Flyers-Rangers rivalry has spurred Philadelphia's greatest moments

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The Philadelphia Flyers will finally return to action when they face off against the New York Rangers Thursday night at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Philadelphia after a COVID-19 breakout forced an 11-day hiatus for the Flyers.

The Flyers versus the Rangers, like many Philadelphia versus New York sports matchups, is typically considered a historic rivalry. However, the Rangers are in many ways our fathers’ rival. The Blue Shirts are still a division foe, but the memories of this rivalry, like way too many memories of Flyers glory, have faded in the modern NHL.

The Flyers are amidst their most favorable organization in over a decade. The Rangers, albeit with suspiciously fortunate draft lottery luck, have top-tier prospects Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière joining integral pieces like Artemi Panarin already in place. The respective franchises appear to be headed upward while the talented core of the Pittsburgh Penguins is finally showing signs of aging.

Recent seasons have brought some classic moments against the Rangers like the 2012 Winter Classic and the vicious and controversial grudge between Wayne Simmonds and Ryan McDonagh in 2016. Philadelphia and New York also squared off in a 7 game playoff series in 2014, the second season Claude Giroux’s captaincy.

However, battles with the New York Rangers are sure to escalate as young Flyers like Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov, Carter Hart, and Joel Farabee enter their prime. The rivalry is due to be reignited, and Philadelphia is due to rejoin the top ranks of the NHL.

Three Most Pivotal Points in Flyers-Rangers History

The three points in the history of the rivalry with the greatest implications for Philadelphia include pivotal moments in the franchise’s two most recent Stanley Cup Finals appearances and a monumental turning point in hockey history.

Shootout victory spurs Flyers postseason magic

The Flyers finished the 2009-10 season by stealing the last remaining Eastern Conference playoff spot from the Rangers in a shootout in a virtual play-in game on the final day of the regular season. The Rangers played conservatively in the overtime period that afternoon, perceivably overconfident in the ability of goalie Henrik Lundqvist to shut down an opponent that had been historically futile in shootouts. A young Claude Giroux scored what would prove to be the shootout winner, and goalie Brian Boucher stopped the ensuing shot to seal a playoff birth. The victory spurred a miracle run for the eventual Eastern Conference champion Flyers.

Brian Boucher, Daniel Briere, Matt Carle, and Scott Hartnell, Philadelphia Flyers (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Rangers pass the torch to Lindros, Flyers

The emergence of Eric Lindros in the mid-’90s led to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance for the team in 1997. Philadelphia took only 5 games in the Eastern Conference Finals to defeat a New York Rangers team stacked with Hall of Fame-level talent, notably Mark Messier and Brian Leetch, who had won the Cup just three years prior. Despite the glaring lack of the elusive Stanley Cup for Philadelphia in the ensuing window of opportunity, the finals appearance in 1997 led to a period of sustained success for the Flyers in the coming seasons.

John LeClair, Philadelphia Flyers (Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /Allsport) /

Broad Street Bullies overtake the Original 6

The legitimacy of the expansion era of the NHL took a leap in the 1974 playoffs when the Philadelphia Flyers series victory over the Rangers marked the first time an expansion franchise defeated an Original 6 franchise in a playoff series. The landmark victory, which included a tone-setting beatdown from tough-guy Dave Schultz in Game 7, was the true pronouncement of the famed Broad Street Bullies on their way to the franchise’s first Stanley Cup.

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