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June 9, 1993

I cannot ever remember a Habs championship season in which the eventual outcome was in doubt (in my mind, at least) during the final series. In the 70's, of course, the Habs were a lead-pipe cinch once they were in the finals. The only time I really worried was that Bruins series in 79 when Lafleur and Lambert bailed us out but that was in the semi-finals. In the finals I never worried. During the late 70's dynasty the Habs' record in those 4 finals was 16-3.

In 86 I knew we were going to win the Cup the minute I saw Steve Smith of the Oilers put the puck into his own net. I wasn't worried about the Flames or Blues. Once the Oilers were knocked out it was a foregone conclusion. And in 93 I knew we would win the minute I saw David Volek score in OT against the Penguins. As soon as the Pens were eliminated there was nobody left who was good enough to beat us. I wasn't the least bit worried about the Islanders, Kings or Leafs.
 
WeHaveMoreCupsThanYou said:
I cannot ever remember a Habs championship season in which the eventual outcome was in doubt (in my mind, at least) during the final series. In the 70's, of course, the Habs were a lead-pipe cinch once they were in the finals. The only time I really worried was that Bruins series in 79 when Lafleur and Lambert bailed us out but that was in the semi-finals. In the finals I never worried. During the late 70's dynasty the Habs' record in those 4 finals was 16-3.

In 86 I knew we were going to win the Cup the minute I saw Steve Smith of the Oilers put the puck into his own net. I wasn't worried about the Flames or Blues. Once the Oilers were knocked out it was a foregone conclusion. And in 93 I knew we would win the minute I saw David Volek score in OT against the Penguins. As soon as the Pens were eliminated there was nobody left who was good enough to beat us. I wasn't the least bit worried about the Islanders, Kings or Leafs.
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A series against the Leafs would have been too crazy. I was glad when the Kings, I mean Gretzky, knocked them off.
 
WeHaveMoreCupsThanYou said:
I cannot ever remember a Habs championship season in which the eventual outcome was in doubt (in my mind, at least) during the final series. In the 70's, of course, the Habs were a lead-pipe cinch once they were in the finals. The only time I really worried was that Bruins series in 79 when Lafleur and Lambert bailed us out but that was in the semi-finals. In the finals I never worried. During the late 70's dynasty the Habs' record in those 4 finals was 16-3.

In 86 I knew we were going to win the Cup the minute I saw Steve Smith of the Oilers put the puck into his own net. I wasn't worried about the Flames or Blues. Once the Oilers were knocked out it was a foregone conclusion. And in 93 I knew we would win the minute I saw David Volek score in OT against the Penguins. As soon as the Pens were eliminated there was nobody left who was good enough to beat us. I wasn't the least bit worried about the Islanders, Kings or Leafs.
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and in 89?
 
worm said:
and in 89?
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89 wasn't a championship season, now was it?

I blame the loss in 89 on the Canucks. If they had been able to knock off the Flames in the first round the Habs would have had a cake walk to the Cup. But as usual they failed. As soon as that happened I knew we were screwed because not only had the Flames not been eliminated but they had survived a near catastrophe and nobody was going to be able to sneak up on them and take them by surprise. After nearly losing to the lowly Canucks in 7 games Calgary steamrolled over their next two opponents.
 
That 89 Habs team was quite good. Maybe the best of the 3...but not really since it is measured by the outcome.

I lived in Montreal for one year, 88-89, so I got to see quite a few games. At about $12 a ticket wasn't it? Or is my memory falling me. I was gone by the time the finals rolled around. A guy I worked with had gotten some tickets from Gainey during the previous series and couldn't go. He was going to give them to me but I was away that day, too. My timing was always impeccable.
 
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Krustchev said:
A series against the Leafs would have been too crazy. I was glad when the Kings, I mean Gretzky, knocked them off.
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Leafs fan still likes to delude themselves into believing that they would have beaten us in 93 if they hadn't been screwed by the refs on the Gretzky high stick on Gilmour. Naturally they fail to recognize simple facts:

1) there is no guarantee that the Leafs would have won that game had Gretzky been penalized.

2) the infamous high stick occurred in Game 6. The Leafs still had a chance to win the series in Game 7 which was played at Maple Leaf Gardens.

3) Doug Gilmour was not knocked out of the series by the high stick. He was still able to play.

4) the Leafs blew it in Game 7

5) Felix Potvin on the best day of his life, was not fit to wash Patrick Roy's jock strap, let alone outplay him in a 7 game series.

6) if the Leafs couldn't beat a team backstopped by a mediocrity like Kelly Hrudey there was no chance that they were going to beat a team backstopped by Patrick Roy.
 
east coast said:
That 89 Habs team was quite good. Maybe the best of the 3...but not really since it is measured by the outcome.

I lived in Montreal for one year, 88-89, so I got to see quite a few games. At about $12 a ticket wasn't it? Or is my memory falling me. I was gone by the time the finals rolled around. A guy I worked with had gotten some tickets from Gainey during the previous series and couldn't go. He was going to give them to me but I was away that day, too. My timing was always impeccable.
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I bought a standing room ticket to Game 3 of the 89 finals where Ryan Walter scored in double OT from a scalper for $35 about an hour before face-off.
 
I also blame 89 on our travel scheduler. We flew overnight between games while Calgary did during the day off. They were better rested.
 
Yes, so $12 may not have been so far out of line for regular season walk-up at the beginning of each month, when that month's games went on sale (upper blues).
 
TheCountofMonteCristo said:
I also blame 89 on our travel scheduler. We flew overnight between games while Calgary did during the day off. They were better rested.
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Getting a proper night's rest wouldn't have made Roy crap his pants less than he did every time MacInnis wound up to take a shot. The 89 team was the least goalie-dependent roster we've had since the late 70's yet our goalie more than anyone else didn't step up in that final.
 
I remember this series quite well. I saw every home playoff game. It was one of the best hockey experiences of my life. I moved out of Quebec two months later and here it is, two decades plus later it still feels as if it were yesterday.
 
I remember it clear as day. I was living in Toronto and had a good friend that was a Kings fan. I was insufferable when the Habs won that cup :lol

I went door to door to shit on haters.
 
That 93 roster really wasn't that impressive in hindsight and it always surprises me when I look at the number of young guys who made a contribution but really didn't hang around the league long after. Dipietro, Dionne, Lebeau, Ronan... I figured Dipietro especially would be part of a core. We had a defence with Daigneault, Brisebois, and Haller filling the 4-5-6 spots. Older guys on the way down like Savard- even Leeman made some contribution. Todd Ewan RIP. Incredible,really. Everything came together, the pieces fit..... and then there was Roy.

The 86 team was more talented though it had about 9 rookies. But by 93 we had already rid ourselves of Chelois, Lemieux in bad trades...the darkness was starting to descend....
 
Defense was so-so but we had a pretty solid forwards group :

Damphousse
Muller
Bellows
Savard
Carbo
Keane
Leclair
Lebeau

with support from

Brunet
Leeman
Dionne
Dipietro.

We had 2 90+points forwards, 4 80+ points forwards, 4 30+ goals scorers. We haven't had that much talent up front ever since.
 
The 89 Cup losing team was pathetic - scoring by committee which is why they lost when push came to shove in the finals. No one to match Mullen or Nieuwendyk's goal scoring capability or Loob/Gilmour's playmaking capability. They had to put Ryan Walter on for the last minute & PP. The peak of the Lemaire Black Plague, brought on by yet another protégé Pat Burns.

If it weren't for luck (Steve Smith goal & Isles miraculously defeating Pens), and Roy's heroics, it'd be 37-yrs and counting without a Cup. The alchi never built any powerhouse teams - people have forgotten.....
 
Sal_Butera said:
The 89 Cup losing team was pathetic - scoring by committee which is why they lost when push came to shove in the finals. No one to match Mullen or Nieuwendyk's goal scoring capability or Loob/Gilmour's playmaking capability. They had to put Ryan Walter on for the last minute & PP. The peak of the Lemaire Black Plague, brought on by yet another protégé Pat Burns.

If it weren't for luck (Steve Smith goal & Isles miraculously defeating Pens), and Roy's heroics, it'd be 37-yrs and counting without a Cup. The alchi never built any powerhouse teams - people have forgotten.....
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Only 2 teams besides the Islanders, the Oilers and the Pens won Cups between 1980 and 1993. And we were in the finals the 3 times those teams didn't win. Maybe you should give him a bit more credit.
 
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