from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN,

Here's our ranking of the 10 greatest dynasties in NHL history. A few things to keep in mind about this countdown:

• We take the context of different eras into account, including the number of teams in the league, the playoff format and other aspects.

• Hence, there is a "degree of difficulty" curve for teams playing in the modern era vs. the Original Six era. Especially for teams that, for example, might have had to deal with increased player movement and the salary cap.

• Our definitions of "dynasties" and their length might not always sync up with yours, but just go with it.

Thanks to the ESPN NHL editorial staff, Hockey Hall of Fame writer Michael Farber and others for their input. Now, who has the greatest NHL dynasty?

1. Montreal Canadiens, 1970-79 (six Stanley Cups in 1971, '73, '76, '77, '78 and '79)

A decade of dominance, starting with Ken Dryden's rookie run to the Conn Smythe and ending with the last of Scotty Bowman's eight years as head coach. In nine seasons, they won six Stanley Cups and six conference titles. They had seven first-place finishes and finished with better than a .600 points percentage all nine seasons. That included the best season for any team in the modern NHL: 1976-77, when Montreal went 60-8-12, good for an NHL-record 132 points and a .825 points percentage. In three straight championship seasons (1975-76 to 1977-78), the Habs went a ridiculous 177-29-34 in the regular season.

more on the Canadiens and 9 other dynasties...