1988-89 – Two Solitudes

Game 616 – Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3

January 21, 1989April 30, 2021 Master Of This Domain

Game 616
Canadiens 4, Maple Leafs 3
Saturday, January 21, 1989
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec

“They didn’t beat us, we beat ourselves.” “The referee beat us.”

Players often utter such cliches after their team loses.
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Game 615 – Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 3

January 14, 1989April 30, 2021 Master Of This Domain

Game 615
Canadiens 5, Maple Leafs 3
Saturday, January 14, 1989
Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Ontario

Invariably, the judgment will be that finesse won over muscle.

Russ Courtnall 2, John Kordic 0.
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Game 614 – Maple Leafs 6, Canadiens 2

October 17, 1988January 19, 2022 Master Of This Domain

Game 614
Maple Leafs 6, Canadiens 2
Monday, October 17, 1988
Forum de Montréal, Montréal, Québec

It was supposed to be Daniel Marois’ homecoming. His friend and confidant Vincent Damphousse, however, stole the show.
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2026
Our condolences go out to the family, friends and fans of André Pronovost, who passed away today at the age of 90. A member of the Canadiens for four and a half of his ten NHL seasons, Pronovost would win four consecutive Stanley Cups (1957-60) with Montréal, scoring 18 points in 58 regular season games against Toronto, along with two more points in nine playoff games in back-to-back championship wins over the Maple Leafs in 1959 and 1960.

JUNE 5, 2026
Our condolences go out to the family, friends and fans of Cliff Fletcher, who passed away today at the age of 90. An NHL executive for nearly seven decades, Fletcher began his career as a pro scout for the Canadiens in 1956, part of six Stanley Cup winning teams in his decade of service. Fletcher would work his way up to general manger, in stints with St. Louis, Atlanta and Calgary, winning the Stanley Cup as Flames GM in 1989. He would become GM and President of the Maple Leafs in 1991, serving for six seasons, later returning as GM, then Senior Advisor, in 2007, staying in the role until 2024. Fletcher would spend a total of 33 seasons between Toronto and Montréal, being named to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2004.

MAY 28, 2026
Our condolences go out to the family, friends and fans of Claude Lemieux, who unexpectedly passed away today at the age of 60. A veteran of twenty-one NHL seasons, the first seven of them in Montréal, where he would win his first of four Stanley Cups in 1986, Lemieux would face off against Toronto ten times between 1986-90, notching four goals, ten points and 19 penalty minutes.