The Montreal Canadiens continued to steamroll the rest of
the National Hockey League in 1958-59. The Habs took first place by 18 points
and went on to win their fourth of five consecutive Stanley Cup championships.
Dickie Moore – Montreal Canadiens
Dickie Moore led Montreal with 96 points. He also led the
league, earning his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy. The 96 points eclipsed
Gordie Howe’s NHL record by one point for most in a single season. Teammate
Jean Beliveau was right behind with 91 points on an offensive powerhouse that
scored over 50 more goals than any other team in the league. The Canadiens took
out Chicago in the opening round and the surprising Maple Leafs in the final to
capture the Stanley Cup.
Andy Bathgate – New York Rangers
Andy
Bathgate of the New York Rangers had a career season, leading the team and
finishing third in the NHL with 88 points. The Rangers finished the regular
season in fifth place and out of post season contention. However, Bathgate was
awarded the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP. Andy figured in on nearly 44% of
all New York’s goals in 1958-59.
Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings
Gordie Howe, as usual, led the Detroit Red Wings. His 78
points placed him fourth in the race for the Art Ross. However, the Red Wings
were uncharacteristically disappointing, placing sixth and last in the league,
six points behind the Rangers. Howe had a point on nearly 47% of all Detroit’s
goals. Despite Hockey Hall of Fame goalie Terry Sawchuk playing in 67 of
Detroit’s 70 games, the team had the most goals against in the league.
Ed Litzenberger – Chicago Black Hawks
Ed
Litzenberger led the Chicago
Blackhawks with 77 points and finished fifth in the NHL. For Litzenberger
it was the end of an era. He had been the team’s offensive leader since winning
the Calder Trophy in 1954-55. He played five more years in the NHL after
1958-59 but he never again achieved even half the point total of that season.
Bobby Hull emerged as a superstar in 1959-60 and Ed became obsolete. The Black
Hawks were on the move, after missing the post season the year before, the team
finished third during the regular season. They were just two years away from a
Stanley Cup championship.
Don McKenney – Boston Bruins
Don
McKenney was at the peak of his NHL career, leading the Boston Bruins with
62 points and tying for eighth in the NHL. Boston finished second overall but
fell in the opening round to the fourth place Maple Leafs in a series that went
the full seven games. For Boston, they would not return to the post season
until 1967-68.
Dick Duff – Toronto Maple Leafs
Dick
Duff led the Toronto Maple Leafs with 53 points. The previous season,
Toronto finished dead last in the league with just 53 points. The team had a 12
point improvement in 1958-59 and placed fourth. They then went on to upset the
Bruins in the opening round before falling to Montreal in five in the final.
The defining difference in Toronto was Johnny Bower, playing in his first
season with the Maple Leafs and taking over the starting role from Ed Chadwick.
