World War II had come to a conclusion, and the influx of 40 NHL players returning from military service changed the complexion of the National Hockey League considerably.
The Montreal Canadiens finished first for a third straight season, and were going to face the third-place Chicago Black Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. The other round found the Boston Bruins being challenged by the fourth-place Detroit Red Wings. Montreal blanked the Black Hawks in four games to progress to the Stanley Cup Final, while Boston eliminated Detroit four-games-to-one to earn entrance to the championship series.
Montreal and the Bruins battled hard, with three of the games needing overtime to decide a winner. But when all was said and done, the Canadiens were presented with the Stanley Cup for a sixth time. Elmer Lach and Maurice Richard, the former accounting for a series-high seven points, led Montreal in the Finals.
