As promised, here are the top 10 Flyer wins in winner take all playoff games. Note: there are only 11 to choose from, so I'll sneak in an honorable mention so I can touch on them all.
And away we go!
HONORABLE MENTION
1979 Game 3, prelim round vs. VAN
After shockingly losing game 1 on home ice, the Flyers bounced back to win the next 2. Sadly, their 7-2 blowout victory in game 3 was the highlight of the playoffs for the orange and black.
10. 2011 game 7 vs Buffalo, EC Quarters 5-2
In what would be their only series win that year, the Flyers get by the Sabres. Braydon Coburn opened the scoring in the first and goals by Briere and JVR in the 2nd pretty much put the game away. The Flyers also got solid goaltending from Brian Boucher.
9. 1981 Game 5, Prelim vs Quebec
The Flyers defeated Quebec 5-2 in game 5 for their only series win in 1981. Rick Macleish opened up the scoring, followed by Al Hill in the 2nd and goals by Ken Linseman, Paul Holmgren and Blake Dunlop in the 3rd.
8. 2003 vs Toronto, game 7, EC QTR
In a nasty hard fought series, the Flyers won the big one, 6-1. 2 of the first 6 games went to double OT that Spring and one made it to triple OT. The Flyers, perhaps sick of playing in OT, took care of business early as 1st period goals by Simon Gagne and Justin Williams put the Leafs on their heels. In the 2nd goals by Primeau and Recchi sandwiched around one by Gary Roberts pretty much put the game away. The Flyers played great defensively holding the Leafs to only 19 shots and goalie Roman Cechmanek stopped all but one.
7. 1976 vs Toronto, game 7, Quarterfinals
In a series that was closer than it should have been, the Flyers took care of business winning game 7 by a score of 7-3. The Leafs were up 2-1 after the first, but the Flyers came out playing like their lives depended on winning in the 2nd as they scored 5 consecutive goals, 2 by Mel Bridgman. With a 6-2 lead heading into the 3rd, it was already over.
6. 1989 vs Pittsburgh, game 7, Patrick Div. finals
Stick your windmills up your ass Robbie Brown! In a crazy series, in which Mario Lemieux was a force, the Flyers took care of business with a surprisingly tight checking 4-1 victory. The Flyers had lost game 5 by the ridiculous score of 10-7 which I believe is the most total goals ever scored in a Flyers playoff game. With Ron Hextall injured, back up Ken Wrrgget stepped in and played the game of his life. Brian Propp opened the scoring in the first and Dave Poulin quickly answered a Lemieux goal to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead heading into the 3rd. In the final stanza, goals by Mike Bullard and Scott Mellanby put the game away.
5. 2008 vs Washington game 7, EC Quarterfinals
One year after having the worst record in the NHL, the Flyers defeat the heavily favored Caps in game 7, 3-2 in OT to move on to the next round. Martin Biron was a brick wall in goal stopping 39 of 41 shots and when the Flyers got a rare pp opportunity in OT, Briere and Timonen set up Joffrey Lupul for the game winner and silenced the stunned Washington crowd. Younger fans might remember RJ Umberger as a broken down player at the end of his career, but in this series, he was flat out dominant and played the best hockey of his life. That game 7 win, IMO, was the highlight of one the great comeback seasons in Flyers history.
4. 1987 vs NYI, game 7, Patrick Div finals
The Flyers were up 3-1 after 4 games, but the veteran Isles had one last gasp left and won back to back games to force a game 7. Flyers captain Dave Poulin had been sidelined earlier in the series with broken ribs, but he lathered up with DMSO and strapped on the flak jacket to ride to the Flyers rescue in game 7. Dave Brown would shockingly score the first goal of the game and after a goal by Brian Propp doubled the Flyers lead in the 2nd, a goal by Brad Marsh finished them off a few minutes later. The final score was 5-1, but Keith Allen told Brad Marsh after the game that once you scored, the Isles knew they were finished!
3. 1975 vs NYI game 7, Semi finals
Coming off their first Cup and a sweep of the Leafs in the 75 quarterfinals, the Flyers raced out to a 3-0 series lead and seemed unbeatable. However the Isles had roared back from a 3-0 deficit vs the Pens in the previous round and there was no quit in this young team. The Isles went on to win the next 3 and force a game 7 at the Spectrum for all the marbles. Flyers fans were still roaring from Kate Smith's rousing rendition of God Bless America when Gary Dornhoefer scored only 19 seconds into the game. Rick Macleish would score 2 more in the first to put the Isles in a 3-0 hole and he would go on to ice the game, finishing his hat trick in the 3rd. There was no doubt after that game that the Flyers had what it took to go on and win their 2nd Cup.
2. 2010 vs Boston, game 7, EC Semifinal
Well, you all know the story. The Flyers lose 2 very close games in Boston and then get beat pretty soundly at home to fall into a 3-0 hole that looked more like a chasm. Even after squeaking out a face saving OT victory in game 4, no one really thought that the Flyers could keep it going. But, as the 1980 US Olympic Hockey proved, miracles do happen! In game 5 in Boston, after stopping 9 0f 9 shots, goalie Brian Boucher has to leave the game due to injury. Michael Leighton would come in cold and stop the next 14 as the Flyers shocked the Bruins with a 2-0 victory. Now, we were starting to believe. In game 6 on home ice, the Flyers worked their tails off and once again got great goaltending by Leighton as they tied the series up with a 2-1 victory. What happened next is hockey history. The Bruins raced out to a 3-0 lead in game 7 and it seemed the Flyers had just run out of gas. But then, coach Peter Laviolette called one of his brilliant timeouts and simply said. "just get one". The man we now call Pigeon took him to heart and JVR got a goal with 2:48 left in the first to put the orange and black on the board. The Flyers came out on fire in the 2nd and goals by Hartnell and Briere had the game deadlocked heading into the 3rd. Both teams came out cautiously in that final stanza, but slowly the Flyers began to pick up the pace. Simon Gagne put in THE GOAL about halfway thru the period and one of the greatest comebacks in sports history was complete. Epic is a word that gets overused these days, but friends, that game and that comeback was truly epic.
1. 1974 vs NYR game 7, Semifinals
There is no bigger deciding game in Flyers history than this contest in April of 1974. Until this game, no original 6 team had EVER lost to an expansion team in a playoff series. The Flyers and Rangers had each won all of their home games going into this final tilt and the series had been marked by some particularly nasty play. Dave "The Hammer" Schultz set the tone early in the first when he beat the living shit out of Ranger Dman, Dale Rolfe. The Flyers on 2 Gary Dornhoeffer goals and a 1 goal/2 assist game from Rick Macleish, held on to win 4-3 and move on to the Cup final. Bernie Parent was flat out amazing in the 3rd stopping all 13 Ranger shots and it seemed like captain Bobby Clarke won every defensive zone faceoff he took. Fred Shero would later say that beating the Rangers in that game 7 gave them the confidence to go on and win the Cup.
And there you have it, as always please share your thoughts and comments.