Consecutive victories 5 through 8 came the following season. Montreal defeated the Boston Bruins 7-3 at the Forum to open the 1977 Final, then won 3-0 and 4-2 before a 2-1 overtime victory at Boston Garden in Game 4 completed a second straight sweep.
The Bruins were the victim again the following season when the Canadiens tied the record of nine straight Final wins, set by the Toronto Maple Leafs from 1947-49.
Montreal defeated the Bruins 4-1 at home on
May 13, 1978
, to open the Final, then made it 10 in a row with a 3-2 overtime victory in Game 2 on May 16. Boston finally put an end to the streak in Game 3 with a 4-0 win at the Garden, then defeated the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime in Game 4. But that was only a speed bump in the Canadiens' run to their third straight championship; they won the series in six games.
The New York Islanders won nine straight games in the Final from 1981-83, equaling the record held by the Maple Leafs, but it is highly unlikely that another team will, over three consecutive seasons, win 10 straight Final games. The Edmonton Oilers were the last team to advance to three straight Finals, from 1983-85; their longest Final winning streak during that span was four games.
The Canadiens actually won 11 straight games in the Final, the first a Game 6 victory against the Chicaco Black Hawks in 1973, but the official streak is 10 since it has to consist of consecutive finals.
Montreal's streak officially began on May 9, 1976, with a 4-3 home victory against the Philadelphia Flyers, beginning a convincing four-game sweep of the "Broad Street Bullies," the two-time defending champions.