Lightning might not be here without the 2003-04 Flyers
While the Philadelphia Flyers did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders are facing off in the NHL Semifinal round. The series is even at one apiece after Tampa’s 4-2 victory in Game 2.
The defending champion Lightning have shaped into one of the premier franchises in the NHL thanks to their explosive offensive firepower, headlined by stars Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. However, there was a point in time when their status as a young franchise in a non-traditional hockey market clouded the perception of their high-powered attack. That all changed during the 2004 Playoffs.
Flyers Primed for a Stanley Cup Run in 2004
The Flyers expected to make a deep playoff run and compete for a Stanley Cup on a yearly basis through the better part of the previous decade leading up to the 2003-04 season. However, a multitude of crushing playoff exits and the unfortunate demise of center Eric Lindros as the franchise centerpiece held them from earning the ultimate prize.
Veterans Keith Primeau, John LeClair, Jeremy Roenick, and Mark Recchi made up the core during the years following the departure of Lindros, and their best chance to bring the Stanley Cup back to Philadelphia came during the 2004 Playoffs. General manager Bobby Clarke made three separate trades during the 2003-04 season for Russians Alexei Zhamnov, Vladimir Malakhov, and Danny Markov, a surprising move for a franchise with an archaic lack of Russian talent. Markov was acquired for young winger Justin Williams in what would later turn out to be one of the worst trades in franchise history.
Strong play from goaltender Robert Esche in the first two rounds solved questions in net following a poorly thought-out trade for veteran Sean Burke and a short-lived cry from the fans to call up Antero Niittymaki.
The third-seeded Flyers defeated the New Jersey Devils, their true arch-nemesis of the era, in the opening round and followed with a second round victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not advanced in the playoffs since.
The Eastern Conference Finals
The upstart Tampa Bay Lightning captured the top seed in the Eastern Conference during the 2003-04 regular season. They were headlined by a younger, lesser-known John Tortorella behind the bench and blossoming stars Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis. In just their third playoff appearance in franchise history, they collided with the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Lightning took Game 1 in Tampa by a 3-1 margin. Alternating victories set up a Game 6 in Philadelphia with the Flyers facing elimination. The rabid Philadelphia crowd packed the (then) Wachovia Center in “Orange Crush” t-shirts for what would turn out to be one of the greatest games in franchise history. The Flyers trailed 4-3 with under two minutes remaining in regulation when Primeau scored on a rebound to force overtime. Simon Gagne, just 23 at the time, won it for the Flyers late in the first overtime period to force the decisive Game 7.
The Flyers fell short two days later in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss. The Lightning advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals and beat the Calgary Flames in another seven game series. Their outstanding finesse style proved to play a major part in ushering a new era of the NHL following the ensuing lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season. Their explosive skill has kept them in the top tier of the league for the better part of the last 18 years, and they captured their second Stanley Cup in 2020.
2021 NHL Semifinal Matchup- New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
It is tough for Flyers fans to root for the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season, but the Islanders do hold certain similarities to the 2003-04 Flyers in their matchup against the Lightning. While Tampa is no longer an upstart team, they are again favored because of explosive offensive star power that garners plenty of attention around the league.
New York head coach Barry Trotz is an established head coach who won a Stanley Cup just three seasons ago with the Washington Capitals. The 2003-04 Flyers were led behind the bench by Ken Hitchcock, who had won a Cup with the Dallas Stars just five years prior.
The crowd at the Nassau Coliseum will welcome the Lightning in the same way that the Philadelphia crowd did in the Eastern Conference Finals 18 years ago. Time will tell if the fate of the Islanders will match the disappointment of the Flyers playoff run in 2004.