There are just some aspects of a team that fans need to know about if they want to call themselves true fans, and the Philadelphia Flyers are no different. In fact, with a storied franchise like the Flyers, who first took the ice back in 1967, it's not easy to narrow a list like these down to just five finalists.
But we got there in the end, talking about a prominent team nickname, record-breaking seasons from the entire team, and legacies certain players left behind. By the end of this article, you can call yourself a true Flyers fan, even if you just started following the team yesterday.
Why? Because these five aspects of the Flyers will live in team history for the next six decades and beyond. Never to be forgotten.
1 - Broad Street Bullies
Yeah, just about every Flyers fan needs to learn about them before anything else. And if you're a fan who's never heard of them until now, drop whatever it is you're holding and read this section.
Back in the 1960s, when expansion drafts weren't friendly to incoming teams, there wasn't much talent to choose from. So, general manager Keith Allen basically thought, "If they're not going to give us talent, we need to go get physical players."
And Allen didn't disappoint, taking physical, hard-hitting players during the expansion draft before going out and acquring others in the entry drafts, most notably, Dave Schultz. While talents like Bobby Clark came along, enforcers like Schultz helped the Flyers muscle their way to back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975.
2 - A 35-game unbeaten streak for the ages
Just to be clear, this wasn't a 35-game winning streak, but one that saw the Flyers go unbeaten for 35 straight games. Yeah, this streak was so long that it lasted 74 days, and nobody could figure out how to get the best of them until the North Stars caught them on a bad day on January 7th, 1980.
I think you can predict how the rest of the season went. Despite stumbling against the North Stars, the Flyers were still the class of the league, charging through the playoffs and even getting revenge on the North Stars in the Semifinals.
But a dynasty was brewing on Long Island, and the New York Islanders ended the Flyers legendary run 4 games to 2 in the Stanley Cup Final. Even if they didn't win it all, going 35 games without recording a single loss is something to behold.
3 - Ron Hextall scoring his goals
Goalies aren't supposed to score goals. If anything, the entire point of the position is to keep other teams from scoring goals. They're like pitchers in Major League Baseball, who were never supposed to be very good when they used to bat in the National League.
Still, don't say that to Ron Hextall, who scored an empty-netter against the Boston Bruins in 1987-88; the first time it'd ever been done. Hextall also scored once against the Washington Capitals back in 1989, giving him two career goals if you combine the regular season and playoffs.
4 - Pelle Lindbergh's legacy
Pelle Lindbergh was tragically killed in a car accident back in November 1985, cutting short what was looking like a stellar career for the Swede. Still, his legacy continues to live in memories of Flyers fans following what was an incredible 1984-85 season that saw him win the Vezina and finish third for the Hart Trophy.
That season, Lindbergh played in 65 contests, snagging 40 wins, an 0.899 save percentage, a 3.02 GAA, and two shutouts. Lindbergh also led the NHL in saves with 1,735, and shots against with 1,926.
At the time of his death, Lindbergh played in 157 games for the Flyers, with 87 wins, an 0.887 save percentage, a 3.31 GAA, and seven shutouts. It's been four decades since his passing, yet Flyers fans for decades to come will and should know his name.
5 - Mark Recchi's record season
Mark Recchi played for 22 seasons in the NHL and he was still productive in his age-42 campaign with the Boston Bruins, finishing his final season in 2010-11 with 14 goals and 48 points in 81 games. But NHL fans best remember him in a Flyers uniform, where he spent 10 seasons.
And if you want to pinpoint his most memorable season in an orange and black sweater, look no further than the 1992-93 campaign, when he put up 53 goals and 70 assists, good for an astounding 123 points.
What's more amazing (kind of) is that the Flyers never made the playoffs that season despite Recchi's heroics. Yeah, that's a bummer, but it just adds more lore to this legendary season in what was a single-season career-high in points for the Hockey Hall of Famer.
More from Broad Street Buzz