For the third year in a row, the Philadelphia Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unlike the previous two years, however, Philadelphia came up against a much stronger team.
The Montreal Canadiens had won a regular season record 58 games and cruised past the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Islanders, losing only one game in the process. The Flyers could not defeat the powerhouse Canadiens and were swept in four games.
Montreal’s Guy Lafleur led all skaters with seven points in the final series. One bright spot for Philadelphia was Reggie Leach who scored a record 19 post season goals and took home the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Canadiens defenseman Serge Savard summed up the feelings of the hockey world, stating, “This is not only a victory for the Canadiens; it is a victory for hockey. I hope that this era of intimidation and violence that is hurting our national sport is coming to an end. Young people have seen that a team can play electrifying, fascinating hockey while still behaving like gentlemen.”
