Even good things come in threes.
Today, we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the most epic comeback in Flyers’ history.
After dropping three straight games to the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Flyers made a miraculous comeback to tie the series and force a game seven. They became the third team in the NHL's history to do this.
The Flyers did not make it into the postseason until the very last possible second, defeating the Rangers in a shootout in the season's final game. Very few people would have imagined that Brian Boucher would have outdueled the Hall of Fame goalie Henrik Lundqvist in the shootout, and it is safe to say the Rangers felt confident he would backstop them to a victory as well.
Former broadcaster Steve Coates suggested as much before the shootout, saying that the Rangers stalled in overtime to get to the shootout.
It was a nail-biting finish, and anxiety was through the roof as the Flyers progressed to the Semifinals.
Down 0-3 in the series
After two one-goal losses that favored Boston, the Flyers ran into a wall in game three. Arron Asham scored early in the first for Philly, but that was the only time the team hit the back of the net. Blake Wheeler and Miroslav Satan put two behind Brian Boucher, and the Bruins were up 2-1 less than six minutes into the first. The Bruins scored two more in the third to knock the Flyers down, but not out. The Flyers lost by three in game three to go down 0-3.
This was the only game where the Flyers seemed out of it. Of the other six games, five were decided by one goal.
Down 3-0 in Game Seven
Game seven hit a little different, though. The Flyers were down 3-0 to the Bruins before the first period was even over. Brian Boucher was injured, and Michael Leighton took over in the net. Could he shut the door at that point and allow the Flyers to come back? Maybe the momentum that carried the team this far had run out. The magic may have been gone.
[Narrator voice: It was not.]
With under three minutes – another sign – left in the first, James van Riemsdyk slipped a weak one past Tuukka Rask. Must have been a fluke. Just under three minutes into the third, Scott Hartnell brought the Flyers within one with a backhander that sailed to the top of the net. Danny Briere was up next. He scored a crazy wraparound goal that careened off of Matt Hunwick’s leg.
Taking the lead in the third
The Flyers were in hostile territory at Boston’s TD Garden and the Bruins were a 100+ team in the regular season. They were going to shake it off and finish off the Flyers.
[Narrator voice: They did not.]
Halfway through the third period, the Bruins took a penalty for too many on the ice, and the Flyers capitalized. Simon Gagne, who recently returned from a broken toe injury, clanked one off the post to cap off the epic comeback. The Flyers won game seven and the series 4-3.
So much symmetry.
The Flyers went on to dominate the Montreal Canadiens, taking the series in five games en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. No need to go any further than that. Instead, let’s cap off the highlights with a video of The Shift.
The entire game can be watched on YouTube.