Ok kids, this is fun! Next we have the TOP 10 GAMES IN FLYERS HISTORY!
Thanks to MSE for the idea!
For a little added suspense, I'll do this in reverse order. All games marked with a *, I attended. And here we go!!
Just missed the cut:
Game 6 at Minnesota, 1st round, 1973 playoffs - Flyers win the first playoff series in franchise history
Game 7 vs NY Islanders, 1975 Cup semis - Flyers avert disaster after losing 3 straight and move on to the finals
*Flyers defeat the Soviet Red Army team in January, 1976 - The Flyers save the NHL's pride and crush the Soviets 4-1
Dec. 22, 1979 at Boston: The Flyers win and extend their unbeaten streak to 29 games setting a new pro sports record.
*Game 1 vs NYR, 1985 first round: MSE summed this up perfectly in his previous post. IT was awesome!
*Nov 15, 1985 vs EDM: behind call up goalie Darren Jensen, the Flyers fight past the tragedy of Pelle Lindbergh's death to defeat the defending Cup champions
*Game 6 vs PIT, 2012 1st round - THE SHIFT!
*10. Game 6 vs TB 2004 conference finals
It was the Keith Primeau show as the Flyers captain physically dominated the Lightning and sent the Flyers to a game 7 in Tampa. Sadly, the Flyers ran out of gas in that last game as their badly depleted D finally caught up to them. Primeau though was amazing that whole playoff run and the excitement in the building during game 6 was incredibly intense.
9. Game 7 at Washington, 2008 first round
The Flyers cap off one of the most amazing one year turn arounds in sports history and defeat the Caps in 7 on a goal by RJ Umberger. The Flyers had finished dead last in the NHL in 06-07 and no one picked them to even make the playoffs in 07-08. Instead, buoyed by some great moves by GM Paul Holmgren, fine coaching by John Stevens, and a great job by the new guys: Briere, Timonen and Hartnell, they made a run to the conference final.
8. Game 4 at Toronto, 1977 quarterfinals
The last 5 minutes of regulation along with the OT was just ****ing unreal. See MSE's post above for a detailed recounting of this amazing finish.
7. Game 4 at Pittsburgh, 2000 2nd round
Five OTs, no that is not a misprint, 5 OTs!! The stories from that game are epic. Eating cold pizza in the locker between OTs and Keith Jones' 5 second shifts stand out. Everyone remembers Primeau's goal to end it, but in my mind, the hero was Brian Boucher in the net. It might have been the best game of his life.
6. Game 7 at Boston, 2010 2nd round
Let me start by setting the scene. The Flyers drop the first 3 games in this series and everybody, even the most die hard homer fan, thought they were done. They in game 4 at home and most folks are thinking: ok, at least they salvaged some pride. They then go on to win game 5 in Boston and all of a sudden we start thinking: could this actually happen. The WF Center was rocking like crazy when the Flyers, with another fantastic effort, especially by Danny Briere, go on to win yet again and force a game 7. So back to Boston we go and damn, the first period isn't even over and 0ur boys are down 3-0. It looks like the magic has run out, but just wait. First, coach Peter Laviolette calls one of his trademark timeouts and tells the boys: just get one, get one and we are right back in this thing. Well God Bless the Pigeon as JVR does just that and it's 3-1 going into intermission. In the 2nd, Hartnell and Mr. Money, Danny Briere tie it up at 3 setting the stage for the final act. In the 3rd, someone on the Bruins has the ultimate brain fart and they are caught with too many men on the ice. Simon Gagne scores the game winner on the powerplay and caps the greatest series comeback in franchise history.
*5. Game 6 vs Edmonton, 1987 Cup finals
The Flyers stave off elimination and force a game 7 in 1987. Down 2-0 early, Lindsay Carson scores a huge goal to get the Flyers on the board. With about 8 minutes left in regulation, Glenn Anderson takes a flat out stupid high sticking penalty and Brian Propp rips a laser past Grant Fuhr to tie the game. A minute later with the building still rocking from Propp's goal, 3rd pair Dman JJ Daigneault scores the game winner and the Spectrum utterly explodes. I cannot describe how loud it was. All I can say is that my dad who was sitting right next to me tried to say something after JJs goal, and while I could see his mouth moving, I couldn't hear a ****ing thing. Fun fact about the game winning goal: Daigneault was heading to bench for a change, but Mark Howe who had played a ton that night, was still gasping for air and yelled at him to stay on. Daigneault barely made over the blue line to accept the past that led to the game winner. UNREAL!!
4. Game 7 vs NY Rangers 1974 semi finals
The Flyers stay perfect on home ice and become the first expansion team in history to defeat an original 6 team in the playoffs. Even though the Flyers had the better record, most prognosticators had picked New York to win the series. As MSE states in his post, this was the game that gave them the confidence to go on and beat Boston for the Cup. Parent was a stone wall in this one and he would go on and win the first of his back to back Conn Smythe trophies that Spring.
3. Game 6 at Buffalo, 1975 finals
The Flyers behind goals by Bob Hound Kelly and Bill Clement, put away the Sabres and go on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup. Bernie Parent gets the shutout and wins his second consecutive Conn Smythe Trophy as well. The Flyers had won games one and two in Philly and went back to Buffalo full of confidence. However, with a little aid from indoor fog and a much better effort by the Sabres, Buffalo won games and 3 and 4 to even the series up. The Flyers, who were all but unbeatable at home, crushed the Sabres 5-1 in game 5 and returned to the Aud wanting to put this one away in 6. And they did as Bernie Parent was simply unbeatable that afternoon. Fun fact: Kelly, a 4th line energy guy, had barely played in the first 2 periods. Assistant coach Mike Nykoluk, feeling that the top 9 could use a bit more rest and knowing Kelly would play his ass off, suggested to coach Fred Shero to start Kelly with the top line to start the 3rd. It paid off big time as the Hound scored the biggest goal of his life to get the party started for the Flyers. Funnier fact: after the game and during the locker room celebration an older gentleman was sitting in Kelly's seat. As the gentleman congratulated Kelly on winning the Cup, Kelly responded by telling him to get the **** out his seat. PA Governor Milton Schapp then proceeded to get up and out of Kelly's seat.
2. Game 2 at Boston, 1974 finals
While the Flyers had been perfect at home that Spring, on the road, against original 6 teams, they went into game 2 of the finals with an 0-4 record. They knew that somehow they had to win a game in Boston if they were going to win the Cup. It didn't start well as goals by Wayne Cashman and Phil Esposito gave the Bruins a 2-0 lead after the first period. Towards the end of a long shift to start the 2nd period, Flyers captain Bobby Clarke off of assists from Cowboy Bill Flett and the Hammer Dave Schultz scored to cut the lead in half. The Bruins for the most part, are still controlling the play in the 2nd, but Bernie Parent has an answer for everything they are throwing at him and we go into the 2nd intermission with the Flyers trailing 2-1. The ice begins to tilt in the Flyers favor in the 3rd period but goaltender Gilles Gilbert is flawless and as the clock ticks to under 2 minutes to play, it looks like the Flyers will coming back to Philly down 2-0 and in a huge hole. Then it happens. Clarke passes off to Rick Macleish, who, without a clear lane to shoot, dishes it back to Andre Moose Dupont at the point. Dupont, with Clarke and Flett jamming the net, winds up and blasts a slapper by Gilbert to tie the game and silence the Garden. 12 minutes into OT, once again assisted by Flett and Schultz, Bobby Clarke scores the biggest goal of his career and the Flyers win sending mongrel Southies everywhere into dejected fits of alcohol fueled rage. Bobby Clarke had so many great moments as a Flyer, but none were bigger than that OT goal. This was the game that, more than any other, made this bunch of hard working scruffs, believe they were going to win the Stanley Cup.
And at NUMBER ONE!!
1. Game 6 vs Boston, 1974 Cup finals
You all know what happened in this one. Behind superlative goaltending by Parent and a timely defection by Rick Macleish off a shot by the Moose, Andre Dupont to give the Flyers the only goal they needed in the first period, the Flyers defeat the Bruins 1-0 and become the first 1967 expansion team to win the Stanley Cup. Parent was particularly amazing in the 2nd period and also made a highlight reel save on Ken Hodge with about 5 minutes to go in the game. With just over 2 minutes left in the game, an exhausted Bobby Orr (he played well over 30 minutes that day) pulled down Bobby Clarke to prevent a breakaway. With Orr now in the box, the game was all but over and the Bruins would not a get another good scoring chance. The call by Gene Hart, the Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup, the Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup, THE FLYERS WIN THE STANLEY CUP!! is one of the most epic in Philadelphia sports history. Final fun fact: The Bruins had actually iced the puck with 4 seconds left, but with the crowd going nuts and already starting to spill over the boards, the officials decided to waive off the last 4 seconds figuring (rightly), that there was no way the Bruins could go from a faceoff in their own zone to scoring a goal in only 4 seconds. Let me finish by saying that for this 8 year old kid living in the Philly burbs, it was the happiest moment of my life at that point!!
And there you have it, as always, let me know what you guys think.