Where do the 70's Flyers rank ?

[John Flyers Fan]

And the answer is: Orr and Espo together. It's a wonder they trotted out Kate for the Habs in '76 because that '74 moment sort of diffused it. You know Bucyk hit the post in the second period of that game? If that goes back to Boston ...

They could have played for 6 hours and the Bruins weren't scoring on Parent that day. I can still remember Hodge flying down the right wing, and ripping a perfectly playced slapshot that was ticketed for just inside the far post with 2:15 to go in the game. Parent made an incredible skate save.

And in the '80 Cup final, Philly - here you go, John Flyers Fan - got royally screwed on - how many offsides goals was it? ... including Duane Sutter's roofer in Game 6 (the difference in the game ... the series?).
IMO, the Isles were the better team, esp. after the Goring acquisition, but even vs. the Bruins they got some help from the linesmen. Not sure what that was about.

The blatant offisides by the notorious Leon Stickle was in the deciding game 6. The Duane Sutter goal you speak of was a clear high-stick.

Also something never mentions was that in game 1, the Islanders won on an power play in overtime. It was the first ever power play goal scored in an NHL overtime.

That was when they NEVER, EVER called penalties in overtime.

If a game 7 is forced and held back at the Spectrum, the Flyers win the Cup. If that happens I think the Isles may have made a major change to the core of their team (Potvin, Trottier or Bossy).

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Depends on who's asking... IF it's the Hammer, and he's got me in a dark alley, I'm gonna say they were number one all-time.

The Hammer long ago renounced hockey violence.

As for the Flyers of the mid-70's IMO was one of the best things to ever happen to hockey was the Habs smoking them rather easily in 1976. The Flyers had alot of great players, but the goon aspect of their game had to go, and having a fast and skilled team not be intimidated by them and destroying them in every aspect of the game was one the best things to happen to hockey.

 

[04' hockey]

IMO of all sports, hockey has clearly improved the most over the last 30 years, it's never more evident than watching games from the 70's, how much the game has changed.

Size, skating ability, goaltending, is all so much better it's incredible. The Philadelphia Phantoms of this year, would have smoked the 70's Flyers or Bruins.






:lol

And I guess Ruth wouldn't lead the majors in HR's, Jim Brown wouldn't be knocking these brittle LA Fitness football players into the sidelines and Koufax wouldn't be leading the bigs in SO's??

 

[John Flyers Fan]

And I guess Ruth wouldn't lead the majors in HR's, Jim Brown wouldn't be knocking these brittle LA Fitness football players into the sidelines and Koufax wouldn't be leading the bigs in SO's??

Koufax would be the best pitcher in baseball, without a doubt.

Jim Brown would be a very very good RB, but not as dominant as he was in the past.

Ruth would also be a great hitter, but not quite the dominant player he was in the 20's.

 

[04' hockey]

Koufax would be the best pitcher in baseball, without a doubt.

Jim Brown would be a very very good RB, but not as dominant as he was in the past.

Ruth would also be a great hitter, but not quite the dominant player he was in the 20's.

And our Phantoms would "SMOKE" Clarkes' Flyers or ORRS" Bruins???
......John, how much have you had to drink today?
Who the "Orr" on the Phantoms?, Slaney? and Clarke?????........you tell me.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

And our Phantoms would "SMOKE" Clarkes' Flyers or ORRS" Bruins???
......John, how much have you had to drink today?
Who the "Orr" on the Phantoms?, Slaney? and Clarke?????........you tell me.

The skating ability is so much better now it's a joke. Good AHL teams would skate NHL teams from 30 years ago into the ground.

That's not a knock on the Orr's, Clarke's or Esposito's of the game, they're still all-time greats, because you have to compare them to the players they were playing against.

If you had a time machine and could transport a Sergei Fedorov back in time and put him in a game in the 70's, he would be so utterly dominant, it would make the game a fiasco.

John Slaney a career minor leaguer, would be better than any defenseman on the Flyers Cup teams of the 70's without a doubt, not to mention Pitkanen and Seidenberg.

 

[VanIslander]

They are still rank.

 

[Malefic74]

The Hammer long ago renounced hockey violence.

As for the Flyers of the mid-70's IMO was one of the best things to ever happen to hockey was the Habs smoking them rather easily in 1976. The Flyers had alot of great players, but the goon aspect of their game had to go, and having a fast and skilled team not be intimidated by them and destroying them in every aspect of the game was one the best things to happen to hockey.

The Habs did not beat the Flyers because of better skill or speed. There is a whole chapter about this in Lions In Winter. Bowman had a lot of respect for Shero and felt he had done a great job coaching a system to fit the players he had rather than imposing a system that wouldn't fit. In 75 the Habs were probably equal in talent to the Flyers, but really got pushed around.

So in the offseason Bowman and Pollock made a concerted effort to find a way to fit guys like Pierre Bouchard, Rick Chartraw, Doug Risebrough and Mario Tremblay into the game plan a little more against the Flyers. The result was that the Canadiens proved they could play as tough as Philly when the Flyers had momentum and could still outskate them when the Habs had momentum. Make no mistake it wasn't just skill that won it. In a pre-season game in Philly that year the two teams combined for something like 400 minutes in penalties with a couple of line brawls and Chartraw thumped the Hammer twice.

 

[jiggs 10]

I absolutely HATE the Flyers (more than any other sports team EVER) because of the way they tried to ruin hockey in the mid-70's, but will admit they had some pretty good players in the mix. Reggie "the Riverton Rifle" Leach and Rick MacLeich were guys I could respect. Parent was obviously good for 3 years (why he wasn't before or after is the question), and Bill Barber was pretty good. Their defense was above average, certainly not in the catagory of the Bruins or Rangers or Habs of the time, but better than the rest. It was just their intimidation factor that got them some wins. And they weren't one-on-one fighters, either. It was all the gang crap that annoyed me. Saleski, Kelly, Schultz, Dupont...not a one of them would even make a dent in the AHL today! Arghh.......!!!

 

[John Flyers Fan]

I absolutely HATE the Flyers (more than any other sports team EVER) because of the way they tried to ruin hockey in the mid-70's, but will admit they had some pretty good players in the mix. Reggie "the Riverton Rifle" Leach and Rick MacLeich were guys I could respect. Parent was obviously good for 3 years (why he wasn't before or after is the question), and Bill Barber was pretty good. Their defense was above average, certainly not in the catagory of the Bruins or Rangers or Habs of the time, but better than the rest. It was just their intimidation factor that got them some wins. And they weren't one-on-one fighters, either. It was all the gang crap that annoyed me. Saleski, Kelly, Schultz, Dupont...not a one of them would even make a dent in the AHL today! Arghh.......!!!

You think the "Big Bad Bruins" were afraid ???

The Flyers beat them flat out.

Parent, was never healthy after the two Cup winning seasons.

I like how you happened to conveniently forget one particular 3 time Hart trophy winner.

 

[hunter1909*]

The Habs did not beat the Flyers because of better skill or speed. There is a whole chapter about this in Lions In Winter. Bowman had a lot of respect for Shero and felt he had done a great job coaching a system to fit the players he had rather than imposing a system that wouldn't fit. In 75 the Habs were probably equal in talent to the Flyers, but really got pushed around.

So in the offseason Bowman and Pollock made a concerted effort to find a way to fit guys like Pierre Bouchard, Rick Chartraw, Doug Risebrough and Mario Tremblay into the game plan a little more against the Flyers. The result was that the Canadiens proved they could play as tough as Philly when the Flyers had momentum and could still outskate them when the Habs had momentum. Make no mistake it wasn't just skill that won it. In a pre-season game in Philly that year the two teams combined for something like 400 minutes in penalties with a couple of line brawls and Chartraw thumped the Hammer twice.

ahh those good old days of 300 minutes in penalties...when teams could beat the **** out of each other and entertain the fans with hockey...

the flyers rank with any other team that won 2 cups in a row...no more and no less...just count cups one in any 5-10 year stretch to see where a team ranks among all other teams...

the flyers were as good as the big bad bruins...and they D.E.S.T.R.O.Y.E.D. CENTRAL RED ARMY

 

[mcphee]

I absolutely HATE the Flyers (more than any other sports team EVER) because of the way they tried to ruin hockey in the mid-70's, but will admit they had some pretty good players in the mix. Reggie "the Riverton Rifle" Leach and Rick MacLeich were guys I could respect. Parent was obviously good for 3 years (why he wasn't before or after is the question), and Bill Barber was pretty good. Their defense was above average, certainly not in the catagory of the Bruins or Rangers or Habs of the time, but better than the rest. It was just their intimidation factor that got them some wins. And they weren't one-on-one fighters, either. It was all the gang crap that annoyed me. Saleski, Kelly, Schultz, Dupont...not a one of them would even make a dent in the AHL today! Arghh.......!!!

They'd brawl their way thru the season and I'm sure a few teams had cases of the Philly flu,but in the end they won 2 cups because they beat good teams they were up against. Don't tell me a Bruin took a backward step against Philly. In the end, they just won, same against Buffalo. My whole point was that the rep. got in the way of the respect they deserve. I agree with your point of the gang crap. That was probably unnecessary but successful teams have an identity, often an us against the world attitude and that was theirs. Probably started by them needing to quell the riots their captain would incite every night. Truth is though, they always seemed to be on the NBC Saturday afternoon game in those days, and I know my gang would schedule our touch football game around the game because we knew we'd see some action. You know how it is, boxing's barbaric but call me if you get tickets.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

They'd brawl their way thru the season and I'm sure a few teams had cases of the Philly flu,but in the end they won 2 cups because they beat good teams they were up against. Don't tell me a Bruin took a backward step against Philly. In the end, they just won, same against Buffalo. My whole point was that the rep. got in the way of the respect they deserve. I agree with your point of the gang crap. That was probably unnecessary but successful teams have an identity, often an us against the world attitude and that was theirs. Probably started by them needing to quell the riots their captain would incite every night. Truth is though, they always seemed to be on the NBC Saturday afternoon game in those days, and I know my gang would schedule our touch football game around the game because we knew we'd see some action. You know how it is, boxing's barbaric but call me if you get tickets.

During that time they were the most popular road team in the league, always drawing sell-outs even in places that never drew fans.

The Flyers really didn't have a bunch of great fighters (Schultz was very good, but when he fought bigger guys he had problems). What they had were a ton of guys willing to go, and always had each others back.

One of the geart lines that came out of the time they went into the stands in Vancouver was from the broadcaster Gene Hart ...

speaking about when Bill Flett went into the crowd to help out back-up goalie Bobby Taylor.

"The first time in history that a Cowboy (Flett) ever saved an Indian (Bobby the "Cheif" Taylor)."

============================================

IMO the only good team that shyed away from the Flyers was the Rangers.

Early in game 7 of the 1974 semi's Shultz beat the hell out of Dale Rolfe and not a single ranger jumped in to give their man some help. The Flyers to a man thought that was very significant.

Some comments from the Rangers after that game:

"Every time you think you're about to gain som eground on them , they kick everything out from under you," said Giacomin with deep respect. "They won because they were all over us all the time."

Park however was bitter. "After the fifth game, I was so fed up with the **** they were pulling, i wanted to give it right back," he told the media. "But I decided that if I had to maim somebody to win the Stanley Cup, then it wasn't worth it. I look around this locker room and I'm prouder to lose with these guys that I would be winning with another club."

When Lonsberry read Park's comment, he understood why the Rangers had lost in the semi-final round in four straight springs. "That statement just epitomized their whole team." Lonsberry recalls.

Above comments courtesey of Full Spectrum by Jay Greenberg.

 

[mcphee]

I seem to remember Schultz pounding poor Dale Rolfe in the playoffs. Rolfe was an ok D man but no fighter. In what could have been the same fight or at least the same series, Vadnais was holding on to somebody as Schultz's fight was breaking up and Schultz sort of suckered Vadnais from the side. I remember Vadnais was yelling at someone over the linesman's shoulder as Schultz nailed him, which my father found hilarious as he hated Vadnais for some reason. I won't argue right, wrong or be a hockey purist because like you said, we all watched.


Funny, you were editing the reference to the Rolfe incident as I was referencing it in my post. I'd make that great minds comment but I just went downstairs here and forgot why.