(Will Be) Leafs/Habs Notes

It is now official, the Toronto Maple Leafs will meet the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the upcoming NHL playoffs.

This will be the 16th post-season clash between the teams.  Incredibly, the winner of the previous 15 post-season clashes between the NHL’s two oldest franchises, won the title.

Two of the meetings were so long ago that the winner was determined by “most goals scored.” Toronto won that type in 1918, Montreal doing so in 1925.

7 of the previous 15 playoffs meetings between the teams were in the final (the two cited above, as well as, ’47, ’51 ’59, ’60 and ’67), ergo, the winner automatically won the title.

Yet, the stat is still incredible, as in the other 8 previous Tor/MTL ‘offs clashes, (all but the ’79 quarter, being in the semis. Remember the NHL was a great 6 team league for many years, (’42-’67), the winner took the Stanley Cup crown.

Montreal won the semi vs Toronto and the title in ’44, ’65, ’66 and ’78. They also won the crown after a quarterfinal series win vs Toronto, in 1979. That was the most recent Montreal/Toronto playoffs battle.

Toronto won the semi-final vs Montreal and the title in ’45, ’49, ’63 and ’64.

The Leafs have a (3-2) edge in best of 7 final round play vs the Habs and a (4-3) all-time final round advantage.

Toronto won the final vs Montreal in ’47, ’51 and in ’67. The Leafs’ title in ’67, came in their most recent final round appearance.

This will be a round of 16 matchup.

The great Leafs’ broadcaster, Foster Hewitt pictured above. Do not worry, we will give “equal time,” to the Canadiens’ great in that field, Danny Gallivan.