NEW JERSEY
VS.
CAROLINA

OTTAWA
VS.
TORONTO

WASHINGTON
VS.
PITTSBURGH

PHILADELPHIA
VS.
BUFFALO

COLORADO
VS.
VANCOUVER

DETROIT
VS.
LOS ANGELES

DALLAS
VS.
EDMONTON

ST. LOUIS
VS.
SAN JOSE
Thursday, April 26
Breaking through
Joy Russo
ESPN.com

Heading into the 1961 Stanley Cup finals, it was not hard to figure out why the Montreal Canadiens were the clear favorite against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago 4, Montreal 2
Date Result Goalie
3/21 Habs 6, 'Hawks 2 Plante
3/23 'Hawks 4, Habs 3 Hall
3/26 'Hawks 2, Habs 1 Hall
3/28 Habs 5, 'Hawks 2 Plante
4/1 'Hawks 3, Habs 0 Hall
4/4 'Hawks 3, Habs 0 Hall

Even though the Canadiens were without their long-time captain, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, who retired after the previous season, they headed into the playoffs with a first-place ranking. Want to talk about a dynasty? Montreal was also making its 11th straight playoff appearance and was vying for its sixth straight Cup.

But the Habs might have underestimated their opponents. Chicago came out and physically overpowered Montreal's speed and finesse, and managed to split the first two games before heading home. Game 3 was an emotional one for the Blackhawks as winger Murray Balfour beat Jacques Plante in the third overtime to take a 2-1 lead over the Canadiens. Not used to losing, maybe? Habs coach Hector "Toe" Blake even attacked a referee after that game because he thought Chicago players were being too physical. The Habs tied things up with a 5-2 win, but then reality set in.

The turnaround?
The Blackhawks not only ended Montreal's dominance, but also did it in dramatic fashion. Going up against Plante, Chicago netminder Glenn Hall shut out the Canadiens – twice – in Games 5 and 6 to send Montreal home early. The 'Hawks would go on to beat Gordie Howe and the Red Wings for their first Stanley Cup in 23 years. Unfortunately, the storied Original Six franchise has yet to win one since their historic run.

Series MVP
Names like Bobby Hull or Stan Mikita come to mind, maybe even Hall. But some might forget Chicago defenseman Pierre Pilote. A surprising scoring force, Pilote tied Howe for the lead in playoff scoring in 1961, finishing with three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 12 games.

Joy Russo is a staff editor for ESPN.com

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