The Montreal Canadiens won 6 Stanley Cups during the 1970s. Their championships came in 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979, making the decade one of the greatest dynastic periods in NHL history.
The run began in the 1970–71 season, when Montreal defeated the Chicago Black Hawks in the Final. After another title in 1973, the Canadiens became nearly unbeatable in the middle of the decade, winning four consecutive championships from 1976 through 1979. They defeated Philadelphia, Boston, Boston again, and the New York Rangers in those four Finals.
The teams featured an exceptional collection of talent, including Guy Lafleur, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, Bob Gainey, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, and Steve Shutt. Scotty Bowman coached Montreal’s final five Cup-winning teams of the decade, adding tactical discipline to the club’s deep roster.
The answer is six, not seven: Montreal did not win in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975, or 1980. The 1980 result belongs to the next decade, even though it followed the Canadiens’ four-title streak.