Philadelphia Flyers: Top 5 Fights of 2020-21
The Philadelphia Flyers were once the team with the most feared fighters in the NHL. While the legacy of the Broad Street Bullies can still be found within certain elements of the organization, the Stanley Cup can’t be captured with the same style of play that worked in the 1970s.
Fighting in hockey has lessened over the course of time, but it can still be a valuable tactic if used in the right way. The NHL and NHLPA, largely for that reason, keep it in the game.
The Flyers haven’t employed a traditional enforcer in years, and they finished 23rd in the league with 10 fighting majors in 2020-21, according to hockeyfights.com. However, Flyers fans and members of the organization can always acknowledge the grit that it takes for a player to stand up for a teammate and spark energy throughout a building by dropping his gloves. Five in particular stood out this season.
5. Joel Farabee vs. Mark Friedman (Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins, May 4)
Winger Joel Farabee was the Flyers leading goal scorer this season. He made a valiant attempt to uphold his team’s pride during a late-season matchup against the arch-rival Penguins at the Wells Fargo Center. Farabee squared up with Pittsburgh defenseman/former Flyer Mark Friedman in the second period. The fight was no bloodbath, but Farabee did ultimately take Friedman to the ground.
The most intriguing element of this fight was the hostility of the Orange and Black toward their former teammate. After Friedman was claimed off waivers by the Penguins, he dressed in four games against the Flyers and only one against all other opponents. Several Flyers got in scrums with the pesky defenseman. Speculation following the fight was that Friedman was too outspoken about his dissatisfaction over being consistently left out of the Flyers lineup during his tenure.
4. Andy Andreoff vs. Garnet Hathaway (Flyers-Washington Capitals, March 11)
Fighting has at times in the past been a way for lesser known players to make their mark in the NHL and try to establish individual value on a roster. Winger Andy Andreoff is a journeyman who was only with the Flyers for six games this season. Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who seemed like a very capable bottom-six sandpaper style player in 2019-20, didn’t necessarily bring the same tenacity in 2020-21. Andreoff’s tilt with Garnet Hathaway was likely an attempt to stand out during his short tenure in hopes of earning a longer stay in a bottom-six role.
The fight was arguably the most action packed in any Flyers game this season. Although Andreoff did not stay with the big club long, his efforts to send a ferocious message to a tough, physical team like the Caps is admirable.
3. Scott Laughton vs. Kevin Rooney (Flyers-New York Rangers, April 23)
Center Scott Laughton had a bumpy season for the Flyers. He lost significant weight as a result of COVID-19 and struggled to gain rhythm throughout the remainder of the year. However, he stayed true to his reputation as a gritty and fearless player.
Laughton returned from an early injury in an April matchup against the Rangers and dropped the gloves with Kevin Rooney. Rooney had previously collided with center Sean Couturier with questionable intent, and Laughton met him in the neutral zone in order to stick up for one of the best all-around centers in the game.
2. Sam Morin vs. Brendan Lemieux (Flyers-New York Rangers, March 25)
The Flyers were brutally embarrassed twice by the Rangers over an eight day span in March. In the final minutes of the second blowout, defenseman Sam Morin pounded New York’s Brendan Lemieux in efforts to light a fire under a team that had been outscored by a rival by 14 goals in two games.
The division rivals met again two days later, and Morin broke a 1-1 tie with his first NHL goal late in the third period of an eventual victory. His ensuing efforts to breathe life into the Flyers continued with aggressive physical play and a second fight against the New York Islanders six games later.
1. Oskar Lindblom vs. Oliver Wahlstrom (New York Islanders, March 20)
By now, you’ve heard Oskar Lindblom’s remarkable story that led him to be nominated for the Masterson Trophy in two consecutive seasons. As if overcoming cancer and returning to play in the NHL in under a calendar year didn’t already prove his toughness and dedication to his teammates, Lindblom dropped the gloves with Oliver Wahlstrom in a blowout loss against the New York Islanders on March 20. The fight came during the same brutal stretch as Morin’s fight against Lemieux. Unfortunately, like other attempted wakeup calls, it didn’t turn around the Flyers season.