mondou	C	1976-85
74	Doug Risebrough	C	1974-82
73	Pierre Turgeon	C	1994-96
72	Albert Leduc	D	1925-33, 1934-35
71	Billy Boucher	RW	1921-27
70	Terry Harper	D	1962-72
69	Rod Langway	D	1978-82
68	Pierre Larouche	C	1977-82
67	John Ferguson	LW	1963-71
66	Yvon Lambert	LW	1972-81
65	Bobby Rousseau	RW	1960-70
64	Alexei Kovalev	RW	2004-09
63	Mario Tremblay	RW	1974-86
62	Andrei Markov	D	2000- (Active)
61	Charlie Hodge	G	1954-55, 1957-61, 1963-67
60	Jean-Guy Talbot	D	1954-67
59	Mark Recchi	RW	1994-99
58	Odie Cleghorn	RW	1918-25
57	Kirk Muller	LW	1991-95
56	Dick Duff	LW	1964-70
55	Jose Theodore	G	1995-2006
54	Michel Larocque	G	1973-81
53	Albert Siebert	D (LW)	1936-39
52	Georges Mantha	D	1928-41
51	Herb Gardiner	D	1926-29
50	Ken Reardon	D	1940-42, 1945-50
49	Stephane Richer	RW	1984-91, 1996-98
48	Rogatien Vachon	G	1966-72
47	Bobby Smith	C	1983-90
46	Bud O'Connor	C	1941-47
45	Ralph Backstrom	C	1956-71
44	Bert Olmstead	LW	1950-58
43	Pete Mahovlich	C	1969-78
42	Joe Malone	C	1917-19, 1922-24
41	Chris Chelios	D	1983-90
40	Claude Provost	RW	1955-70
39	Jean-Claude Tremblay	D	1959-72
38	Frank Mahovlich	LW	1970-74
37	Sprague Cleghorn	D	1921-25
36	Jack Laviollette	D	1909-18
35	Vincent Damphousse	C	1992-99
34	Tom Johnson	D	1947-63
33	Mats Naslund	LW	1982-90
32	Lorne Worsley	G	1963-70
31	Guy Carbonneau	C	1980-94
30	Jacques Laperriere	D	1962-74
29	Steve Shutt	LW	1972-85
28	Saku Koivu	C	1995-2009
27	Georges Vezina	G	1910-26
26	Guy Lapointe	D	1968-82
25	Didier Pitre	RW	1909-13, 1914-23
24	Sylvio Mantha	D	1923-36
23	Emile Bouchard	D	1941-56
22	Jacques Lemaire	C	1967-79
21	Bill Durnan	G	1943-50
20	Aurele Joliat	LW	1922-38
19	Elmer Lach	C	1940-54
18	Dickie Moore	LW	1951-63
17	Yvan Cournoyer	RW	1963-79
16	Bob Gainey	LW	1973-89
15	George Hainsworth	G	1926-37
14	Henri Richard	C	1955-75
13	Bernard Geoffrion	RW	1950-64
12	Serge Savard	D	1966-81
11	Hector Blake	LW	1935-48
10	Patrick Roy	G	1984-95
9	Ken Dryden	G	1970-79
8	Edouard Lalonde	C	1909-11, 1912-22
7	Jacques Plante	G	1952-63
6	Doug Harvey	D	1947-61
5	Larry Robinson	D	1972-89
4	Howie Morenz	C	1923-37
3	Guy Lafleur	RW	1971-85
2	Maurice Richard	RW	1942-60
1	Jean Beliveau	C	1950-71

Hope you enjoyed that. Do let us know where you stand, and include your top 10s if you can...

Game #28Habs End A Century Of Hockey In Poor Fashion

Details

Date: 3/12/09
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Buffalo

Loss: 2-6

Habs Goalie: Halak (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)

Habs goalscorers: Gomez, Gorges
Opposition goalscorers: MacArthur, Pominville, Roy, Kennedy, Sekera, Grier

Play of the game

We actually managed to get 2 by Miller on 23 shots which makes me wish we would have been able to shoot more. When you think of it that is bordering on an off-night for the American star. The play of the game, therefore, has to be one of those two; I would like to even hear a realistic argument to the contrary. The nicer of the two, I thought, was Gomez's. Who knows what Martin was doing at this stage, but for some reason Scott was on the ice with Sergei and MaxPac (all 3 were on different lines (2, 3, 4) to start the game). It was Max who got the puck up to Sergei and created the break. Kostitsyn, coming up the right-wing, did what he does best; he passed the puck. It was a nice backhand saucer-pass which Gomez had a little trouble controlling. The end result, however, was a pretty easy goal into a wide open net.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome


Forwards

Mike Cammalleri
Mike showed tonight that he is quite capable, but he really needs help. I can't even imagine what he would be like if he were skating with an Ovechkin, Datsyuk or Crosby. That said he had trouble getting the rights feeds. When he did, though, he was quite dangerous, he just couldn't find the back of the net.

Scott Gomez
Scott replaced Pleks on the top line by the end of the first. He didn't really bring too much more to the table than Tomas, but he did score. Hard to believe that is only his third of the season as, all in all, he has been playing quite well. Another nice stat tonight was the 11-6 at face-offs.

Maxim Lapierre
Max seems to be a bit in limbo right now. Last year he had a clear role and, for the most part, had the same linemates. This year, thanks in big part to the strong play of Metropolit, he is either a top-9 forward, as a winger, or a 4th centre. Neither position will allow him to reach his full potential, but he is making the most of it. I am not sure where he fits in long-term, but tonight he showed that he still has his value. In all there was an assist and he really proved his worth as he went 12-2 on his draws.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges - Game Puck
There was no obvious choice for game-puck tonight, but, let me tell you, there were quite a few obvious 'no-ways'. Josh, however, fell into the category of players who played quite well. I actually liked him for the game-puck mostly for his goal. Here is a defensive defenceman who is joining the rush in a 1-4 game. He played with spirit and he seemed to care and believe that we could come back. As this current team struggles to find it's identity players like Josh (who have been here more than 4 months) must step up and lead the way.

Roman Hamrlik
If a team needs leaders and if a team is built from the back then I think in Hammer, Josh and Markov we have the 3 players that may know, more than anyone else, what it means to be a Hab. That is what we have to build upon, that has to be our identity. I am hoping that they learned a thing or two from players like Koivu, Kovalev, Bouillon, Souray and Komisarek whom, despite their faults, knew what it meant to be a Hab. Maybe that is what is missing these days, maybe now we are just becoming any-team-NHL. Hammer, tonight, showed that he is capable of the leadership role and he is able to lead by example. What needs to happen, however, is that the other players around him must start following.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Ouch. So, Halak against the Sabres (and Miller) in Buffalo isn't such a good idea after all...what a surprise. Much like Halak couldn't have won against Toronto on Tuesday, however, I also very much doubt that Carey would have been able to do much tonight. 6 goals against is bad though and this Habs team will likely never win any of those games. Our D was bad, our forwards lacked punch, our system looked flawed, but at the root of it all Halak had a brutal game. Good news for those who don't want him traded, bad news for those of us who just want wins.

Comments

It was a hard game to watch and I can only hope that tomorrow, with all the hype of the Centennial surrounding the game, we can put out a better effort. 100 years of Habs hockey ended tonight and I can't think of too many times, in those 100 years, when things have been quite this bad. We are sitting in a tie for 12th in the conference (23rd in the league), our best player has been gone for the whole season, we have a team whom, even though they have been together since September, are still having problems with chemistry, we have a coach that can't stick with lines or get his system to work and we have players lining up to leave the team (a bit of an exaggeration). I know there have been worse times, but think of it people, we just lost 2 games by a combined score of 9-2, we didn't really show up in either game and we don't really have a plan of how to make it stop. Markov may make a bigger difference than I think, but to climb 4 spots and learn a system all in time to not get swept in the first round seems like a lot.

Let's not, however, let a bad week cloud what has been a remarkable 100 years. We have held the cup for 1/4 of our existence, we have had some of the best players to ever play the game play for us and we have a passion for the game like no others in the world. Tomorrow will be a time to forget the Pacioretty's, Moen's and Bergeron's of this team and to remember the Richards, Harverys, Beliveaus, Drydens and Roys. Tomorrow it is OK to live in the past, it is OK to clutch to former glory and one can only hope that this city, this team and these players can become champions again. I don't know what it will take to get back to the top, but if you want a good look at what the top looks like tune in at 6pm and see hockey, passion and class at its best.

Top 100 Habs By Decade: 1. 1969-1979

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial tomorrow, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span.

This is the last in the series. if you want to find the other decades, you can use the archives or the link at the top of the home page.

1969-1979

The lates 1960s to late 1970s. Was there a headier time to be a sports fan in Montreal? Baseball moves in, the Olympics come to town (nearly twice if you consider Lake Placid is a 2-hour drive) and the Montreal Canadiens laid most of their competition to waste. The decade I define here has 6 Cups. It was nice to come into the decade on a run of 4 Cups in 5 years as well. 10 Cups in 15 years – it boggles the mind (are we sure they don't mean first-round appearances?).

The players to represent this elite time are all the toast of the Canadiens, with Hall-of-Fame in all of their email sign-offs. No other decade had so many Hall of Famers, no other decade would bump a two-time 100-point man to the bench. These are the final 10 names in this series.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – cross-decade stars like Laperriere have been given their dues, as you know]



10. Frank "The Big M" Mahovlich (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1970-74	263	129	181	310	+104	14	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1971-72	76	43	53	96	+42	4	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1971-74	49	27	31	58		0	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1970-71	20	14	13	27		0	SC

A ready-made all star with a Hall of Fame nod already in the bag, Frank was brought in late in his career to bolster the Habs who were about to lose their top 2 centres.


9. Steve Shutt (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1972-85	871	408	368	776	+409	50	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1976-77	80	60	45	105	+88	9	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1973-84	96	50	48	98	(+5)	5	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1976-77	14	8	10	18		3	SC

On any other team, he might be the all-time goalscoring hero. 60 goals in 80 games led the league. For Latendresse fans, Shutt put the 14-goal man to shame with 52 ES goals that year.


8. Guy "Pointu" Lapointe (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1968-82	777	166	406	572	+347	20	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1976-77	77	25	51	76	+69	6	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	2002-06	112	25	43	68		4	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1972-73	17	6	7	13		1	SC

The third corner of the Big Three, he had a definite knack for scoring goals, and important ones too.


7. Jacques "Coco" Lemaire (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1967-79	853	366	469	835	+349	58	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1972-73	77	44	51	95	+59	5	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1968-79	145	61	78	139		11	8 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1978-79	16	11	12	23		2	SC

Played the way he asks everyone of his players to play, with determination and intelligence. With typical efficiency, he retired on scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal in 1979.


6. Yvan "Roadrunner" Cournoyer (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-79	968	428	435	863	(+272)	(68)	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1971-72	73	47	36	83	+23	5	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-78	147	64	63	127		(12)	10 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1972-73	17	15	10	25		3	CS, SC

The archetypal Canadiens winger – speedy and quick-shooting goalscoring machine. His 1972-73 playoffs were magisterial.


5. Bob Gainey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1973-89	1160	239	262	501	+196	34	4 FS, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1978-79	79	20	18	28	+11	1	FS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1974-89	182	25	48	73	(-4)	7	CS, 5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1978-79	16	6	10	16		1	CS, SC

Famously described as "technically, the best player in the world" by Russian coach Tarasov, Gainey was certainly the best in the world at defending as a shadow. In a league of Bobby Orrs and Bobby Clarkes, his role was just as valuable to the team as those ahead of him on this list.


4. Serge Savard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1966-81	917	100	312	412	+492	13	BM, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1974-75	80	20	40	60	+71	2
Habs career (Playoffs)	1968-81	130	19	49	68		6	CS, 8 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1975-76	13	3	6	9		2	SC

If the Canadiens brass today could dream up a defender to anchor their team for the future, it would probably be Serge Savard. He could and did do everything, including adapt to the effects that 2 broken legs had on his once-great speed.


3. Ken Dryden (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1970-79	397	258	57	74	2.24	46	C, 5 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1976-77	56	41	6	8	2.14	10	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1971-79	112	80	32	0	2.40	10	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1970-71	20	12	8	0	3.00	0	CS, SC

Less career losses than a Vesa Toskala season. He must also be the only starting goalie in modern history to virtually double his losses with shutouts. In his 7-and-a-bit-year turn in the NHL, he won 6 Stanley Cups, 5 Vezinas and earned a law degree.


2. Larry "Big Bird" Robinson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1972-89	1202	197	686	883	+700	29	2 N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1976-77	77	19	66	85	+120	3	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1973-89	203	25	109	134	(+6)	3	CS, 6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1977-78	15	4	17	21		0	CS, SC

If we had the stats and ran a Corsi on it, what do you think 1976-77 would look like for +120 Larry Robinson? Robinson was key to the Canadiens adapting to the new Philadelphia Flyers domination of the league. His gaudy offensive numbers can't show on paper what a good defender he was.


1. Guy "Flower" Lafleur (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1971-85	961	518	728	1246	+477	93	2 H, 3 AR, 3 LP, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1977-78	78	60	72	132	+73	12	H, AR, LP, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1972-84	124	57	76	133	(-2)	14	CS, 5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1976-77	14	9	17	26		2	CS, SC

A goal more than every other game, a game-winning goal once in ten, this guy had the knack for scoring and scoring when it was called for. No one has more silverware in their Habs trophy cases than Guy, and with good reason.



* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; FS = Frank Selke trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; LP = Lester Pearson tropby; BM= Bill Masterton trophy; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.

Top 100 Habs By Decade: 2. 1949-1959

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial next Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span. You should expect a few each day for the next few days.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1949-1959

I can only venture a guess as to what it must have been like to support a team like the 1950s Canadiens. Hundreds of games against the Leafs, Red Wings, Hawks, Bruins and Rangers. Tough rivalries night after night. Ones that more often than not the Canadiens were in a position to dominate. Would it be satisfying? Would it get tired? Judging by what fans of the time tell me, the answers to those questions are "no" and "no".

For a city that adores itself as a winner, the 1950s were a coming out party. While Toronto was overtaking Montreal in population and slowly to take the place as most important city in the country, Montreal launched a new self-image boosting pastime – winning hockey games. And did they win? First of second in the league all but one season (3rd that year) and 9 Cup finals in 10, with 5 Cups.

The players selected for the 1950s teams were banging at the door to get in. Virtually every player brings 5+ Cups to the table with a trophy, gaudy stats and a place in the Hall of Fame. These 10 names are names of Canadiens lore.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – Beliveau and Henri Richard, therefore will be missed]


10. Jean-Guy Talbot (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1954-67	791	36	209	245	884	AS
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	69	4	17	21	77
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-67	105	3	16	19	112	7 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1957-58	10	0	3	3	12	SC

A mainstay of the big 1950s dynasty, Talbot could do whatever was asked of him.


9. Bert "Dirty Bertie" Olmstead (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-58	508	103	280	383	609	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1955-56	70	14	56	70	94	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1951-58	8	8	34	42	78	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1955-56	10	4	10	14	8	SC

The left wing plumber for some of the top lines in NHL history.


8. Claude Provost (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1955-70	1005	254	335	589	469	BM, AS
Decade best (Season)	1957-58	70	19	32	51	71
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-69	126	25	38	63	86	9 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	6	2	8	2	SC

One of the best shadows in league and Habs history.


7. Tom Johnson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1947-63	857	47	183	230	897	N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	70	10	29	39	76	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1950-62	111	8	15	23	109	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1952-53	12	2	3	5	8	SC

Doug Harvey's sidekick for many seasons.


6. Dickie Moore (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1951-63	654	254	340	594	575	2 AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	70	41	55	96	61	AR, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1952-63	112	38	56	94	101	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	5	12	17	8	SC

The Canadiens first back-to-back winner of the Art Ross Trophy. He set a league scoring record in 1958-59 with 96 points.


5. Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-64	766	371	388	759	636	C, H, 2 AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1954-55	70	38	37	75	57	AR, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1951-64	117	56	59	115	88	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1956-57	10	11	7	18	2	SC

Trophies and honours line up for the innovator of the slap shot. He was the second man in history to score 50 goals in 1960-61.


4. Jacques Plante (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1952-63	556	314	133	107	2.23	58	H, 6 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1955-56	64	42	12	10	1.86	7	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1953-63	90	59	28	0	2.13	10	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1956-57	10	8	2	0	1.66	1	SC

An innovator at his position, what really set him apart was not his mask, but his gaudy statistics. He won 5 straight Vezina trophies in the late decade and 6 in 7 years in all.


3. Doug Harvey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1947-61	890	76	371	447	1042	7 N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1956-57	70	6	44	50	92	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1949-61	123	8	59	67	138	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	1	11	12	22	SC

People aren't laughed out of the room when suggesting he's the best defenceman of all-time. Certainly, if they had to rename the Norris trophy they could do worse than naming it the Harvey trophy. More of a classic defender than, say, Orr, he nevertheless had the nous to go forward.


2. Maurice "Rocket" Richard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1942-60	978	544	421	965	1285	H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1950-51	65	42	24	66	97	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1944-60	133	82	44	126	188	8 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1957-58	10	11	4	15	10	SC

5-time leading goalscorer in the league, his legacy will never be his own personal trophy cupboard. Known for scoring in the biggest games and tightest situations, he out-hockeyed Mr. Hockey by capturing 8 Stanley Cups in his career. Iconic for the fans of the Habs, he could and would be first on many other lists.


1. Jean "Gros Bill" Beliveau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-71	1125	507	712	1219	+67	(23)	H, AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1963-64	68	28	50	78		2	H, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1954-71	162	79	97	186		(2)	CS, 10 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	13	8	8	16			CS, SC

The enduring face of the franchise and its leading scorer and best centre-iceman. The epitome of Hart and Conn Smythe laureat, he won both in his long career.



* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; BM= Bill Masterton; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.

Top 100 Habs By Decade: 3. 1959-1969

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial this Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1959-1969

The 1960s are consistently sold as the forgotten dynasty or the decade of the overlooked. But just like articles that pump up the same players time after time for being underrated, so too the 1960s – all the talk of being underrated sometimes risks making pundits overrate what happened in the 1960s.

While it is true that the Canadiens won 4 Stanley Cups in the 1960s proper and 5 Cups in the decade I have set from 1959-69, generally it is fair that this span of years should be relegated behind the incredible 1950s and unbelievable 1970s. Any other team would cite the Canadiens 1960s as their Golden Age. However, the 1960s were a bit of a changing of the guard and it showed for the early years.

The players selected for the 1960s were chosen either because they represented the 1960s well. In some cases, the 1960s was the core of their career, in others the beginning and some the twilight. Here they are.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so you may have to wait for the next update for your favourites]


10. John Ferguson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-71	500	145	158	303	(+61)	(30)	AS
Decade best (Season)	1968-69	71	29	23	52	+30	7
Habs career (Playoffs)	1964-71	85	20	18	38		(4)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	14	4	3	7		2	SC

The most feared man in the NHL during his time. His ability to play hockey as well made him supremely valuable to the dynasty of the 1960s.


9. Bobby Rousseau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1960-70	643	200	322	522	(+42)	(32)	C, AS
Decade best (Season)	1965-66	70	30	48	78		4	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1962-69	78	16	29	45		(3)	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	13	5	8	13			SC

Talented scorer. Second in league scoring in 1965-66, while leading in assists.


8. Charlie Hodge (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1954-67	237	115	72	40	2.46	21	V, AS
Decade best (Season)	1963-64	62	33	18	11	2.26	8	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1955-65	16	7	8	0	2.39	2	SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	5	3	2	0	2.00	1	SC

Lucky enough to have a good back-up, the Habs finally got to see what Hodge was worth (and it was Vezinas) after Plante was gone.


7. Dick Duff (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1964-70	305	87	85	172	(-12)	17	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	66	25	21	46	+6	8
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-69	60	16	26	42		(2)	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	14	6	8	14		1	SC

Brought in to replace Dickie Moore's scoring, Duff produced well. 1967-68 was his highlight for the Habs, where he shot 22.5% with 8 GWGs.


6. Rogatien Vachon (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1966-72	206	110	56	30	2.65	13	V
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	39	23	13	2	2.48	4	V
Habs career (Playoffs)	1967-69	19	14	5	0	1.94	1	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	8	7	1	0	1.42	1	SC

His brief stint with the Canadiens was notable for its consistency and excellence in the playoffs. Only the arrival of Dryden kept him from more.


5. Ralph Backstrom (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1956-71	844	215	287	502	(+28)	(17)	C, AS
Decade best (Season)	1961-62	66	27	38	65			AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1959-69	100	22	26	48		(3)	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1965-66	10	3	4	7			SC

The pan-dynastic talent is perhaps best remembered as the Candiens 3rd fiddle behind Beliveau and Richard. However, he had plenty of offensive talent himself and contributed much. One of the most interesting contributions he made to the Canadiens were his 27 points in 33 games to close out the season for the LA Kings in 1971, lifting them out of the cellar and granting the Candiens a first overall pick in the process.


4. Jean-Claude Tremblay (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1959-72	794	57	306	363	(+130)	(11)	AS
Decade best (Season)	1968-69	75	7	32	39	+29	1	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1961-72	108	14	51	65		(5)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1965-66	10	2	9	11			SC

Slick skating, smart defenceman who QBed a successful PP for more than a decade.


3. Lorne "Gump" Worsley (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-70	172	92	44	25	2.42	16	2 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	40	19	9	8	1.98	6	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-69	39	29	7	0	1.91	4	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1967-68	12	11	0	0	1.88	1	SC

The vet brought in to man the fort after Plante's departure. He kept the young goalies honest and the fans of goalies satisfied with 2 Vezina trophies himself.


2. Jacques Laperriere (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	2001-06	691	40	242	282	(+241)	(5)	C, N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1965-66	57	6	25	31		2	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1963-73	88	9	22	31		(1)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1967-68	13	1	3	4		0	SC

The intelligent, stay-at-home, big defender we all hope all of our current players could be.


1. Henri "Pocket Rocket" Richard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1955-75	1256	358	688	1046	(+126)	(28)	BM, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1962-63	67	23	50	73			AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-75	180	49	80	129		(3)	11 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1959-60	8	3	9	12			SC

Always a bit lost in Canadiens lore. No player had more to overcome than he, with a small stature and a big shadow from his older brother. That he went on to become the winningest athlete in hockey and North American sports history is a feat. That he did it with modesty and grace is an all-too seldom mentioned accomplishment.



* Awards: N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; C = Calder trophy; BM= Bill Masterton; AS= All-star; SC = Stanley Cup.