Today in Flyers History....

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5) Today in Flyers History: Hextall Becomes Flyers Winningest Goalie (Nov. 20, 1998)

On this night 22 years ago, the Flyers recorded a 3-1 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Victorious goaltender Ron Hextall turned back 18 of 19 shots, and flirted with a shutout for 50-plus minutes. Dan McGillis, Petr Svoboda and Colin Forbes scored for the Flyers.

Hextall earned the 233rd regular season win of his two-stint Flyers career, moving past Hockey Hall of Famer and fellow two-stint Flyers goalie Bernie Parent for the most wins in franchise history.

For his regular season career with three teams, Hextall posted a 296-214-69 record and a 2.97 goals against. As a Flyer, he had a 240-172-58 record with a 2.91 GAA and .895 save percentage.

A member of the Flyers Hall of Fame, Hextall still holds the Flyers record for wins (296) and games played as a goaltender (489). Thirty-seven of Hextall's career wins came during his Vezina Trophy-winning rookie season of 1986-87. He would also record 31 wins twice (1995-96, 1996-97) and 30 wins twice (1987-88 and 1988-89) as a Flyer.

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5) Today in Flyers History: Hextall Becomes Flyers Winningest Goalie (Nov. 20, 1998)

On this night 22 years ago, the Flyers recorded a 3-1 road win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Victorious goaltender Ron Hextall turned back 18 of 19 shots, and flirted with a shutout for 50-plus minutes. Dan McGillis, Petr Svoboda and Colin Forbes scored for the Flyers.

Hextall earned the 233rd regular season win of his two-stint Flyers career, moving past Hockey Hall of Famer and fellow two-stint Flyers goalie Bernie Parent for the most wins in franchise history.

For his regular season career with three teams, Hextall posted a 296-214-69 record and a 2.97 goals against. As a Flyer, he had a 240-172-58 record with a 2.91 GAA and .895 save percentage.

A member of the Flyers Hall of Fame, Hextall still holds the Flyers record for wins (296) and games played as a goaltender (489). Thirty-seven of Hextall's career wins came during his Vezina Trophy-winning rookie season of 1986-87. He would also record 31 wins twice (1995-96, 1996-97) and 30 wins twice (1987-88 and 1988-89) as a Flyer.

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4) November 23 Flyers Alum birthday: Simon Nolet

Skilled and hard-working forward Simon Nolet was born on November 23, 1941 in St. Odilon, Quebec. The affable Nolet was a sometimes overlooked but valuable member of the Flyers organization as both a Stanley Cup winning player and, many years later, a scout.

 

The Flyers acquired Nolet's rights on May 8, 1967 when they purchased the American Hockey League's Quebec Aces to be their top farm team. A two-time 20-goal scorer during the early years of the Flyers franchise, Nolet dressed in 358 regular season games and 31 playoff tilts for Philadelphia over parts of seven seasons. Best known as a two-way forward with good skating ability, Nolet had 93 goals and 108 points for the Flyers. He was a member of the 1973-74 team that won the Stanley Cup.

Nolet, who had three career hat tricks, also represented the Flyers in the 1971-72 NHL All-Star Game. That season, Nolet tallied 23 goals and 43 points in a season limited by injury to 67 games.

With Nolet's role starting to diminish in his 30s, the Flyers left the French-Canadian forward exposed to the 1974 expansion draft. He was claimed by the Kansas City Scouts (who later twice relocated to become first the Colorado Rockies and then the New Jersey Devils). Nolet played out his career with the Scouts, Pittsburgh Penguins and Rockies.

After his playing days ended, Nolet returned to the Flyers in 1990 when he was hired as a scout after years of scouting for the Quebec Nordiques. It was a role at which he'd excel over the next 20 years, heavily scouting the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and doing extensive cross-over work in various other junior leagues as well as international tournaments.

Most notably, Nolet's scouting career is best remembered as being one of the Flyers' scouts who, along with Dennis Patterson and others, strongly recommended the Flyers' first-round selections of Simon Gagne with the 22nd overall pick of the 1998 NHL Draft and Claude Giroux with the 22nd pick of the 2006 Draft.

Coincidentally, Nolet and Gagne's father, Pierre, were old friends and teammates with the Quebec Aces in the 1960s (Quebec was the Flyers first farm team). That did not directly influence Nolet's opinion of the player, but it did give the scout some background on the character of the player's family upbringing. In the 2010s, Nolet started to do less traveling and focused his scouting efforts within Quebec. He retired in 2018.

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3) Today in Flyers History: Nov. 24

1973: Bernie Parent prevailed in a goaltender's duel with the St. Louis Blues' John Davidson in a 1-0 Flyers road win. Parent stopped all 31 shots by St. Louis, while Davidson turned back 27 out of 28 Flyers shots. Ross Lonsberry's goal with 18 seconds remaining in the second period stood as the game's only marker for either side.

1985: Flyers captain Dave Poulin recorded the fourth hat trick of his career, while Illka Sinisalo notched a pair of goals in a 7-4 home win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ron Sutter and Murray Craven each scored one goal apiece. Mark Howe earned a pair assists and finished the night at plus-three.

 

1993: The Flyers exploded for six goals in the second period en route to a 9-2 home blowout of the defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens. Mark Recchi had five points, Garry Galley had four points and Kevin Dineen recorded a hat trick. Andre Racicot was in net for eight of the nine Philadelphia goals.

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2) Today in Flyers History: November 26

1967: In a clash of first-year expansion teams, the Flyers pummeled the Los Angeles Kings at the Spectrum by a 7-2 count. Seven different Flyers players lit the lamp: Leon Rochefort (power play), Pat Hannigan, Ed Hoekstra, Garry Peters, Joe Watson, Bill Sutherland and Gary Dornhoefer. Five Philadelphia players enjoyed multiple-point games. Bernie Parent (25 saves) took a shutout into the third period before a pair of LA goals temporarily trimmed the Flyers lead from five to three goals. Late goals by Sutherland and Dornhoefer restored the five-goal margin.

 

1975: Shrugging off an early 1-0 deficit, the Flyers broke loose for four goals in the second period in route to a 7-3 home rout of the Atlanta Flames. Rick MacLeish and Reggie Leach notched two goals apiece, while Don Saleski, Bob Kelly and Orest Kindrachuk also scored. Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber had two assists apiece. Late in the first period, Atlanta Flames defenseman Pat Quinn (later the Flyers head coach) traded off high sticks with Clarke, precipitating fights at the end of the period.

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5) Today in Flyers History: November 27

1974: Flyers Hall of Fame right winger Reggie Leach scores the first hat trick of his Flyers career in a 6-2 home win over the Detroit Red Wings. The goals were the 7th, 8th and 9th he would score on the way to a 45-goal season in his first season for Philadelphia. The "Riverton Rifle" would go on to notch eight hat tricks (combined regular season and playoff) in his Flyers career.

1977: The Flyers earned a 2-0 win at the Spectrum over the Los Angeles Kings. Wayne Stephenson recorded a 17-save shutout, while Mel Bridgman and Ross Lonsberry scored the goals. On the same night, defenseman Joe Watson played his 700th game as a Flyer. In 11 seasons with the Flyers (1967-68 through 1977-78), Watson recorded 36 goals and 162 assists for 198 points and 397 penalty minutes in 746 regular season games. Today, Watson's games played total stands second in Flyers' franchise history, surpassed only by Chris Therien's 753 regular season games as a Flyer. Andre "Moose" Dupont holds the franchise record for playoff games played by a defenseman, with 108. Jim Watson, Joe's younger brother, is second with 101. Joe Watson was inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame on Feb. 22, 1996. Jim Watson was inducted on February 29, 2016.

 

1982: Pelle Lindbergh notches his first career NHL shutout, making 22 saves in a 4-0 road win over the Los Angeles Kings. Mark Howe, Lindsay Carson, Ron Flockhart and Ray Allison score the goals.

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4) November 30 in Flyers History:

1972: "Cowboy" Bill Flett had two goals and an assist in a 5-5 home tie with the Atlanta Flames. Linemates Bobby Clarke (two goals, one assist) and Bob "the Hound" Kelly (two assists) also enjoyed multiple point games while Rick MacLeish had the Flyers other tally. Philadelphia held a 5-3 lead early in the third period but a miscue by goaltender Doug Favell and a double-deflection goal resulted in a tie.

 

1978: Wayne Stephenson recorded a 17-save home shutout of his former team, the St. Louis Blues. Blake Dunlop, rookie Behn Wilson and team captain Bobby Clarke supplied the goal support.

1983: Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Clarke took turns dominating a 3-3 tie in Edmonton. Every time Gretzky set up or scored a goal to forge a lead for the Oilers, Clarke responded in kind to pull the Flyers even. Dave Poulin supplemented Clarke's two-goal performance while Edmonton's Paul Coffey scored in the final minute of the third period. Edmonton goalie Grant Fuhr made 40 saves to 32 by Philly's Bob Froese.

1990: A two-goal performance by Rick Tocchet and a shorthanded goal by Keith Acton keyed a 5-1 home win over the New York Rangers. Pelle Eklund racked up three assists while Kjell Samuelsson and Murray Craven tallied one goal apiece.

1995: Held off the board for nearly the first 59 minutes of play, the Legion of Doom could be contained no longer by the Toronto Maple Leafs in their final shift of the game. With the score tied 2-2 and time ticking down under two minute, the Legion kept Toronto hemmed in its own end of the ice for nearly 50 seconds until Mikael Renberg scored his 15th goal of the season to put Philly ahead to stay with 1:03 remaining in the game. Rod Brind'Amour and Brent Fedyk (power play) also scored for Philadelphia.

 

1996: Trailing 1-0 at the first intermission, the Flyers roared back to score three goals in the second period to take control of a game that ended in a 4-3 road win in Ottawa. Rookie Dainius Zubrus scored his third NHL goal, followed by tallies from Rod Brind'Amour (power play), Shjon Podein and Trent Klatt. Garth Snow saw just 17 shots for the game, stopping 14 to earn the win. The Flyers peppered Ottawa's Damian Rhodes with 37 shots.

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6) Today in Flyers History: December 1, 1974

n one of the most lopsided games in franchise history, the defending Stanley Cup champion Flyers whipped the woeful Kansas City Scouts by a 10-0 count at the Spectrum on December 1, 1974.

Ross Lonsberry and Bill Barber scored two goals apiece, while Bobby Clarke racked up a shorthanded goal and two assists. Philly also got goals by Gary Dornhoefer, Bill Clement, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Orest Kindrachuk, and Dave "the Hammer" Schultz.

Bernie Parent was scarcely tested in earning a 22-save shutout. The Flyer compiled a 47-22 shot advantage for the game as KC goalie Pete McDuffe absorbed all 10 goals that Philly scored. The Flyers led 5-0 after the first period and 9-0 at the second intermission.

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3) Today in Flyers History: The Barry Cummins Incident

California Seals rookie defenseman Barry Cummins learned a painful lesson about the lengths the Flyers were willing to go to defend one another, especially team captain Bobby Clarke. At 11:32 of the second period of a game between the Flyers and Seals at the Spectrum on December 2, 1973, one of the most notorious moments of the Broad Street Bullies era took place at 11:32 of the second period with the Flyers leading 2-1.

Frustrated by an unpenalized high stick from Clarke, Cummins swung his stick at Clarke's head, opening a bloody 24-stitch gash on Clarke's head. The Flyers' retaliation was immediate and severe. Numerous Flyers players descended upon Cummins all at once, beating him to a pulp and walling off the Seals players who tried to assist Cummins. After the line brawl and another round of fights a few minutes later, the visiting Seals went down meekly, 5-1.

Rick MacLeish, Dave Schultz, Ross Lonsberry, Bill Flett and Simon Nolet scored for the Flyers. Orest Kindrachuk collected three assists. Bernie Parent stopped 28 of 29 shots to earn the win.

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Today in Flyers History: December 3 edition

1969: Jim Johnson scored a surprise hat trick, recording his fifth, sixth and seventh goals of the season in a 7-1 road rout of the Los Angeles Kings. In the same game, Simon Nolet notched a pair of goals while rookie center Bobby Clarke scored the third goal of his NHL career.

1978: Two goals and an assist by Don "Big Bird" Saleski power the Flyers to a 7-2 home win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Bob "the Count" Dailey also has a three-point night with a goal and two assists, while Rick MacLeish tallied a pair of goals.

1984: Bob Froese made the most of a start at Madison Square Garden, recording 31 saves in a 6-2 win over the Rangers. The Flyers shrugged off a Jan Erixon goal in the opening half minute of the game to score the next four goals. Team captain Dave Poulin (two goals, one assist) and Peter Zezel (one goal, one assist) led the charge. Brian Propp notched his 16th goal of the season to start a hot streak in which he racked up three goals and seven points over a five-game span.

 

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3) Today in Flyers History: December 4

1970: Deadlocked 0-0 through two periods, the visiting Flyers break loose for third period goals by Serge Bernier, Gary Dornhoefer, Bill Lesuk and Bob Kelly to down the California Seals by a 4-0 count. Bernie Parent earned a 22-save shutout. In the lopsided third period, Philly outshot the Seals by a 12-3 margin.

1979: In the 22nd game of their North American professional sports record 35-game unbeaten streak, the host Flyers erased a 2-0 deficit in the second period against the Boston Bruins with closely spaced goals by Reggie Leach (shorthanded) and Paul Holmgren just 68 seconds apart. There was no further scoring in the 2-2 tie game in which the Flyers outshot the Bruins by a 38-14 margin over the course of the night.

 

1982: Flyers goaltender Pelle Lindbergh (24 saves) and Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Denis Herron (30 saves) duel to a scoreless tie at the Igloo in Pittsburgh. The shutout was the second of Lindbergh's NHL career. His busiest period was the opening frame, which saw the Flyers get outshot 11-9. Over the remainder of the game, the majority of the territorial edge belonged to Philadelphia.

1988: Trailing the New Jersey Devils 2-1 at the first intermission, the Flyers strike back for five unanswered goals -- including three on the power play -- spearheaded by a four-goal outburst in the second period. Pelle Eklund, Brian Propp, Rick Tocchet, Scott Mellanby, Mike Bullard and defenseman Gord Murphy all notched goals for Philly.

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3) Today in Flyers History: December 7

1972: A four-point effort from Bobby Clarke spurs the Flyers to a 6-2 home win over the Minnesota North Stars. Clarke erased an early deficit with an unassisted goal, and later set up a pair of tallies by "Cowboy" Bill Flett as well as a power play goal by defenseman Tom Bladon. Rick MacLeish scored a second period power play goal for his 17th goal of the season en route to the first 50-goal season in Flyers' history.

1985: Bob Froese records a 23-save shutout as the Flyers blank the New York Rangers, 4-0, at the Spectrum. Two goals apiece by Murray Craven and Brian Propp were more than enough. In the meantime, Bo Berglund (two assists, plus-two, one shot on goal, ice time on the second line) had the best game of his brief seven-game tenure as a Flyer after being recently acquired in the trade that sent Todd Bergen to the Minnesota North Stars.

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5) Today in Flyers History: Hextall Goal Makes NHL History

In a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins at the Spectrum on December 8, 1987, Ron Hextall carved out a special place in NHL history. He became the first goaltender in NHL history to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opposing net.

 

Hextall was not the first NHL goaltender who was adept puckhandler, and not the first who was willing to venture far out of his crease to play the puck. But he took it to whole different level both with his skill and aggressiveness. Hextall was eminently capable of triggering the breakout with a long stretch pass or intercepting a dump-in by the attacking team and clearing the right back out of the defensive zone.

And then there was his shooting ability. Hextall was so adept and physically strong that he developed the ability to routinely be able to fire the puck from goal line to goal line using his goalie stick.

rom the time Hextall arrived in the NHL in 1986-87, many people said that it was only a matter of time when he became the first NHL netminder to score a goal by shooting the puck. in 1979, the Islanders' Billy Smith was credited with a goal by virtue of being the last Islander to touch the puck on a delayed penalty call in which the Colorado Rockies accidentally put the puck into their own net after an errant pass by Rob Ramage.

 

Hextall's puckhandling ability became a major asset for the Flyers' defense. The team's defensemen certainly appreciated the goalie's ability not only to stop the puck behind the cage but to take it himself and pass it to safety.

"Hexy really was like a third defenseman out there for us," Mark Howe recalled in a 2009 interview. "He saved me a lot of wear and tear."

On his history-making goal against the Bruins, Hextall corralled the puck near his own net, and saw a clear shooting path down the ice. He measured his aim momentarily and fired a dart that went straight down the ice into the center of the vacated net.

Earlier in the game, Peter Zezel (two power play goals) and Brian Propp (power play and even strength goals) tallied for the Flyers. On the same night, Flyers defenseman Brad Marsh suffered a frightening head injury on a sandwich check by Ray Bourque and Cam Neely, as his unhelmeted head crashed into the stanchion and hits the ice. Marsh was hospitalized for precautionary reasons.

On April 11, 1989 Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal in a playoff game, accomplishing the feat in Game Five of the Flyers' 1989 first-round playoff series with the Washington Capitals.

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Today in Flyers History: December 10

1972: Gary Dornhoefer recorded the third hat trick of his Flyers' career as the Flyers downed the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-2, at the Spectrum. All three goals came against the legendary but aging Jacques Plante. Don Saleski and Bob Kelly also score for the Flyers.

1978: Bernie Parent notched the 55th of his 56 career regular season and playoff shutouts as a Flyer, blanking the New York Rangers on 28 shots. Two goals apiece from Bill Barber (shorthanded and even strength) and Blake Dunlop (power play and even strength) provided the goal support.

1983: The visiting Flyers whipped the woeful New Jersey Devils by an 8-2 count. Philly received multi-point games by Bobby Clarke (two goals), Len Hachborn (two goals), Mark Howe (one goal, one assist) and Brian Propp (one goal, one assist). Tim Kerr also tallies for Philly.

 

1985: One of Marke Howe's best performances of the 1985-86 season took place on December 10, 1985 at the Spectrum against the Boston Bruins. Howe dominated a 7-4 Flyers win as the eventual Norris Trophy runner-up defenseman notched two power play goals and a power play assist while compiling a plus-three rating at even strength and playing nearly 32 of the game's 60 minutes. Howe's defense partner Brad McCrimmon, whom the Flyers acquired from Boston, opened the scoring. Brian Propp scored shorthanded and even strength goals for Philly while adding an assist. Dave Poulin and Pelle Eklund notch a power play goal and an assist apiece. Both Propp and Poulin later played for the Bruins.

1988: Veteran checking forward Derrick Smith, who recorded 80 goals for his 494-game Flyers career and never scored more than 16 goals in a season, recorded the first and only hat trick of his NHL career. The host Flyers downed the Chicago Blackhawks, 6-4.

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Today in Flyers History: Bladon's 8-Point Game (Dec. 11, 1977)

Defenseman Tom Bladon was never a player who sought out the spotlight despite being an offensively talented member of the Broad Street Bullies era Flyers. As with most of his teammates from that era, Bladon went by multiple nicknames. Some called him "Bomber" for his explosive point shot. Others good-naturedly called him "Sparky" in joking reference to his relatively quiet demeanor on boisterous Flyers' teams.

On December 11, 1977, Bladon could not avoid being the center of attention. That night, he set a franchise record by notching eight points - four goals and four assists - in an 11-1 rout of the lowly Cleveland Barons at the Spectrum.

 

The game was scoreless until Reggie Leach got the Flyers on the board at 10:45 of the first period. Late in the first period, however, the explosion began. At 17:54, Bladon scored to make it 2-0. Nineteen seconds later, he assisted on Don Saleski's 18th goal of the season. Twenty-seven seconds after that, Bladon picked up his third period as he and Saleski assisted on a Mel Bridgman tally.

After Rick MacLeish opened a 5-0 lead in the second period, Bladon scored the next two Flyers goals to complete his first NHL hat trick and create a 7-0 lead. Paul Holmgren made the score 8-0 late in the middle stanza.

At 2:47 of the third period, Bladon notched his fourth goal and sixth point of the game. As the third period progressed, he had a secondary assist on MacLeish's second goal of the night and the primary helper on a Bill Barber tally. The score was now 11-0 and Bladon had a direct hand in eight of the Flyers' goals. A Dennis Maruk power play goal in the final 1:15 of the game broke up a Bernie Parent shutout bid. The Flyers outshot the Barons by a whopping 52-18 for the night.

Bladon's eight-point game is one of 14 such performance in NHL regular season history (it has also been done twice in the playoffs), and remains the lone occasion that a Flyers player has managed the feat. However, Bladon is one of just two defensemen in NHL history to do it. The other is Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Paul Coffey.

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4) Today in Flyers History: December 13

1974: Power play goals by Reggie Leach and Rick MacLeish, sandwiched around an even strength goal by Bob "the Hound" Kelly lifted the Flyers to a 3-2 road win over the pesky Atlanta Flames. MacLeish's game winner came with 1:33 left in the game, making a winner of goaltender Bernie Parent (21 saves). Future Flyers goalie Phil Myre made 35 saves in a losing cause.

1979: The Flyers extended their unbeaten streak to 25 games (18-0-7) with a 6-4 win at the Spectrum over the Quebec Nordiques. Two goals apiece by Bill Barber (three-point game) and Reggie Leach lead the way for Philly, while Dennis Ververgaert and Al Hill (empty net) added some insurance.

 

1987: Murray Craven's shorthanded goal at 14:26 of the third period rescued a 4-3 road win for the Flyers in Winnipeg after the club was unable to protect a 3-1 lead heading into the final frame. Peter Zezel, Derrick Smith and young defenseman Kerry Huffman also scored for the Flyers.

1995: The Flyers acquired right winger Trent Klatt from the Dallas Stars in exchange for former "Crazy Eights" line member Brent Fedyk. Klatt, a native of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, who won the coveted "Mr. Hockey" distinction during his high school career before attending the University of Minnesota, formed a highly effective Flyers third line as he joined fellow Gopher State natives Joel Otto and Shjon Podein, not surprisingly dubbed "The Minnesota Line."

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2) Today in Flyers History: Parent's 1st Flyers Shutout (December 16, 1967)

During his Hockey Hall of Fame career with the Philadelphia Flyers, legendary goaltender Bernie Parent recorded 50 regular season shutouts and six more in the playoffs, including the deciding games of both the 1974 and 1975 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres respectively. For his NHL career, he had 54 total shutouts in the regular season, including one as a rookie with Boston and three as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

Parent authored the first shutout of his Flyers' career (and the second of his NHL career) on December 16, 1967. On that night, Parent turned back all 25 shots he faces in a 1-0 road win against the St. Louis Blues.

Team captain Lou Angotti's goal in the final minute of the second period stood as the game's only tally. Blues' goaltender Glenn Hall, himself a Hall of Famer, stopped 18 of 19 Flyers' shots. A crowd of 7,570 turned out at St. Louis Arena for the game between the two first-year expansion teams.

 

1971: Serge Bernier tallied two goals and an assist, while Doug Favell recorded a 35-save shutout at the Spectrum. The Flyers blew out Buffalo, 5-0.

1981: Tied 3-3 at the second intermission at Madison Square Garden, the Flyers erupted for four goals in the third period to turn the game into a 7-3 rout. Ray Allison enjoyed a three-point game (one goal, two assists) for the Flyers.

 

1982: The Flyers earned a 7-2 home win over the Detroit Red Wings at a costly price. Despite the lopsided final score, the game was not an easy one for Philly. The team found itself trailing just nine seconds after the opening faceoff, as Detroit's Dwight Foster scored. On his first shift of the game -- returning to the lineup from a November knee injury -- Bill Barber tore ligaments in his right knee and misses nearly two more months of action. The Flyers bounced back led a four-point (two goal, two assist) night for Bobby Clarke and 38 saves by Pelle Lindbergh. Clarke reached a career milestone with his 1,100th regular season point.

1993: Flyers rookie Mikael Renberg boosted the team to a 3-2 home win over the Quebec Nordiques, scoring one goal and later assisting Mark Recchi on the game winning goal. Earlier in the game, red-hot forward Josef Beranek scored his 21st goal of the season for the Flyers. Philly outshot Quebec, 35-18, for the game as winning goalie Dominic Roussel saw just 10 shots over the final 40 minutes. Garth Snow, a future Flyer, took the loss for Quebec.

 

1995: Two goals by Rod Brind'Amour, a shorthanded goal by Shjon Podein and a third-period tally by Eric Lindros sparked the Flyers to a 4-2 win over the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum. Pat Falloon assists on both Brind'Amour goals. Ron Hextall made 23 saves. The Flyers went 8-for-9 on the penalty kill on this night, including Podein's shorthander.

2000: Simon Gagne racked up two goals and assists on another (Rick Tocchet) as the Flyers strafed Martin Brodeur for a half-dozen goals in a 6-3 Flyers home win. Daymond Langkow generated a goal and an assist, while Mark Recchi, Ruslan Fedotenko and even low-scoring tough defenseman Chris McAllister (two goals in 121 games as a Flyer) chipped in one goal apiece. Tocchet, who assisted on Gagne's second goal and had a second period fight, recorded the ninth and final Gordie Howe Hat Trick of his two-stint Flyers career.

2003: The Flyers announced a trade with the Edmonton Oilers: Philadelphia received forward Mike Comrie and sent defense prospect Jeff Woywitka, a 2004 1st-round puck (Rob Schremp) and a 2005 3rd-round pick (future Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret) to Edmonton.

2006: The Flyers made a trade with the New York Islanders: Philadelphia received veteran defenseman Alexei Zhitnik and sendt defenseman Freddy Meyer and a 2007 third-round pick (Mark Katic) to the Islanders. Several months later, the Flyers traded Zhitnik to Atlanta in exchange for defense prospect Braydon Coburn.

 

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Today in Flyers History: Dec. 17

1967: The Flyers were outshot 37-22 by fellow first-year expansion team Pittsburgh, but skated away with a 2-1 win at the Spectrum courtesy of stellar goaltending by Bernie Parent. An early first period goal by Brit Selby and a mid-second period tally by Leon Rochefort provided just enough offense to win.

1968: Bernie Parent made 34 saves against the Penguins but, unlike the previous season's squeaker, this game was an 8-2 home rout for the Flyers. Brit Selby scored a pair of goals, as did Andre Lacroix and Dick Sarrazin. Leon Rochefort and Forbes Kennedy tally once apiece, while Jim Johnson racked up four assists in the game.

 

1975: Four different Flyers players and three different lines scored in a 4-2 road win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Goalie Wayne Stephenson (27 saves) outdueled Hall of Famer Tony Esposito. Rick MacLeish, Ross Lonsberry, Bob Kelly and Reggie Leach supplied the offensive support.

1981: Flyers defenseman Behn Wilson converted a late-second period penalty shot for what proved to the game-winning goal in a 2-1 home win over the Buffalo Sabres. Trailing 1-0 late with less than four minutes remaining in the second period, Ray Allison knotted the score at 1-1. Wilson's penalty shot goal came at 17:50. Winning goalie Pete Peeters made 31 saves.

1988: Rick Tocchet notched his fifth career hat trick as the Flyers pummel Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens by a 7-1 count. Tim Kerr, Doug Sulliman, Scott Mellanby and Dave Poulin also tallied for the Flyers.

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7) Today in Flyers History: December 20

1973: There's a goal-scoring bonanza at the Spectrum as the Flyers crush the Vancouver Canucks by a 9-3 count. Forward Bill Clement leads the charge with two goals and an assist, while Bobby Clarke and Ross Lonsberry also tally twice apiece. The game features a bench-clearing brawl in the second period that sees backup goaltender Bobby Taylor ejected from the game on a game misconduct. Two of the Canucks' three goals are scored by future Flyers defenseman Bob Dailey.

 

1980: Two goals by Reggie Leach spark the Flyers to a 5-2 road win in Washington after Philly trailed 2-0 at the first intermission. The second Caps goal is scored by longtime Flyers forward Bob "the Hound" Kelly. Rookie forward Tim Kerr scores his eight career goal, while Philly also gets goals from Tommy "T.J." Gorence and Bob Dailey. Leach's second goal is a third-period shorthander that gives Philly a stranglehold on the game.

1984: Vezina Trophy winning goaltender Pelle Lindbergh does not see many shots or have one of his best games but the Flyers win comfortably in an 8-4 blowout of the New Jersey Devils at the Spectrum.Twelve different Flyers register at least one point in this game, led by two goals apiece by Rick Tocchet and Ilkka Sinisalo as well as three-point nights (one goal, two assists apiece) for defenseman Thomas Eriksson and right winger Tim Kerr.

1986: Six different Flyers score goals to build a 6-2 road lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins before Philly holds off a furious charge by the Pens in the third period to leave the Igloo with a 6-4 win. Defense partners Brad McCrimmon and Mark Howe each tally goals for Philly, along with forwards Tim Kerr (power play), Pelle Eklund, Dave Poulin (shorthanded) and Murray Craven. Ilkka Sinisalo racks up three assists. Mario Lemieux has a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh.

1990: The Flyers saw three separate one-goal leads slip away after getting goals from enforcer Craig Berube (3rd of the season), second-year NHLer Mike Ricci (10th) and Czech rookie Martin Hostak (2nd). The game ended in a 3-3 tie. Ron Hextall saw only one shot in overtime, finishing with 29 saves.

 

1997: Power play goals by Rod Brind'Amour and Eric Lindros were all the team needed as they held the visiting Florida Panthers to 14 shots and skated off with a 2-0 victory. Garth Snow earned the shutout and third-star honors. For his Flyers career, Snow recorded three shutouts. This game marked the final one before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for goalie Sean Burke on March 4, 1998.

2001: The Flyers hold off the visiting Dallas Stars, 2-1, courtesy of a 29-save performance by Brian Boucher. A first period goal by Marty Murray and a mid-game tally by Keith Primeau are just enough offense to win.

2008: Scott Hartnell compiles a hat trick and Jeff Carter (four-point game) scores twice as the Flyers pummel the visiting Washington Capitals by a 7-1 count. Joffrey Lupul has a three-point game (one goal, two assists). Antero Niitttymaki stops 47 of 48 shots as the Flyers get outshot 25-6 in the first period and 14-7 in the second.

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3) Today in Flyers History: December 22, 1979

Prior to the 1979-80 NHL season, the longest unbeaten streak in Philadelphia Flyers history was a 23-game run (17-0-6) during the 1975-76 campaign. Four seasons later, the Flyers not only shattered the previous franchise and league records (a 28-game run by the Montreal Canadiens in 1977-78) but they went on to set a North American pro sports record with a 35-game unbeaten streak (25-0-10).

On December 22, 1979, the Flyers surpassed the Habs’ NHL record with a 5-2 win over the Bruins at Boston Garden. The victory gave the Flyers a 29-game unbeaten streak (20-0-9).

Ken “the Rat” Linseman’s goal in the opening minute of the second period gave the Flyers a 3-0 lead after Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber scored in the first period. After the Bruins struck back quickly for two goals, Jim Watson built a 4-2 lead with a goal just 30 seconds after Mike Milbury had cut the Boston deficit to a single goal.

Bob “the Hound” Kelly restored a three-goal cushion midway through the third period. Defenseman Mike Busniuk collected a pair of assists, while winning goaltender Phil Myre stopped 18 of 20 shots compared to the 13 saves made by Gilles Gilbert.

The game also featured multiple fights, including a lengthy grappling match between Paul Holmgren and John Wensick and, simultaneously, a one-sided beatdown of rookie Boston defenseman Ray Bourque by Flyers captain Mel Bridgman. Late in the third period, truculent Flyers defenseman Behn Wilson dropped the gloves with Boston scrapper Stan Jonathan.

Following the Flyers win in Boston, Philly would rattle off five wins and one tie in its next six games to bring the unbeaten streak to 35 games. The streak finally ended with a 7-1 road loss to the Minnesota North Stars on January 7, 1980.
 

[Podein25]

Look at this absolute, beautiful boss in his prime. F*cken warrior

 

 

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Today in Flyers History: December 23, 1984 (Christmas Death Skate Eve)

A hat trick by Tim Kerr and a pair of goals by Murray Craven powered the Flyers to a 7-4 home win over the Washington Capitals. The win was the Flyers' second in their last three games, ending a mini-skid.

The next morning, head coach Mike Keenan (unpleasantly) surprised the team with what becomes known as the Christmas Death Skate -- an intense two-hour practice featuring extensive goal-line to goal-line sprints. Players had water breaks but the session was otherwise relentless. Even the most well-conditioned players on the team were on the brink of collapse.

At the end, before the team convened for a holiday party, Keenan told his troops, "Always expect the unexpected. And Merry Christmas."

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Today in Flyers History: December 25

Until the early 1970s, it was not uncommon for National Hockey League teams to play on Christmas Day. The Philadelphia Flyers have never played a Christmas Eve game but played on Christmas Day in four of their first five seasons of the team's existence.

The team posted a 1-2-1 record in those games.

The lone victory was a 3-1 triumph over the Oakland Seals in 1969. A crowd of 10,071 came out to the Spectrum and saw the Flyers quickly jump on their opponent. Goals by Jim Johnson, Dick Cherry and Simon Nolet gave the Flyers a commanding lead before the game even nine minutes old.

Doug Favell went on to stop 31 of 32 shots, yielding only a second period power play marker by Gerry Ehman. Gary Smith stopped 42 of 45 Flyers' shots in a losing cause. Flyers defenseman Joe Watson earned first-star honors for the game. Favell was the second-star selection.

1967: The New York Rangers defeated the Flyers, 3-1, at the Spectrum. Ed Hoekstra broke up an Eddie Giacomin shutout bid (32 saves on 33 shots) with a late third period power play goal. Bernie Parent (33 saves on 36 shots) played well but got tagged with the loss.

1968: A seesaw game between the Flyers and Rangers at the Spectrum ended in a 2-2 tie. A late first period goal by Brit Selby and a mid-second period shorthanded marker by Dick Sarrazin turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead before the Rangers re-tied the game with the only goal of the third period. Doug Favell stopped 36 of 38 shots while Gilles Villemure denies 23 of 25 Philadelphia shots.

1971: In the lone Christmas road game in franchise history, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead against the Boston Bruins to the first intermission after young center Bobby Clarke scored his 13th goal of the season. Thereafter, Boston took over the game and went on to down the Flyers in a 5-1 blowout. Bobby Orr, Ken Hodge, Phil Esposito, Wayne Cashman and Derek Sanderson scored for the Bruins.
 

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3) Today in Flyers History: 2010 Winter Classic

The Flyers have played eight New Year's Day games in franchise history. The Winter Classic game at Boston's Fenway Park in 2010 was the only New Year's Day match the Flyers played between 1983 and a 2017 game in Anaheim.

In the third annual NHL Winter Classic, the Flyers did not trail the Boston Bruins at any point in regulation but dropped a 2-1 overtime decision.

After a scoreless first period, Flyers defenseman Danny Syvret opened the scoring at 4:42 of the second period. The goal was an odd one. Driven to distraction by Scott Hartnell in front of his net, Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas neglected the ongoing play to skate out and attack the Flyers forward. Just then, Syvret shot into the now-open net.

The Flyers carried the 1-0 lead until time ticked down to 1:18 left in the third period. Former Flyers right winger Mark Recchi broke up Michael Leighton's shutout bid and tied the game.

In the final 46 seconds of regulation, Flyers center Danny Briere was penalized for tripping. Boston does not score on the ensuing 4-on-3 power play in overtime but won the game nine seconds later as Marco Sturm' scored. The Flyers settled for one point from the regular season game. Philly would get its revenge in the playoffs, recovering from a three games to zero deficit to defeat the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.