1956-60 Montreal Canadiens vs. 1976-79 Montreal Canadiens

[FASTHANDS*]

Which was the greater dynasty? The famed 1956-60 dynasty won the record 5 cups in a row in a 6 team league. They were tremendous. They had the likes of Maurice Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Plante. They were heads and shoulders above the league.

The 1976-79 team romped to 4 straight cups and had what is generally considered the greatest team of all-time in the 1976-77 season, 60-8-12. The '76 and '78 teams were 58-11-11 and 59-10-11.

Im my opinion, I would go with the late 70's dynasty. In every year they won the cup from 1976 to 1979 they won over 50 games, and dominated every facet of the game. The already mentioned 1977 team won by an average of 2.76 goals a game and scored 387 goals.

The late 1970's Montreal Canadiens were the greatest dynasty in hockey history and had imo, three of the greatest teams ever, 1976-1977-1978.

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[BobbyAwe]

Which was the greater dynasty? The famed 1956-60 dynasty won the record 5 cups in a row in a 6 team league. They were tremendous. They had the likes of Maurice Richard, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Jacques Plante. They were heads and shoulders above the league.

The 1976-79 team romped to 4 straight cups and had what is generally considered the greatest team of all-time in the 1976-77 season, 60-8-12. The '76 and '78 teams were 58-11-11 and 59-10-11.

Im my opinion, I would go with the late 70's dynasty. In every year they won the cup from 1976 to 1979 they won over 50 games, and dominated every facet of the game. The already mentioned 1977 team won by an average of 2.76 goals a game and scored 387 goals.

The late 1970's Montreal Canadiens were the greatest dynasty in hockey history and had imo, three of the greatest teams ever, 1976-1977-1978.

I don't know which team was better against their respective league in their times, but I would choose the '70s teams to win handily in a match up. They had even more great players and too much of a physical advantage.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

I don't know which team was better against their respective league in their times, but I would choose the '70s teams to win handily in a match up. They had even more great players and too much of a physical advantage.

I disagree with the bolded.

The 50s team had two lines of:

Bert Olmstead - Jean Beliveau - Bernard Geoffrion
Dickie Moore - Henri Richard - Maurice Richard

Doug Harvey anchoring the D. Jacques Plante in net. Several other HOFers too. Guys who would go on to be scoring line players with other teams (like Don Marshall) were stuck as penalty killing specialists with the Canadiens.

I would choose the 1950s Canadiens. The 1970s Canadiens were great (best defensive team ever in all likelihood), but their record was inflated by playing in the watered-down late 70s.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Depth

The 1956-60 teams had a bit more depth, no Pierre Bouchard, Rick Chartraw,Cam Connor, Gilles Lupiens types. Also had greater goaltending depth behind Jacques Plante - Charlie Hodge, Gerry McNeill, Fern Perreault.

Defensively the late 1970's team was deeper with Robinson, Savard, Lapointe plus young Langway, Engblom and Nyrop. Harvey would have been the best of the 1956-60 group, ahead of the big three but then you have the 4 HHOFers before you get to Johnson, Talbot, St.Laurent or an aging Bouchard.

Offensively the late seventies team had great versitility amongst its forwards but lacked a center the caliber of Beliveau or H.Richard. Jacques Lemaire brought great defense and versatility and would be just below H.Richard but beyond that Mosdell, Backstrom and Goyette would be better than Risebrough, Jarvis, Pete Mahovlich, Larouche, Mondou. Left wings/right wings - a wash just a question of how the skills were distributed amongst the lines - who played with who.

Coaching.Toss-up. Blake vs Bowman.

 

[Chili]

Would be a helluva matchup, best vs best.

I would never go against Jacques Plante in his prime, even head to head vs Ken Dryden. + Beliveau, Moore, Pocket, Harvey, etc...76/77 team would probably give any team in history a run for their money though.

 

[doug hamilton]

It's an intriguing question.
I had to go and take a look at the stats for both teams. It made me wish I could have seen the late 50's Habs play. By the time I started watching in the 60's Jean Beliveau was well established as the elder statesman of the Canadiens. His stats from the 50s are fabulous. He could possibly have cracked 100 points ten years before it was done in real life except for missing half a dozen games (to injury i assume since he only played 3 games in the playoffs that year).

Looking at their numbers I am struck by the similarity in careers between Dickie Moore and Steve Shutt. I only remember Moore very vaguely as an old player, Shutt I recall as a prolific goal scorer but both had a stretch of roughly three seasons were they were dominant players and much of the rest of their stats above average but not eye-popping.

I seem to recall Shutt having injury problems in the early 80s . Was it the same with Moore?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Dickie Moore

It's an intriguing question.
I had to go and take a look at the stats for both teams. It made me wish I could have seen the late 50's Habs play. By the time I started watching in the 60's Jean Beliveau was well established as the elder statesman of the Canadiens. His stats from the 50s are fabulous. He could possibly have cracked 100 points ten years before it was done in real life except for missing half a dozen games (to injury i assume since he only played 3 games in the playoffs that year).

Looking at their numbers I am struck by the similarity in careers between Dickie Moore and Steve Shutt. I only remember Moore very vaguely as an old player, Shutt I recall as a prolific goal scorer but both had a stretch of roughly three seasons were they were dominant players and much of the rest of their stats above average but not eye-popping.

I seem to recall Shutt having injury problems in the early 80s . Was it the same with Moore?

Dickie Moore had knee problems throughout his career:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=404558

Much better playmaker than Shutt.