Ranking the reigns: we put Detroit's Yzerman-era run in the context of the NHL's greatest dynasties - 2003 Playoff Preview

Hockey Digest, May, 2003 by Barry Wilner

ONE WORD DEFINES TEAM greatness in pro sports: dynasty.

The New York Yankees are the epitome of a dynasty in baseball. The Pittsburgh Steelers of the Steel Curtain days were the essence of an NFL dynasty.

UCLA under John Wooden in college basketball was a dynasty. And the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA all have had legitimate dynasty runs.

The NHL, too, has had its share of illustrious franchises who could make dynastic claims. Here's a look at the eight teams that reached the very highest level of dominance and how they rank as a dynasty.

1. MONTREAL CANADIENS, 1956-60

The only club to win five straight Stanley Cups, the Canadiens had everything. There were Hall-of-Famers galore, both on the ice and behind the bench. These five editions of Les Habitants could outscore you, outskate you, outdefend you, and even outhit you, if necessary.

Under the guidance of Toe Blake, the Canadiens beat file Detroit Red Wings in the 1956 Finals, the Boston Bruins the next two years, and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the final two seasons of this championship streak. Only in 1958 did they even lose as many as two games in the Finals.

"We were a wonderfully balanced team," Doug Harvey, the late Hall of Fame defenseman once said. "Other teams couldn't handle all of the great forwards we had; we could send out three very strong lines, and other teams barely had two. They couldn't match up with us."

Harvey, a seven-lime Norris Trophy winner, led a defense that featured 1959 Norris recipient Tom Johnson and Jean-Guy Talbot Up front, Claude Provost was considered the best defensive forward in the game.

Behind them was Jacques Plante, not only one of the great innovators of the game--he pioneered the development and use of the facemask for goalies--but a true master in the crease. other netminders had better overall numbers, not a one was more effective in the clutch than Plante.

"We knew if someone made a mistake, Jacques would make up for it," Hall of Fame center Jean Beliveau says. "Jacques was the difference in many of our games."

But the biggest factor in Montreal's dominance was the overwhelming firepower the Canadiens brought to the rink. From Maurice Richard and Beliveau to Bernie Geoffrion and Dickie Moore, the Canadiens sent out waves of attackers. They had speed and agility. They had the pinpoint wrist shots of and Beliveau and the unfathomable power of Geoffrion's slapshots. There were nicknames like "Rocket" and "Boom Boom" and "Pocket Rocket."

Even the role players--Henri Richard was one for a few years; Bert Olmstead, Phil Goyette, Provost, and Donnie Marshall were others--found a modicum of stardom.

In an era with only six teams in the league and when scoring was at a premium, Montreal led the NHL in goals scored all five seasons during its run, never notching less than 200 in a single campaign. Even more impressive, the Canadiens had the most miserly defense each year, too.

Add it all up and you have the greatest dynasty in NHL history.

2. MONTREAL CANADIENS, 1976-79

The closest challenger to the top spot comes from the Canadiens' latter-day brethren of the late 1970s.

This dynasty actually began taking shape in 1971, when goalkeeper Ken Dryden stole a Stanley Cup as a rookie. Two years later, the Canadiens went an incredible 52-10-16 under coach Scotty Bowman and featured the best defense in hockey.

By 1976, though, the Canadiens had been deemed somewhat of a disappointment, unable not only to win the Cup in 1974 or '75, but incapable of even coming close to challenging Philadelphia's Broad Street Bullies.

Then everything came together. Montreal went virtually unopposed for the first three championships of this streak before it was forced to show its' gumption and resourcefulness in capturing No. 4.

"We needed to grow together as a team, and that happened even when we didn't win those two years," says Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Robinson. "We were pretty solid, but we were putting together the final pieces."

The grandest pieces were: Dryden in the net; Robinson, Serge Savard, and Guy Lapointe on the blue line; and Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Steve Shutt, and Jacques Lemaire up front.

The defensive trio was better than entire units with other clubs. In fact, Bowman would find ways to alternate Robinson, Savard, and Lapointe, so that one of them was always on the ice, even when Montreal used five defenseman. Not that secondary defenders Rod Langway, Billy Nyrop, and Brian Engblom were slouches.

Lafleur, though, was the true flower of the team, and when he blossomed, he became the most dangerous weapon on ice.

Montreal had at least 115 points every season from 1976-79, and ran away with the overall points title in three of them. And when other teams finally put some pressure on the Habs in the 1979 playoffs, they showed their mettle, rallying to first beat Boston in Game 7 of the semifinals before defeating the Rangers for their fourth straight Cup.

3. DETROIT RED WINGS, 1949-55

Any team featuring Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuk in their primes would be worthy of dynastic considerations. Any team that wins six straight regular-season points rifles and four Stanley Cups definitely rates as a dynasty.