It has been a tough go of things for the Flyers. The last time the city paraded the Stanley Cup down Broad Street was a half-century ago. Most of us were not even alive then, but hope to be the next time it happens.
Until that happens, memories must sustain us.
Fiftieth Stanley Cup anniversary
The 1974-75 Flyers were the whole package. There was no glaring weak spot on the 1974-75 team. Bobby Clarke, Rick MacLeish, and Reggie Leach provided plenty of offense. Dave Schultz and Andre Dupont gave the team grit. The blue line was a mix of youth and experience, held together by work ethic and toughness. Behind it all was the unflappable Bernie Parent in the net.
The Original Six teams likely did not take the new expansion teams seriously until the Flyers staked their claim as the Stanley Cup champions in 1973-74. People called it a fluke. If anyone did not take the Flyers seriously at that point, it was on them.
After setting a franchise-best 50 wins in their first Cup season, the Flyers topped that in 1975. This season, they topped their record with 51 wins and sat atop both the Patrick Division and the NHL with 113 points. Not bad for a team that was getting rag-dolled just a few years back.
Advancing with ease
Philadelphia had the luxury of watching the preliminary round to see if they would face the Los Angeles Kings or the Toronto Maple Leafs. It did not matter, they would have handled either team easily. Toronto was swept in four games and shut out in two. The Leafs were outscored 15-6 that series.
The New York Islanders presented a bit more of a challenge, taking the Flyers a full seven games. Parent was up for any challenge, allowing two goals in four games in that series. Only the Lord saved more, but it seemed like Bernie was gaining ground.
Then came the final challenge, the boss level. Like the Flyers, the Buffalo Sabres finished the season with 113 points, but two fewer wins. They had only lost three playoff games up to that point.
Once again, Bernie Parent put on a clinic. He shut the Sabres out once and let up only one goal in the Flyers’ other three victories. Only one real challenge came in that series, and it impacted both teams.
A bat, some fog, and an overtime loss
Game three was the first game the Flyers played on the road in that series. The Sabres hosted the team at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, but the biggest memory of that arena came from that game.
A bat appeared. It flew around the rink and spent some time relaxing on the ice. While the Flyers may have been known for their physical and punishing style of play, it was Sabres center Jim Lorentz who swatted the bat out of the air and onto the ice. The night became more surreal yet.
A dangerous elixir of a capacity crowd, abnormally high heat and humidity, plus a lack of air conditioning, created dense, thick air. That night went down in hockey history as “The Fog Game.”
The fog rolled over the ice, impeding the vision of the players, officials, and fans. Play was interrupted frequently as The Aud’ employees, officials, and players alike tried to clear the fog. Maybe the Lord was getting a little annoyed at Philadelphia’s burgeoning savior.
The limited visibility certainly had an impact, leading to the highest-scoring game of the series, a 5-4 overtime victory for Buffalo. Even then, Bernie still managed to make 41 saves.
That sparked something in the Sabres. They tied the series up in Game 4, pulling out a 4-2 victory over the Flyers. Back at the Spectrum for Game Five, the Sabres never stood a chance. Philly put a five-spot up on Buffalo and limited them to one goal. The spark burned bright, but went out quickly.
A familiar feeling
The team traveled back to Buffalo for the next game, and it had an awfully familiar feeling to it. Just a year earlier, Bernie Parent shut out the Boston Bruins in Game 6 to clinch the Stanley Cup. Once again, he was a brick wall. The Flyers shut out the Sabres in Game 6 to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Fifty Year Later
Hockey fans in the city of Philadelphia are clamoring for another parade down Broad Street. The Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles have had the good fortune of winning recent championships for the city, and maybe it's the Flyers' turn next.