1979–80 Montreal Canadiens season
NHL hockey team season
The 1979–80 Montreal Canadiens season was the team's 71st season . The Canadiens ended the season with a twenty-game unbeaten streak at the Montreal Forum. By season's end, the franchise was third overall in NHL standings.[ 1] The season involved being eliminated in the NHL Quarter-finals vs the Minnesota North Stars 4 games to 3.
Offseason
Al MacNeil left his position as head coach of the Canadiens farm club, the Nova Scotia Voyageurs , to become head coach of the Atlanta Flames.[ 2]
Jacques Lemaire retired to become a playing coach in Switzerland. In addition, Ken Dryden and captain Yvan Cournoyer also retired from the team.
Scotty Bowman , upset over the appointment of Irving Grundman as general manager in 1978, left the club to become head coach and general manager of the Buffalo Sabres.
Boom Boom Geoffrion was hired as head coach in September 1979. In his previous coaching stint, Geoffrion lasted half a season with the 1968–69 New York Rangers. He had to leave the position due to ulcers.[ 3]
Veteran defenceman Serge Savard is named team captain.
The Canadiens did not have a first-round pick in the Amateur Draft. The club picked Mats Naslund with its second-round choice, 37th overall. The team picked Guy Carbonneau in the third-round, 44th overall.
Regular season
Despite a record of fifteen wins, nine losses and six ties, Geoffrion stepped down as head coach.[ 4]
Final standings
[ 5] Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Divisions: ADM – Adams, NRS – Norris, PTK – Patrick, SMY – Smythe
bold – The top 16 teams in the league qualified for the playoffs, regardless of division or conference.x – Won division; y – Won Conference (and division); p – Won Presidents' Trophy (and conference and division)
Record vs. opponents
Norris Division record vs. opponents
Vs. Wales Conference
Vs. Norris Division
Vs. Adams Division
1979–80 NHL records
Team
BOS
BUF
MIN
QUE
TOR
Total
Detroit
1–2–1
1–3
2–1–1
2–1–1
0–4
6–11–3
Hartford
1–2–1
1–3
0–4
1–1–2
2–2
5–12–3
Los Angeles
1–2–1
0–3–1
2–0–2
3–1
3–0–1
9–6–5
Montreal
3–1
1–1–2
3–1
2–1–1
3–1
12–5–3
Pittsburgh
2–2
0–4
1–3
2–2
2–2
7–13–0
Vs. Campbell Conference
Vs. Patrick Division
1979–80 NHL records
Team
ATL
NYI
NYR
PHI
WSH
Total
Detroit
1–2–1
3–1
1–3
0–3–1
2–1–1
7–10–3
Hartford
3–1
1–3
1–2–1
0–2–2
1–2–1
6–10–4
Los Angeles
1–2–1
1–2–1
1–3
0–4
1–3
4–14–2
Montreal
3–0–1
0–3–1
3–0–1
2–1–1
2–1–1
10–5–5
Pittsburgh
2–1–1
1–0–3
2–2
0–3–1
3–1
8–7–5
Vs. Smythe Division
1979–80 NHL records
Team
CHI
COL
EDM
STL
VAN
WIN
Total
Detroit
1−3
1−3
2−1–1
1−2−1
2−2
3−1
10−12−2
Hartford
1–1–2
2−1−1
2–1–1
2–2
1−1−2
2−2
10−8−6
Los Angeles
3−0−1
4−0
1−2−1
1−3
2−2
1−2−1
12−9−3
Montreal
2−2
3−1
3−1
2−2
2−2
3−1
15−9−0
Pittsburgh
0−2–2
2−2
1−3
1−2–1
2−1–1
4−0
10−10−4
Schedule and results
Regular season results
No.
R
Date
Score
Opponent
Record
1
W
October 11, 1979
3–1
Atlanta Flames (1979–80 )
1–0–0
2
W
October 13, 1979
3–1
Quebec Nordiques (1979–80 )
2–0–0
3
L
October 17, 1979
2–3
@ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80 )
2–1–0
4
W
October 20, 1979
5–4
New York Rangers (1979–80 )
3–1–0
5
T
October 21, 1979
6–6
@ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80 )
3–1–1
6
W
October 23, 1979
5–3
@ Atlanta Flames (1979–80 )
4–1–1
7
W
October 25, 1979
8–5
Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80 )
5–1–1
8
W
October 27, 1979
3–2
Detroit Red Wings (1979–80 )
6–1–1
9
L
October 28, 1979
4–5
@ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80 )
6–2–1
10
T
October 30, 1979
2–2
@ Washington Capitals (1979–80 )
6–2–2
11
W
November 1, 1979
5–1
Minnesota North Stars (1979–80 )
7–2–2
12
L
November 3, 1979
3–5
Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80 )
7–3–2
13
W
November 5, 1979
2–0
Washington Capitals (1979–80 )
8–3–2
14
T
November 7, 1979
3–3
@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80 )
8–3–3
15
L
November 10, 1979
3–5
St. Louis Blues (1979–80 )
8–4–3
16
W
November 13, 1979
5–2
@ St. Louis Blues (1979–80 )
9–4–3
17
W
November 15, 1979
4–1
@ Colorado Rockies (1979–80 )
10–4–3
18
W
November 17, 1979
3–1
@ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80 )
11–4–3
19
L
November 18, 1979
2–5
@ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80 )
11–5–3
20
W
November 22, 1979
7–0
Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 )
12–5–3
21
W
November 24, 1979
3–1
Boston Bruins (1979–80 )
13–5–3
22
L
November 25, 1979
2–4
@ Boston Bruins (1979–80 )
13–6–3
23
T
November 27, 1979
5–5
@ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80 )
13–6–4
24
W
November 29, 1979
3–2
St. Louis Blues (1979–80 )
14–6–4
25
T
December 1, 1979
4–4
Hartford Whalers (1979–80 )
14–6–5
26
T
December 3, 1979
3–3
@ New York Rangers (1979–80 )
14–6–6
27
L
December 5, 1979
2–3
@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80 )
14–7–6
28
W
December 7, 1979
5–2
Los Angeles Kings (1979–80 )
15–7–6
29
L
December 9, 1979
5–7
Colorado Rockies (1979–80 )
15–8–6
30
L
December 11, 1979
1–4
@ New York Islanders (1979–80 )
15–9–6
31
L
December 14, 1979
3–5
@ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80 )
15–10–6
32
L
December 15, 1979
2–6
@ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 )
15–11–6
33
L
December 18, 1979
3–5
@ St. Louis Blues (1979–80 )
15–12–6
34
L
December 19, 1979
2–5
@ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80 )
15–13–6
35
W
December 22, 1979
4–2
Vancouver Canucks (1979–80 )
16–13–6
36
W
December 23, 1979
8–4
Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80 )
17–13–6
37
L
December 27, 1979
3–7
New York Islanders (1979–80 )
17–14–6
38
W
December 29, 1979
6–3
Buffalo Sabres (1979–80 )
18–14–6
39
L
January 2, 1980
3–5
@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80 )
18–15–6
40
L
January 5, 1980
3–4
Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80 )
18–16–6
41
W
January 7, 1980
4–3
Edmonton Oilers (1979–80 )
19–16–6
42
W
January 9, 1980
5–3
@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80 )
20–16–6
43
W
January 12, 1980
4–3
Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80 )
21–16–6
44
W
January 14, 1980
3–2
Atlanta Flames (1979–80 )
22–16–6
45
W
January 16, 1980
6–1
@ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80 )
23–16–6
46
W
January 19, 1980
7–2
Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80 )
24–16–6
47
L
January 22, 1980
1–2
@ New York Islanders (1979–80 )
24–17–6
48
W
January 24, 1980
7–2
@ Hartford Whalers (1979–80 )
25–17–6
49
L
January 26, 1980
2–7
Buffalo Sabres (1979–80 )
25–18–6
50
W
January 29, 1980
4–3
@ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80 )
26–18–6
51
W
January 30, 1980
3–2
@ Colorado Rockies (1979–80 )
27–18–6
52
W
February 2, 1980
5–4
@ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80 )
28–18–6
53
W
February 7, 1980
4–3
Colorado Rockies (1979–80 )
29–18–6
54
L
February 9, 1980
3–4
Vancouver Canucks (1979–80 )
29–19–6
55
W
February 10, 1980
3–2
@ Boston Bruins (1979–80 )
30–19–6
56
W
February 14, 1980
5–1
Quebec Nordiques (1979–80 )
31–19–6
57
W
February 16, 1980
8–1
Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80 )
32–19–6
58
T
February 17, 1980
2–2
@ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80 )
32–19–7
59
L
February 19, 1980
1–3
@ Washington Capitals (1979–80 )
32–20–7
60
W
February 21, 1980
3–0
Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 )
33–20–7
61
W
February 23, 1980
5–1
Detroit Red Wings (1979–80 )
34–20–7
62
T
February 26, 1980
3–3
@ Atlanta Flames (1979–80 )
34–20–8
63
W
February 28, 1980
6–3
Minnesota North Stars (1979–80 )
35–20–8
64
W
March 1, 1980
6–3
Washington Capitals (1979–80 )
36–20–8
65
W
March 2, 1980
5–1
@ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80 )
37–20–8
66
W
March 6, 1980
5–4
Edmonton Oilers (1979–80 )
38–20–8
67
W
March 8, 1980
5–2
New York Rangers (1979–80 )
39–20–8
68
W
March 10, 1980
6–3
Los Angeles Kings (1979–80 )
40–20–8
69
W
March 12, 1980
4–3
@ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80 )
41–20–8
70
W
March 14, 1980
4–3
@ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80 )
42–20–8
71
W
March 15, 1980
7–3
@ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80 )
43–20–8
72
T
March 19, 1980
5–5
@ Hartford Whalers (1979–80 )
43–20–9
73
T
March 22, 1980
5–5
Hartford Whalers (1979–80 )
43–20–10
74
W
March 23, 1980
6–1
@ New York Rangers (1979–80 )
44–20–10
75
W
March 25, 1980
8–4
Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80 )
45–20–10
76
T
March 28, 1980
2–2
New York Islanders (1979–80 )
45–20–11
77
T
March 30, 1980
1–1
@ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80 )
45–20–12
78
W
April 2, 1980
7–2
@ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80 )
46–20–12
79
W
April 5, 1980
6–1
Boston Bruins (1979–80 )
47–20–12
80
T
April 6, 1980
4–4
@ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80 )
47–20–13
[ 8]
Playoffs
The Canadiens swept the Hartford Whalers in the preliminary round 3–0 in games. The Canadiens then faced the Minnesota North Stars in the quarter-final and lost a seven-game series four games to three.
Player statistics
Regular season
Scoring
Goaltending
Playoffs
Scoring
Goaltending
[ 9]
Awards and records
Larry Robinson , Norris Trophy [ 10]
Transactions
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it .
(July 2010 )
Draft picks
[ 11]
Farm teams
This section is empty. You can help by
adding to it .
(July 2010 )
See also
References
^ The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.240, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009, ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0
^ The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.236, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009, ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0
^ The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.237, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009, ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0
^ The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.239, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009, ISBN 978-0-385-66325-0
^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 . Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 152. ISBN 9781894801225 .
^ "1979–80 NHL Standings" . NHL.com . National Hockey League.
^ "All-Time NHL Results" . NHL.com . Retrieved August 25, 2023 .
^ "1979–80 Montreal Canadiens Games" . Hockey-reference.com. Retrieved June 4, 2009 .
^ "1979-80 Montreal Canadiens Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com" . hockey-reference.com. Retrieved May 28, 2009 .
^ National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 222, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5
^ National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 234, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5
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