By Zane Miller
On Tuesday, May 18th, 1971, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Chicago Black Hawks (now Chicago Blackhawks) at Chicago Stadium in Chicago to win the 58th Stanley Cup Finals four games to three. It was the 17th Stanley Cup championship for the Canadiens franchise, and the fourth that was won in Illinois. These are the top five players that I felt most stood out during the series.
5. #16 Henri Richard (Canadiens)- F
Richard got player of the game in game seven, as he earned a pair of goals in the Canadiens’ 3-2 win to earn the series victory.
4. #27 Frank Mahovlich (Canadiens)- F
Mahovlich claimed player of the game in game three, scoring two goals as the Canadiens won it 4-2.
3. #20 Pete Mahovlich (Canadiens)- F
Frank’s younger brother Pete Mahovlich grabbed player of the game in game six, scoring a pair of goals as the Canadiens went on to the 4-3 win.
2. #12 Yvan Cournoyer (Canadiens)- F
Cournoyer got player of the game honors in game four, claiming two goals and an assist as the Canadiens got the 5-2 win.
1. #35 Tony Esposito (Black Hawks)- G
Esposito took player of the game honors in games one and five, as game one saw him make 36 saves on 37 shots in the Black Hawks’ 2-1 overtime victory. Esposito followed it up in game five as he earned a shutout with 31 saves on 31 chances as the Black Hawks won it 2-0.
Players of the Game Breakdown:
Link to stats database: https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1971-chicago-black-hawks-vs-montreal-canadiens-stanley-cup-final.html
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