| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Montreal Canadiens |
| Runner-up | St. Louis Blues |
The 1968 Stanley Cup playoffs, to decide the 1968 championship of the National Hockey League (NHL) was the first after the expansion from six to twelve teams. The playoff system was thus expanded from a four-team to an eight-team tournament, and was designed so that four of the new expansion teams would qualify for the postseason.
The defending champion Toronto Maple Leafs did not qualify and a new champion would be crowned. The Montreal Canadiens would defeat the St. Louis Blues in four straight to win the Stanley Cup.
All of the 'Original Six' teams were placed in the new Eastern Division, and all of the new teams placed in the new Western Division. Each division contributed four playoff teams. Division teams then played off to produce a divisional champion, and the two divisional champions played off in the Final to win the Stanley Cup.
The imbalance between the new teams and old was readily apparent in the standings. All four of the East Division teams had a better record than the top team in the West.
All series but Bruins-Canadiens had a game postponed after the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4.[1]
The Montreal Canadiens were the best regular season team, earning 94 points. The Boston Bruins earned 84 points to finish third in the East Division. This was the thirteenth playoff series between these two rivals, with Montreal winning ten of their twelve previous series. Their most recent series had come in the 1958 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won in six games. These teams split their ten-game regular season series.
The Bruins, making their first appearance in the playoffs since 1959, were swept in four games.
| April 4 | Boston Bruins | 1–2 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Ken Hodge (1) – 4:00 | First period | 14:08 – pp – Henri Richard (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 14:40 – Claude Provost (1) | ||||||
| Gerry Cheevers 33 saves / 35 shots | Goalie stats | Gump Worsley 21 saves / 22 shots | ||||||
| April 6 | Boston Bruins | 3–5 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Ken Hodge (2) – 13:58 | First period | 09:33 – Jacques Lemaire (1) | ||||||
| Ted Green (1) - pp - 13:06 | Second period | 04:15 – Jacques Laperriere (1) 09:24 – Jacques Lemaire (2) | ||||||
| John McKenzie (1) – 10:47 | Third period | 10:24 – Dick Duff (1) 17:34 – Jean Beliveau (1) | ||||||
| Gerry Cheevers 36 saves / 41 shots | Goalie stats | Gump Worsley 17 saves / 20 shots | ||||||
| April 9 | Montreal Canadiens | 5–2 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| Jean Beliveau (2) – pp - 15:35 | First period | 5:15 – Ed Westfall (1) | ||||||
| Claude Provost (2) – pp - 7:39 Ralph Backstrom (1) – 8:41 John Ferguson (1) – 18:23 |
Second period | 19:55 - Tommy Williams (1) | ||||||
| Dick Duff (2) – 8:23 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gump Worsley 25 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Cheevers 28 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| April 11 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | Boston Bruins | Boston Garden | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Claude Larose (1) – 12:58 | Second period | 00:49 – Ed Westfall (2) | ||||||
| Claude Larose (2) – 7:20 Ralph Backstrom (2) – 16:33 |
Third period | 18:34 – Ken Hodge (3) | ||||||
| Gump Worsley 35 saves / 37 shots | Goalie stats | Gerry Cheevers 31 saves / 34 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–0 | |
The New York Rangers earned 90 points to finish second in the East Division. The Chicago Blackhawks finished fourth in the East Division with 80 points. This was the second playoff series between these two teams. Their only previous series came in the 1931 semifinals, where Chicago won the two-game total goals series 3 goals to 0. New York earned eleven of twenty points in this year's regular season series.
The Black Hawks, led by Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita upset the Rangers in six to set up a Montreal-Chicago East Division showdown.
| April 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–3 | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 11:22 – Orland Kurtenbach (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 07:34 – pp – Harry Howell (1) | ||||||
| Pierre Pilote (1) – pp – 12:27 | Third period | 01:36 – Rod Gilbert (1) | ||||||
| Denis DeJordy 41 saves / 44 shots | Goalie stats | Ed Giacomin 31 saves / 32 shots | ||||||
| April 9 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–2 | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 15:57 – Rod Gilbert (2) | ||||||
| Bobby Hull (1) – 10:12 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 12:40 – Donnie Marshall (1) | ||||||
| Denis DeJordy 28 saves / 30 shots | Goalie stats | Ed Giacomin 36 saves / 37 shots | ||||||
| April 11 | New York Rangers | 4–7 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| Vic Hadfield (1) – pp – 16:47 | First period | 11:35 – Pit Martin (1) | ||||||
| Rod Gilbert (3) – 9:32 Rod Gilbert (4) – 9:38 |
Second period | 08:48 – Stan Mikita (1) | ||||||
| Rod Seiling (1) – 13:22 | Third period | 02:36 – Pit Martin (2) 05:25 – pp – Stan Mikita (2) 08:59 – Dennis Hull (1) 18:19 – Doug Mohns (1) 19:42 – Gilles Marotte (1) | ||||||
| Ed Giacomin 24 saves / 31 shots | Goalie stats | Denis DeJordy 29 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | New York Rangers | 1–3 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| Ron Stewart (1) – 17:20 | First period | 15:33 – Kenny Wharram (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 3:33 – Gilles Marotte (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 8:24 – Chico Maki (1) | ||||||
| Ed Giacomin 41 saves / 44 shots | Goalie stats | Denis DeJordy 37 saves / 38 shots | ||||||
| April 14 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–1 | New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | Recap | |||
| Donnie Marshall (2) – 5:20 | First period | 16:14 – pp – Bobby Hull (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Bobby Schmautz (1) – 16:46 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Denis DeJordy 32 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Ed Giacomin 27 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 16 | New York Rangers | 1–4 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 05:50 – Doug Jarrett (1) | ||||||
| Rod Gilbert (5) – 03:15 | Second period | 19:25 – Chico Maki (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 02:39 – Pit Martin (3) 16:35 – Stan Mikita (3) | ||||||
| Ed Giacomin 25 saves / 29 shots | Goalie stats | Denis DeJordy 26 saves / 27 shots | ||||||
| Chicago won series 4–2 | |
The Philadelphia Flyers were West Division Champions, earning 73 points. The St. Louis Blues earned 70 points to finish third in the West Division. This was the first playoff series for both teams. Philadelphia earned sixteen of twenty points in this year's regular season series.
Philadelphia was upset by the Blues, led by goaltender Glenn Hall and coached by future Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman, in seven games.
| April 4 | St. Louis Blues | 1–0 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jimmy Roberts (1) – 14:13 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 14 saves / 14 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 32 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| April 6 | St. Louis Blues | 3–4 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Dickie Moore (1) – 07:11 | First period | 01:32 – Pat Hannigan (1) 18:37 – pp – Don Blackburn (1) 19:10 – Claude Laforge (1) | ||||||
| Don McKenney (1) – 04:22 Larry Keenan (1) – 05:46 |
Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 06:51 – Leon Rochefort (1) | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 37 saves / 41 shots | Goalie stats | Doug Favell 26 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 10 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2–3 | 2OT | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jean Gauthier (1) – pp – 17:35 | Second period | 02:54 – Terry Crisp (1) | ||||||
| Joe Watson (1) – 13:54 | Third period | 07:38 – Frank St. Marseille (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second overtime period | 04:10 – Larry Keenan (2) | ||||||
| Bernie Parent 54 saves / 57 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 33 saves / 35 shots | ||||||
| April 11 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2–5 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | |||
| Andre Lacroix (1) – pp – 02:26 | First period | 06:52 – sh – Bill McCreary Sr. (1) 13:29 – pp – Red Berenson (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 16:55 – Dickie Moore (2) | ||||||
| Don Blackburn (2) – 14:04 | Third period | 00:49 – Red Berenson (2) 16:05 – sh – Barclay Plager (1) | ||||||
| Doug Favell 28 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 22 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | St. Louis Blues | 1–6 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 09:01 – Leon Rochefort (2) 13:18 – Rosaire Paiement (1) 15:52 – sh – Forbes Kennedy (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 17:00 – Brit Selby (1) | ||||||
| Gerry Melnyk (1) – sh – 11:05 | Third period | 10:27 – pp – Rosaire Paiement (2) 13:26 – pp – Rosaire Paiement (3) | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 9 saves / 12 shots Seth Martin 17 saves / 20 shots |
Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 30 saves / 31 shots | ||||||
| April 16 | Philadelphia Flyers | 2–1 | 2OT | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 18:06 – pp – Gerry Melnyk (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Andre Lacroix (2) – 19:45 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Don Blackburn (3) – 11:18 | Second overtime period | No scoring | ||||||
| Bernie Parent 63 saves / 64 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 41 saves / 43 shots | ||||||
| April 18 | St. Louis Blues | 3–1 | Philadelphia Flyers | Spectrum | Recap | |||
| Frank St. Marseille (2) – pp – 07:38 | First period | 18:25 – pp – Bill Sutherland (1) | ||||||
| Larry Keenan (3) – pp – 10:45 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Red Berenson (3) – 19:10 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 26 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Bernie Parent 28 saves / 30 shots | ||||||
| St. Louis won series 4–3 | |
The Los Angeles Kings finished second in the West Division with 72 points. The Minnesota North Stars earned 69 points to finish fourth in the West Division. This was the first playoff series for both teams. Minnesota earned fourteen of twenty points in this year's regular season series.
The North Stars defeated the Kings in seven games.
| April 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 1–2 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 19:55 – pp – Eddie Joyal (1) | ||||||
| Dave Balon (1) – 03:54 | Third period | 03:13 – Bill White (1) | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 38 saves / 40 shots | Goalie stats | Terry Sawchuck 30 saves / 31 shots | ||||||
| April 6 | Minnesota North Stars | 0–2 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 08:45 – pp – Lowell MacDonald (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 18:12 – Eddie Joyal (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 37 saves / 39 shots | Goalie stats | Terry Sawchuck 18 saves / 18 shots | ||||||
| April 9 | Los Angeles Kings | 5–7 | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | Recap | |||
| Lowell MacDonald (2) – 12:44 Lowell MacDonald (3) – 13:56 Howie Hughes (1) – pp – 15:19 |
First period | 05:51 – Bill Collins (1) 15:48 – Ray Cullen (1) 17:34 – pp – Mike McMahon Jr. (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 01:25 – Parker MacDonald (1) 16:56 – ps – Wayne Connelly (1) | ||||||
| Ted Irvine (1) – 03:23 Doug Robinson (1) – 04:15 |
Third period | 00:09 – Bill Collins (2) 17:50 – Andre Boudrias (1) | ||||||
| Terry Sawchuck 18 saves / 23 shots Wayne Rutledge 9 saves / 11 shots |
Goalie stats | Cesare Maniago 24 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 11 | Los Angeles Kings | 2–3 | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | Recap | |||
| Bill Flett (1) – 03:37 Bill White (2) – 04:45 |
First period | 11:30 – pp – Ray Cullen (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 06:31 – Mike McMahon Jr. (2) 09:27 – Dave Balon (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Terry Sawchuck 31 saves / 34 shots | Goalie stats | Cesare Maniago 30 saves / 32 shots | ||||||
| April 13 | Minnesota North Stars | 2–3 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 02:14 – Gord Labossiere (1) 02:29 – Gord Labossiere (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 12:23 – pp – Eddie Joyal (3) | ||||||
| Wayne Connelly (2) – 07:15 Wayne Connelly (3) – 14:55 |
Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 21 saves / 24 shots | Goalie stats | Wayne Rutledge 27 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 16 | Los Angeles Kings | 3–4 | OT | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | Recap | ||
| Doug Robinson (2) – 11:12 | First period | 08:05 – sh – Mike McMahon Jr. (3) | ||||||
| Real Lemieux (1) – 1:37 Howie Hughes (2) – 04:20 |
Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 07:23 – Bill Goldsworthy (1) 16:39 – Bob McCord (1) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 09:11 – Milan Marcetta (1) | ||||||
| Wayne Rutledge 29 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Cesare Maniago 33 saves / 36 shots | ||||||
| April 18 | Minnesota North Stars | 9–4 | Los Angeles Kings | The Forum | Recap | |||
| Parker MacDonald (2) – 02:24 Wayne Connelly (4) – pp – 08:05 Bill Goldsworthy (2) – 16:25 |
First period | 02:51 – Doug Robinson (3) | ||||||
| Milan Marcetta (2) – 08:45 Parker MacDonald (3) – 11:58 Milan Marcetta (3) – 12:49 Dave Balon (3) – 15:58 Andre Boudrias (2) – 16:12 |
Second period | 05:12 – pp – Eddie Joyal (4) 16:45 – Poul Popiel (1) | ||||||
| Bill Goldsworthy (3) – pp – 09:07 | Third period | 19:36 – Doug Robinson (4) | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 22 saves / 26 shots | Goalie stats | Terry Sawchuck 24 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| Minnesota won series 4–3 | |
This was the 14th playoff series between these two teams. Their most recent series previous to this one was in the 1965 Stanley Cup Finals, which Montreal won four games to three. Montreal earned fourteen of a possible twenty points from the ten 1967-1968 regular season matchups between the two teams.
The Black Hawks could not provide another upset, and lost to the Canadiens in five games, giving Montreal their only defeat of the playoffs.
| April 18 | Chicago Black Hawks | 2–9 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 06:37 – Ralph Backstrom (3) 07:31 – Yvan Cournoyer (1) 09:24 – John Ferguson (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 15:26 – pp – Yvan Cournoyer (2) | ||||||
| Doug Jarrett (2) – 10:20 Gilles Marotte (3) – 11:26 |
Third period | 00:10 – John Ferguson (3) 01:28 – Gilles Tremblay (1) 07:08 – Jacques Lemaire (3) 16:03 – Jean Beliveau (3) 17:50 – Claude Larose (3) | ||||||
| Denis DeJordy 24 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Gump Worsley 32 saves / 34 shots | ||||||
| April 20 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1–4 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| Stan Mikita (4) – pp – 05:03 | First period | 10:58 – Jean Beliveau (4) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | 10:04 – pp – Jean Beliveau (5) 15:41 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (4) 17:57 – pp – Jean Beliveau (6) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Denis DeJordy 35 saves / 39 shots | Goalie stats | Gump Worsley 23 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| April 23 | Montreal Canadiens | 4–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| Jean Beliveau (7) - 00:39 | First period | 15:25 – Doug Jarrett (3) | ||||||
| Yvan Cournoyer (3) – pp – 02:39 Yvan Cournoyer (4) – 06:11 J. C. Tremblay (1) – 12:05 |
Second period | 10:35 – Doug Jarrett (4) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gump Worsley 39 saves / 41 shots | Goalie stats | Denis DeJordy 29 saves / 33 shots | ||||||
| April 25 | Montreal Canadiens | 1–2 | Chicago Black Hawks | Chicago Stadium | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 08:57 – Bobby Hull (3) | ||||||
| Henri Richard (2) – 03:37 | Second period | 06:50 – sh – Bobby Hull (4) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gump Worsley 3 saves / 4 shots Rogie Vachon 29 saves / 30 shots |
Goalie stats | Denis DeJordy 28 saves / 29 shots | ||||||
| April 28 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–4 | OT | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | 08:10 – Bobby Rousseau (1) | ||||||
| Bobby Schmautz (2) – 9:59 | Second period | 11:15 – sh – J. C. Tremblay (2) | ||||||
| Stan Mikita (5) – pp – 01:23 Wayne Maki (1) – 08:14 |
Third period | 06:38 – pp – Jacques Lemaire (5) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 02:14 – Jacques Lemaire (6) | ||||||
| Denis DeJordy 40 saves / 44 shots | Goalie stats | Rogie Vachon 24 saves / 27 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–1 | |
St. Louis earned twelve of twenty points in this year's regular season series.
Ron Schock's goal in double OT, called the "Midnight Goal" by many hockey fans, gave the Blues the series and sent them to the Stanley Cup Finals.
| April 21 | Minnesota North Stars | 3–5 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | |||
| Milan Marcetta (4) – pp – 7:49 | First period | 14:27 - Tim Ecclestone (1) | ||||||
| Wayne Connelly (5) – 00:49 Wayne Connelly (6) – pp – 15:41 |
Second period | 09:31 – pp – Frank St. Marseille (3) 10:05 – pp – Dickie Moore (3) 12:36 – sh – Bill McCreary Sr. (2) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 14:08 – Larry Keenan (4) | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 28 saves / 33 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 25 saves / 28 shots | ||||||
| April 22 | St. Louis Blues | 2–3 | OT | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | Recap | ||
| Jimmy Roberts (2) – 12:28 | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Frank St. Marseille (4) – pp – 04:58 | Third period | 02:12 – Milan Marcetta (5) 07:00 – Bill Goldsworthy (4) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 03:41 – Parker MacDonald (4) | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 24 saves / 27 shots | Goalie stats | Cesare Maniago 23 saves / 25 shots | ||||||
| April 25 | Minnesota North Stars | 5–1 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | |||
| Milan Marcetta (6) – 09:38 Bill Goldsworthy (5) – 13:00 J. P. Parise (1) – 19:01 |
First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Bill Goldsworthy (6) – 16:33 | Second period | 04:53 – Dickie Moore (4) | ||||||
| Dave Balon (4) – pp – 00:09 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 30 saves / 31 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 16 saves / 21 shots | ||||||
| April 27 | Minnesota North Stars | 3–4 | OT | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | ||
| Walt McKechnie (1) – 04:42 J. P. Parise (2) – pp – 14:40 |
First period | No scoring | ||||||
| Wayne Connelly (7) – 19:37 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 11:57 – Jimmy Roberts (3) 12:57 – Dickie Moore (5) 19:49 – Jimmy Roberts (4) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 01:32 – Gary Sabourin (1) | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 39 saves / 43 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 21 saves / 24 shots | ||||||
| April 29 | Minnesota North Stars | 2–3 | OT | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | ||
| Walt McKechnie (2) – 05:39 | First period | 01:53 – Bob Plager (1) 10:44 – Gary Sabourin (2) | ||||||
| Bob McCord (2) – 6:31 | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 17:27 – Bill McCreary Sr. (3) | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 52 saves / 55 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 26 saves / 28 shots | ||||||
| May 1 | St. Louis Blues | 1–5 | Minnesota North Stars | Met Center | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 05:28 – pp – Wayne Connelly (8) 10:54 – Andre Boudrias (3) | ||||||
| Gary Sabourin (3) – 13:53 | Second period | 06:34 – Bill Goldsworthy (7) 17:16 – Bill Goldsworthy (8) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 09:52 – Milan Marcetta (7) | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 12 saves / 15 shots Seth Martin 21 saves / 23 shots |
Goalie stats | Cesare Maniago 22 saves / 23 shots | ||||||
| May 3 | Minnesota North Stars | 1–2 | 2OT | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | ||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Walt McKechnie (3) – 16:49 | Third period | 17:20 – Dickie Moore (6) | ||||||
| No scoring | Second overtime period | 02:50 – Ron Schock (1) | ||||||
| Cesare Maniago 36 saves / 38 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 44 saves / 45 shots | ||||||
| St. Louis won series 4–3 | |
|
Main article: 1968 Stanley Cup Finals |
The Montreal Canadiens advanced to their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, having won the championship in 1965 and 1966. The St. Louis Blues beat out the five other teams also playing in their inaugural season to reach the Final. Montreal earned seven of eight points in this year's regular season series.
Blues coach Scotty Bowman, a long-time member of the Canadiens organization was unable to spur the Blues to an upset. The Canadiens, led by Jean Beliveau and Henri Richard swept the series in four games.
| May 5 | Montreal Canadiens | 3–2 | OT | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | ||
| Henri Richard (3) – 09:42 | First period | 09:19 – Barclay Plager (2) | ||||||
| Yvan Cournoyer (5) - 18:14 | Second period | 08:16 – pp – Dickie Moore (7) | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Jacques Lemaire (7) – 01:41 | First overtime period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gump Worsley 34 saves / 36 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 35 saves / 38 shots | ||||||
| May 7 | Montreal Canadiens | 1–0 | St. Louis Blues | St. Louis Arena | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| Serge Savard (1) – sh – 02:17 | Third period | No scoring | ||||||
| Gump Worsley 19 saves / 19 shots | Goalie stats | Glenn Hall 35 saves / 36 shots | ||||||
| May 9 | St. Louis Blues | 3–4 | OT | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | ||
| Frank St. Marseille (5) – pp – 10:22 | First period | 14:24 – pp - Yvan Cournoyer (6) | ||||||
| Red Berenson (4) - 03:37 | Second period | 01:23 – sh – Serge Savard (2) | ||||||
| Red Berenson (5) – sh – 17:25 | Third period | 11:43 – Ralph Backstrom (4) | ||||||
| No scoring | First overtime period | 01:13 – Bobby Rousseau (2) | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 42 saves / 46 shots | Goalie stats | Gump Worsley 12 saves / 15 shots | ||||||
| May 11 | St. Louis Blues | 2–3 | Montreal Canadiens | Montreal Forum | Recap | |||
| No scoring | First period | 16:47 – Dick Duff (3) | ||||||
| Craig Cameron (1) – 06:53 Gary Sabourin (4) – pp – 07:50 |
Second period | No scoring | ||||||
| No scoring | Third period | 07:24 – Henri Richard (4) 11:40 – J. C. Tremblay (3) | ||||||
| Glenn Hall 28 saves / 31 shots | Goalie stats | Gump Worsley 19 saves / 21 shots | ||||||
| Montreal won series 4–0 | |
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Boston Bruins | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | New York Rangers | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4 | ||||||||||||
| E1 | Montreal Canadiens | 4 | ||||||||||||
| W3 | St. Louis Blues | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Philadelphia Flyers | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | St. Louis Blues | 4 | ||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Los Angeles Kings | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Minnesota North Stars | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Prince of Wales Trophy: (East Division champion) |
Montreal Canadiens |
| Clarence S. Campbell Bowl: (West Division champion) |
St. Louis Blues |
| Conn Smythe Trophy: (Playoff MVP) |
Glenn Hall, St. Louis Blues |
