Are There Shades of 1987 With This Flyers Team?

One of my favorite TV shows growing up was Married…With Children. One of the running jokes on the show was that every time that Al Bundy admitted that everything was good, it would totally, and hilariously fall apart all around him. This is why the other day, I apologized for Sean Couturier being hurt because I had just previously written a story about optimism for the Flyers and their upcoming season.  I felt partially responsible for all the injury news that has come as of late to the team.  I jinxed us. It’s my fault.

All joking aside, there is an opportunity here. Coach John Tortorella is looking for the youth to step up and perform. In short, they are using this opportunity to give the young prospects a chance to develop. It’s going to be a bumpy year for them, but they may develop sooner than expected and showcase some wonderful stuff.

I don’t want to jinx this team any more than I have already. However, if you look at Flyers history, there is a correlation between this team and one from the past. I’m talking about the 1987 team.

Granted, I bet few of the current roster know about the 87 Flyers. Heck, I think only a scant few of them were born when the 97 Flyers went to the Stanley Cup Finals (which makes me feel really old). But there are a lot of lessons to be taken from that team.

Now, before I make the comparisons I want to make it clear, I know that the 86-87 Flyers were a far better team than what we have now before us. That team had a bona fide hall of famer in Mark Howe and a bunch of borderline hall of famers in Tim Kerr, Brian Propp, Rick Tocchet, Brad McCrimmon, and Ron Hextall. They had a great supporting cast of other players like Peter Zezel, Kjell Samuelsson, and Dave Poulin. They won the Patrick Division easily and were still part of a group of Flyers that always, always, always made a deep playoff run. Again, that is not this current team.

However, that team got riddled with injuries, especially when it was time for the playoffs. Kerr missed the entire playoff season. Other players got banged up along the way. When the team faced off against the vaunted, hall of fame loaded Edmonton Oilers dynasty, they fought them tooth and nail before falling in Game 7. Wayne Gretzky has made comments that that Flyers team was the hardest one to defeat when winning a Stanley Cup Championship.

With that in mind, here is where the comparison is. We have a lot of guys down. This is a great opportunity for younger players to step up, take their spot, and prove themselves. When the Eagles won the Super Bowl a few years ago, they did it without Carson Wentz, Jason Peters, and Darren Sproles. Next man up! That’s how they won.

Same thing with the Flyers. Next man up! Who’s willing to contribute? Who’s winning to prove that they belong? Who is worthy of having a Flyers “P” on their chest?

Likewise, the 87 Flyers had a young goalie in Hextall who played his heart out, en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing effort. Carter Hart has a lot of talent. He just needs to guys in front of him to play better. If we can do that for him, he can really shine.

There is a lot to be down about right now. The losses of Couturier and Ellis are bitter pills to swallow. Bad teams wallow in the misery. Better teams fight through it and find a way to win anyway. For our young guys, this is your chance to step up. Who’s willing to take that chance? Prove you deserve to be a Flyer. Earn it and you will win the respect of the fans here and your coach. This can be a great opportunity if you take it.

So, while this team is not bound for the Stanley Cup finals, you never know. Perhaps the experience this young team gains now during a trying time will benefit them two, three, four, or more years down the line. Perhaps our solid future starts now.