The 1969–70 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 61st season of play. The Canadiens placed fifth in the East division and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 1947–48 season, ending their 21-season playoff streak. This team was also the only Canadiens team between the 1948–49 season and the 1993–94 season that missed the playoffs, a span of 46 years. Regular season April 5, 1970 – The Montreal Canadiens were in a desperate race to qualify for the NHL playoffs. The Canadiens visit the Chicago Black Hawks. With 9:30 left in regulation time, Montreal was down by a score of 5–2. Montreal's only hope of qualifying for the playoffs was to score three more goals. Canadiens coach Claude Ruel removed his goalie, Rogatien Vachon from the net. Vachon would return to the net only for faceoffs. Unfortunately, luck ran out as Chicago scored five empty net goals and win the game by a score of 10–2 combined with the Rangers 9–5 win over Detroit. Montreal missed the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. Final standings Schedule and results Player statistics Regular season Scoring Goaltending Awards and records Jacques Laperriere, Defence, NHL Second Team All-Star Transactions Draft picks See also 1969–70 NHL season References External links Canadiens on Hockey Database Canadiens on NHL Reference Montreal Canadiens seasons Mon Mon