73-74+74-75 Flyers Team Depth Chart

[Lotusflower]

I dont know if this is the right place to post this, if so a mod's assistance would be greatly appreciated, but I was looking at the roster for the Bullies teams in the 70's and was wondering about the different line combos and defensive pairings used on those teams. I couldn't find one online and if anyone on here could help me out it would be greatly appreciated.

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[Appleyard]

From watching the 75 team on videos:

Barber-Clarke-Leach
Lonsberry-MacLeish-Dornhoefer

was the top 6.

The bottom 6 was less set seemingly, I have seen either on video or on scoring EV charts:

Schultz-Kindrachuk-Saleski
Kelly-Clement-Crisp
Kelly-Crisp-Saleski
Kelly-Clement-Saleski
Kelly-Clement-Kindrachuk
Kindrachuk-Clement-Saleski
Schultz-Clement-Kindrachuk
Schultz-Clement-Crisp

At the start of the year I think it was:

Kelly-Clement-Crisp
Schultz-Kindrachuk-Saleski

but I do not know if they were the most common, though I think that may be likely...

 

[Appleyard]

As for the D in 75... I think it was mainly:

Jimmy Watson-Bladon
Joe Watson-Dupont
Harris-van Impe

Though I have seen van Impe with both Watsons at times in videos.

The 1PP I think was:
MacLeish-Clarke-Leach
Barber-Bladon

2PP (I think):
Lonsberry-Kindrachuk-Dornhoefer
Dupont-Jimmy Watson

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The forwards and defensemen used in those days totaled 17, not the current 18.

Note that lines changed, too. Schultz, for instance, assisted on both of Bobby Clarke's goals in the important Game 2 win at Boston in the 1974 Finals including the OT winner.

There was a rotation, with a healthy scratch at times, for players such as Clement and Kelly.

Kelly was unavailable for the latter part of the 1974 playoffs (injury). Ashbee (career ending injury) in the semis and Dornhoefer was hurt and missed games in the Finals.

Reggie Leach joined the team for the 1974-75 season.

Barber-Clarke-Flett (Flett was trade after 1974; Leach RW when he joined the team)
Lonsberry-MacLeish-Dornhoefer
Saleski-Kindrachuk-Schultz

 

[Jack Straw]

The forwards and defensemen used in those days totaled 17, not the current 18.

Note that lines changed, too. Schultz, for instance, assisted on both of Bobby Clarke's goals in the important Game 2 win at Boston in the 1974 Finals including the OT winner.

There was a rotation, with a healthy scratch at times, for players such as Clement and Kelly.

Kelly was unavailable for the latter part of the 1974 playoffs (injury). Ashbee (career ending injury) in the semis and Dornhoefer was hurt and missed games in the Finals.

Reggie Leach joined the team for the 1974-75 season.

Barber-Clarke-Flett (Flett was trade after 1974; Leach RW when he joined the team)
Lonsberry-MacLeish-Dornhoefer
Saleski-Kindrachuk-Schultz

I think Simon Nolet played RW on the 3rd line in '74. Very hazy memory though.

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

I think Simon Nolet played RW on the 3rd line in '74. Very hazy memory though.

There was shuffling of personnel. Terry Crisp played in all 17 playoffs games in 1974 and was a regular forward on the bottom lines.

But as far as consistency, here is an article...

http://articles.philly.com/2014-01-...d-street-bullies-don-saleski-orest-kindrachuk

Crisp, 70, known as a superb penalty killer during his playing days, said the Broad Street Bullies label is a "sense of pride" among him and his former teammates.

"Back then, it was us against the world," he said. "Let's be honest, we weren't the most beloved. But we filled every building when we went on the road. People came to hate us, and that was fine. Freddy [Shero, the coach] lived off of it and made it what it was for us. And we won two straight Stanley Cups and went for the third and got beat out in the Finals."

The Flyers were so dominating in '74 that their third line - Kindrachuk centering Saleski and Schultz - was a combined plus-66, even though it faced opponents' top lines on the road.

"People talk about the Broad Street Bullies, but we were a deep team," Saleski said.

 

[Jack Straw]

There were shuffling of personnel. Terry Crisp played in all 17 playoffs games in 1974 and was a regular forward on the bottom lines.

Crisp was a regular on the PK, I do remember that.

 

[Jack Straw]

You could really dig into the weeds of this at this website: http://www.flyershistory.com

They actually have the box scores of all the games under "All time lists > game results".

 

[Sawdalite]

AS MSE pointed out they dressed one less player back then before the game roster was expanded... But with that IIRC, there were as a rule three full lines and either two or three players, depending on whether the one short player was eliminated from Offense -- the usual case IIRC -- or Defense and who would be used on Special teams and plug-ins as needed or deemed necessary by the coach.

The Defense was normally a two pair setup with the odd D-man, or D-men used on a spot basis and on special teams... It would not be unusual for a team to have five dressed D-men with a rotation to keep all players with enough ice-time and this included special team work... So, even with a six D-man dressed setup there was at times a player that had less ice-time. The coaches of course relied on his horses for key spots. It was no unusual to have five D-men dressed and one either hurt or thrown out -- not uncommon with the Bullies LOL -- and the remaining four more pressed.

But IIRC it was usually a player less on Offense and three full lines with spot duty by two on special teams or on an as needed basis... Keep in mind that Shero loved to send Kelly out for a seek and destroy raiding mission to hit and stir up the team as needed... and as MSE pointed out Schultz on Clarke's line was relatively quite often at Shero's discretion. Hammer protected Clarke and allotted him more room to work... and at times The Fog played Hammer there on a hunch as he did in an Atlanta PlayOff Game where he scored the OT winner... Often though he was there for protection of Clarke, as well as muscle on the line... It worked well in that Boston Game Two where Clarke was fantastic, and part of that could be due to his protection at his wing. Keep in mind that Schultz did score twenty goals one season and was quite the scorer in Juniors before he was drafted and designated for his Hammer position.

The one less dressed player and no real fourth line... more of odd role players than a fourth line... and four to five main D-men with one or two plug-ins really made the Lines/Pairings quite different and the coaching quite a bit more involved and crafty... especially with a coach like Shero.