The 15 Most Underrated Athletes in Philadelphia History

Posted: June 7, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Baseball, Basketball, Boxing, Featured, Football, Hockey | Tags: | 1 Comment »

Here’s our final list. A bartender who heard the list thought it should have been most under-appreciated, not underrated. “Everybody knew Joe Frazier was great, they just didn’t appreciate that he was great.” Perhaps a fair assessment, but I guess the final word here is that these are guys who don’t get their just due when great athletes in this city come up in conversation, and we want to make sure they don’t get overlooked. Whatever word best applies to guys who don’t get their just due, please feel free to apply. Feel free to agree, disagree with these in the comments. Thanks to Lalli for helping me put this together.

#1. Paul Arizin

#2. Hal Greer.

#3. Donovan McNabb.

#4. Ricky Watters.

#5. Joe Frazier.

#6. Bobby Abreu.

#7. Kimmo Timonen.

#8. Dick Allen.

#9. Eddie Plank.

#10. Del Ennis.

#11. Brad McCrimmon.

#12. Freddy Leach.

#13. Von Hayes.

#14. John LeClair.

#15. Byron Evans.

 

Most Underrated Philly Athletes of All-Time: #7 Kimmo Timonen

Posted: April 6, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment »

Kimmo Timonen was underrated from the start of his career.  He was selected in the 10th Round (250th of 286 total picks) by the L.A. Kings in the 1993 Entry Draft.  In today’s NHL, there are only 7 rounds in the draft, so it’s pretty easy to see what NHL front offices thought of Timonen. That being said, there’s a reason the Flyers haven’t missed the playoffs since Kimmo joined the team.

After playing several years in Nashville, the Flyers acquired Timonen in what now looks like one of the more lopsided trades in team history.  As part of the deal that sent an aging Peter Forsberg to the Predators, the Flyers obtained a 1st round pick which they then traded back to Nashville in 2007 for Scott Hartnell and Kimmo Timonen.

In hockey, it’s easy to underrate good defensemen.  The guys you don’t notice are likely the ones who are most effective.  Timonen fits that description to a tee.  Night in and night out, Timonen is paired against the best offensive lines of the Flyers’ opponents and he puts in his work, quietly. Even when an HBO camera crew was following around the team for weeks prior to the Winter Classic, Timonen didn’t want any part of the spotlight and made himself an extra.

He’s not the type of player who’s going to deliver bone-crunching hits, or picks fights, or dazzle the fans with flashy play, or fire 105 mph slapshots from the point.  At 5’10″ and 194 lbs, he surely doesn’t stand out because of his size.  But he brings his mistake-free play, both mentally and physically, to the rink every game.  And I do mean every game.  Although he’s built like a finesse winger, he is one of the more durable players in the league.  Since joining the Flyers in 2007, he’s never missed more than 6 games in any season.

His decision making, puck movement, and positional skills are probably his greatest assets on the ice.  As a Flyer, Timonen has averaged 36 assists and 41 points per year.  He’s also a plus 38 over that span.  This year, he hit both the 100 goal and 500 point milestones in his career.  Timonen shines on the power-play.  From ’06-’07 to ’07-08 (Timonen’s first year in Philly), the Flyers power-play success rate shot up from 14% to 22%.

He’s won three Barry Ashbee Awards, given to the Flyers’ most outstanding defensemen as decided by a panel of sportswriters.  He’s just the third Flyer to take home that honor three times (Eric Desjardins- 7, Mark Howe- 4).  Over the course of his career, he’s been selected to 5 All-Star teams (3 with the Flyers).

Just as important as his durability and play is the leadership that Kimmo brings to the Flyers.  In years past, he was a locker room and on-ice leader, but with Chris Pronger’s injury this year, Timonen has had to become team spokesman.  With his direct, no-nonsense approach to the Philadelphia media, his teammates know they are going to be held accountable for mistakes or lack of effort.  For example: When he was asked what the difference was between the Rangers and Flyers this year after the Rangers 4th straight win against the Orange and Black, Timonen had two words: “The goaltending.”  After a February loss to those same Rangers, Kimmo didn’t mince words about the effort: “The emotional level, playing against the top team in the conference…league…to be honest I think we got half the guys going half the guys not.”  Hearing those kinds of quotes in the land of “upper body injuries” and “maintenance days” speaks volumes about how much respect Timonen has in the Flyers locker room.

Most Underrated Philly Athletes of All-Time: #11 Brad McCrimmon

Posted: March 16, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment »

Brad McCrimmon was the kind of player that every coach would love to have.  The 5’11″ defenseman combined exceptional positioning with hard-nosed play.  ”Beast” did all the workman-type, little things that need to be done for a team to be successful, but also contributed offensively when called upon. He sits at #11 on our list of the Most Underrated Athletes in Philly Sports History mainly because he was paired with Flyers-great Mark Howe.  Howe was much more offensive than McCrimmon, and thus enjoyed much more of the spotlight.  However, McCrimmon’s teammates and coaching staff knew that his solid play and defensive mind allowed Howe to roam free without sacrificing the team’s defensive integrity.    

McCrimmon joined the Flyers for the ’82-’83 season and never registered a negative plus/minus in his five years in Philadelphia.  He was integral to the ’84-’85 and ’86-’87 teams that reached the Stanley Cup Finals.  Statistically, the Howe-McCrimmon pairing’s best season was ’85-’86: Howe scored 24 goals, totaled 83 points, and had a plus-minus of 83; McCrimmon scored 13 goals, totaled 56 points, and finished with a plus 83.  Surprisingly, not one other Flyer defensemen finished on the plus side that season.

It wasn’t just Howe who benefited from being partnered with McCrimmon.  McCrimmon’s error-free play and leadership made him a great partner for young defensemen.  In 1987, McCrimmon was paired with young Gary Suter in Calgary.  In 1991, while in Detroit, Brad McCrimmon was partnered with rookie Nicklas Lidstrom.  Two years later he was paired with rookie Chris Pronger in Hartford.

Bill Meltzer interviewed Brian Propp and Mark Howe, who echoed the fact that McCrimmon never got his due:

Brad was a tremendous defenseman and teammate.  He never got as much credit as he deserved, but the only thing he really cared about was winning.

-Brian Propp

He was a horse and an excellent all-around hockey player. I would play 33 and a half minutes a game and Brad played 27. He never got the credit he deserved but if you look at the defensemen playing then – or now for that matter – Brad was the kind of player who is rare to find.

-Mark Howe

The Brad McCrimmon story ends with tragedy.  After his playing career ended he got into coaching. He served as an assistant for various teams in the NHL over the course of a decade and was hired to coach the KHL’s Yaroslavl Lokomotiv just prior to the 2011 season.  Sadly, he was on the plane which crashed on September 7, 2011 and died along with 42 other players, coaches, and staff.

Most Underrated Philly Athletes of All-Time: #14 John LeClair

Posted: February 1, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment »

(6 points)

American-born NHL star John LeClair sits at No. 14 on our list of the most underrated athletes in Philadelphia sports history.  His career spanned 16 seasons, 10 of which were spent wearing the Orange and Black (’94-95 to ’03-’04).  There’s no denying the fact that John LeClair was one of the best scorers in the history of the franchise.  A quick run-down of his resume makes this abundantly clear:

  • As a Flyer, he averaged 43 goals and 83 points per year.*
  • He scored 50+ goals in three consecutive seasons from 1995-1998, becoming the first American-born player to accomplish that feat.
  • He amassed 70+ points in five consecutive seasons from 1995-2000.
  • He won the NHL Plus-Minus Award for the ’96-’97 season and the ’98-’99 season.
  • He was an NHL All-Star in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.
  • He ranks 5th in Flyers history in goals and 7th in Flyers history in scoring.

So how is a guy with those stats underrated?  Two words: Eric Lindros.  Most Philadelphia sports fans credit Lindros for most, if not all of LeClair’s production.  Obviously, playing on the same line as one of the most talented players in the history of the league has its benefits, but the Vermont-native’s size (6’3″- 236lbs.), strength, and finishing ability can’t be questioned.  Whether he was parked in front of the net- taking a beating, deflecting shots, or pouncing on rebounds; or letting one of his heavy slap shots go, LeClair was a force for the Legion of Doom.  Lindros’ raw talent and play-making ability overshadowed LeClair’s consistency and production, which were vital to the success of that line.  And don’t forget Mr. Lindros wasn’t healthy all that often.  In the ’96-’97 season during which Lindros was absent for 30 games, LeClair still scored 50 goals.

No Flyer has dared to wear #88 since the Flyers traded Lindros to the Rangers in 2001, but there’s a 20-year-old kid wearing #10 for the Flyers now.

*In seasons he registered at least 76 games played.

This Date in Flyers History: The 35th Game

Posted: January 6, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

On January 6, 1980, the Flyers and Sabres were knotted at 2 heading into the third period. Just 3 minutes and 45 seconds into the final period, Bill Barber scored on Buffalo goaltender Don Edwards to give the Flyers a 3-2 lead.  A lead which the Flyers would not relinquish.  While a win in January doesn’t usually amount to much when looking at the NHL regular season as a whole, Barber’s game winning goal on this date 22 years ago elevated the ’79-’80 Flyers to a place no other professional sports team has ever, or will ever reach.

The win over Buffalo marked the 35th game in a row in which the Flyers were unbeaten, the longest such streak in professional sports.  After a 1-1 start, “The Streak” started with a win in the 3rd game of the regular season.  On October 14th, 1979 the Flyers beat the Leafs at home on a late goal from Bob Kelly.  For the next 84 days, the Flyers would not lose.

Over the course of The Streak, the Flyers won 25 games and tied 10.  They played every team in the league, except the Washington Capitals, earning at least one point in each contest.  On December 9th, the Flyers tied the Blackhawks 4-4 pushing the streak to 24 and surpassing the previous team record of 23.  On December 22nd, they went to the Boston Garden, a building in which the Flyers hadn’t won in nearly 5 years.  However, the tear continued and the Flyers dominated en route to a 5-2 win and their 29th straight game without a defeat.  This win set a new NHL record.  The previous record (28 games) was held by the ’77-’78 Montreal Canadiens.

Finally, on January 7, 1980, the Flyers streak came to an end in a 7-1 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota North Stars

Credit for the streak lays mainly with the Flyers goaltending.  In this case, it was the tandem of Phil Myre and rookie Pete Peeters who carried the team through almost 3 months of unbeaten play.  Myre and Peeters shared duties, with a virtual even split in starts during the 35 game streak.  Fittingly, both played in the 35th game against the Sabres as Myre started but became ill and needed to be replaced by Peeters.  Offensively, Ken Linseman, Reggie Leach, and rookie Brian Propp led the way.

If you watched HBO’s 24/7 series on the Flyers and Rangers Road to the Winter Classic, you got to see the teams celebrate the New Year.  For some reason, I imagine watching the ’79-’80 Flyers ring in the New Year 33 games into their streak with with only 1 loss would have been much more entertaining.

Best Nicknames in Flyers History

Posted: August 29, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , | 1 Comment »

More than in any other sport, hockey players refer to their teammates by nickname only.  Listen to one post-game interview with a player and you will hear nothing but nicknames when he is talking about his teammates.  Other than the obvious ones which just add “ie” or “s” to a shorter version of the players last name (Richie, Carts), nicknames generally come from inside jokes.  This phenomenon speaks to the camaraderie of the locker room; the “us” against “them” mentality.

Picking up on Johnny’s list of the Best Nicknames in Eagles History, here is a list of the best nicknames for players who’ve worn the Orange and Black.  I’ve also thrown in the best names given to lines in team history.  Be sure to let us know if I missed any.

The Players

  1. “Zeus” Dave Schultz (While the media stuck with “Hammer,” his teammates called him “Zeus.”)
  2. “Big Bird” Don Saleski (His mop top hair made him a dead ringer for the Sesame Street character.)
  3. Bob “Hound” Kelly
  4. Andre “Moose” DuPont (He was the size of a moose.)
  5. “Cowboy” Bill Flett (The guy was literally a cowboy.  He grew up wrestling steer and riding broncos.  And he dressed like one too, boots and cowboy hat included.)
  6. “Hawk” Rick MacLeish (After some off-color comments he made to a woman at a bar, she pressed his nose flat with her fingers and said “Hawk Nose! Hawk Nose!.”  This happened within earshot of Bill Clement, who coined the name “Hawk.”)
  7. “Ash Can” Barry Ashbee
  8. “Frank” Antero Niittymaki (Named after the famous mobster Frank Nitty.)
  9. “Chico” Robert Esche (Keith Tkachuk saw Eshe’s sticks, which have “R. Esche” on them, and said “When did Chico get here?” referring to goaltending great Glenn “Chico” Resche.)
  10. “Arnie” Bill Barber (Teammates thought he looked like the pig on Green Acres, Arnold Ziffel.)

The Lines

  1. The Legion of Doom (Lindros, LeClair, Renberg)
  2. The LCB Line (Leach, Clarke, Barber)
  3. The Fighting Dans (Dan Kordic, Daniel LeCroiux, Scott Daniels)
  4. The Deuces Wild Line (Gagne, Forsberg, Knuble- all had “2s” in their numbers)
  5. The Crazy Eights Line (Lindros, Recchi, Fedyk- all had “8s” in their numbers)
  6. The Blackhawk Down Line (Roenick, Amonte, Zhamnov- all former Blackhawks)

 

Larry Mendte Shares His Favorite Philly Sports Moment

Posted: August 3, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Larry Mendte needs no introduction. I doubt there is a Philadelphian who doesn’t know his name. He has a house swimming in Emmys for his terrific television work (including two earlier this year). And though his career at KYW ended in scandal in 2008, he has since recovered nicely, writing for Philly Mag, doing commentary for WPIX in New York, and becoming an advocate for the 9/11 First Responders. And this isn’t the first time he’s been gracious enough to respond to an inquiry from me. In 2006, he talked to me about ghosts. Well, here he talks about the ghosts of 1972, when Philly sports hit rock bottom, and how surviving during the lean years has made the recent success of Philly sports all the sweeter.

The present is the best of times for Philadelphia sports fans. The Phillies are the best team in baseball. The Eagles will be the Super Bowl favorites in football. The Flyers made moves that put them in the mix for a Stanley Cup run. Even the Philadelphia 76ers are showing signs of something better than mediocre thanks to the return of my favorite Sixers’ player, now my favorite Sixers’ coach, Doug Collins.

And that takes us back to the worst of times. For to truly be able to bask in what is, you need to have suffered through what was. In 1972 I was 15 years old and a sophomore at Monsignor Bonner High School in Drexel Hill, Delaware County. It was an age and a year when you were fully invested in your sports teams for better or worse. But in Philadelphia there was no column A – everything was worse, record setting worse.

The Philadelphia 76ers started out the year losing their first 15 games and the season went downhill from there. In the middle of the year they suffered a then record setting 20 game losing streak. And yet I can remember the names of every player on that team as I used to go to the Spectrum, buy a nose bleed seat and by the 3rd quarter I was courtside. The team was so bad I had the urge to yell “next.” When the team ended the season 9-73, the worst record in NBA history, it was depressing.

But the 76ers were not alone, every team was pitiful. I challenge anyone to come up with a worse year in Philadelphia sports than 1972 bleeding over to the beginning of ’73. I contend it stands as the worst year in Philadelphia professional sports history.

The Philadelphia Phillies were 59 – 97 that year and finished last in the National League East. Cy Young award winner Steve Carlton won 27 of those games. Without Carlton the Phillies could have easily contended for the title of worst team in Major League Baseball History. One shudders to think how many games the team would have lost without Lefty.

The other team to play at The Vet was even worse. The Philadelphia Eagles were 2-11-1 in 1972 and finished last in the NFC East. They beat the Kansas City Chiefs and the Houston Oilers both by one point, so they were just two points away from a winless season. The team scored just 12 touchdowns in a 14 game season.

The Philadelphia Flyers finished with a 26-38-14 record in 1972. In a city of last place teams, the Flyers fourth place finish in the NHL West made them a giant among midgets. But there was more than that, a new coach named Fred Shero seemed to have a vision. And Bobby Clarke in his third season had the making of a superstar.

The four teams I mentioned had a combined record of 96-219-15. 1972 may not only be the worst year in Philadelphia sports history, but the worst year that any city with at least four major league franchises has ever suffered.

Philadelphia was dubbed The City of Losers. It was depressing for a 15 year old kid in Lansdowne who felt a deep connection with the teams. It was no wonder that Big 5 basketball and Penn State football was so big in the early 70’s. The college teams gave Philadelphia our only taste of winning.

But that would quickly change, for Fred Shero did have a vision. The very next year, the Philadelphia Flyers would shed their reputation for mediocrity; emulating the swagger of a city that had something to prove and nothing to lose. I watched all six games of that Stanley Cup series from the kitchens and living rooms of friends and family. It was on everywhere.

Famously, before game six against the great Boston Bruins, Shero posted a note in the locker room. “Win today and we walk together forever.” They won game six and the Stanley Cup series 1-0 thanks to the brilliance of goalie Bernie Parent.

That night I remember celebrating with my friends and a few hundred other people in the middle of street in Yeadon, Delaware County. The crowd chanted “1,2,3,4. Who the F—is Bobby Orr.” There was sheer elation. Philadelphia became a hockey town that year. The team known as the Broad Street Bullies defiantly ripped the label “City of Losers” from all of our chests.

Philadelphia became a hockey town that year. Suddenly kids, who used to play stick ball, pick-up basketball and touch football, were playing street hockey. And Fred Shero’s prophecy came true, as Clarke, Shultz, Barber, Parent, DuPont, Dorhoefer and Saleski were overnight household names. They were walking together forever into Philadelphia Sports immortality.

Everything seemed to change after the cup came to town. The Flyers would win again and the Phillies, 76ers and Eagles all seemed to drink from it. The City of Loser was now the City of Winners. Clarke and Parent were joined by Schmidt, Dr J and Vermeil. Within the next ten years the City would have a World Series win, an NBA Championship and a Super Bowl appearance. I was there when Tug McGraw lifted the trophy over his head at JFK stadium and I chanted “Fo, Fo, Fo” as Moses moved down Broad Street in a victory parade. But my favorite sports moment in Philadelphia happened at the intersection of Church and Whitby when I shared in shared in a loud and emotional mass transformation of Philadelphia sports fans from what we were, repressed and resigned, to what we are today, proud and passionate.

The suffering of 1972 made 1974, 1980, 1981 and 1983 more meaningful. It makes those of us who remember 1972, the worst of times, treasure today, the best of times.

This is Part 4 of our series on Philly sports memories. Here are the previous entries.

Part 1, with Nick Staskin of Phillies Nation.

Part 2, with John Finger of CSN Philly.

Part 3, with Maxx of Black Landlord.

The Other Big Trades in Flyers History

Posted: June 27, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: | 1 Comment »

This past Thursday, the Flyers front office made two of the biggest trades in team history.  The Flyers swapped Jeff Carter for Jakub Voracek and a 1st and a 3rd, and followed that up with Mike Richards for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn and a 2nd rounder in next year’s draft.  In less time than it takes for one West German BMW Commerical, Richards and Carter, the faces of the franchise for the past 5 years, were gone.  With these blockbusters in the books, lets take a look at some of the other big impact deals in Flyers History:

January 31, 1971: The Flyers send Mike Walton to the Boston Bruins for Rick MacLeish and Danny Schock.

MacLeish became a Flyers legend, scoring 328 goals in the Orange and Black in addition to 54 in the playoffs.  Add to that a Cup clinching goal in Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals against the Bruins to give the Flyers their first championship, and you’ve got one hell of a trade.  The Hawk was a consistent 30 goal scorer in the regular season, and turned things on in the playoffs: he led the NHL in playoff scoring during the Flyers’ runs to the Cups in ’74 and ’75.

May 15, 1973: The Flyers send a 1st-Round pick (Bob Neely) and future consideration (Doug Favell) to the Leafs for Bernie Parent and a 2nd-Round pick (Larry Goodenough).

Without this trade, the Flyers don’t win consecutive Cups in ’74 and ’75.  In those Cup years, Parent won back to back Vezina (best goalie) and Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) Trophies.  Parent became the best goalie in franchise history and his #1 was the first hockey sweater to be retired in Philadelphia.

May 24, 1974: The Flyers trade Larry Wright, Al MacAdam and a 1st-Round pick to the California Golden Bears for Reggie Leach.

The Flyers had just won their first Stanley Cup and they went ahead and traded young talent for a known commodity in sharp-shooter Reggie Leach.  The move proved to be the right one as Leach was one of the stars of the ’75 Cup winning team.  Alongside Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber, Leach scored 47 regular season goals and 8 in 17 playoff games.

August 20, 1982: The Flyers trade Greg Adams, Ken Linseman and a 1st and a 3rd to the Hartford Whalers for Mark Howe and a 3rd-Round pick (Derrick Smith.

Mark Howe suffered a horrible injury late in the 1980 season when he slid feet first into the net and basically impaled himself on the steel of the old-school point in the middle of the net.  The Whalers thought Howe wouldn’t get back to form and the Flyers took a chance on him.  Howe became one the best two-way defensemen of the ’80s, made the Stanley Cup Finals three times and was a 3-time runner up for the Norris Trophy.

June 20, 1992: The Flyers give the house to the Quebec Nordiques for Eric Lindros.  The house included: Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Steve Duchesne, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, 2 1st-Round picks (1993- Jocelyn Thibault; and 1994- Nolan Baumgartner) and $15,000,000.00.

Although the Lindros had all the tools and all the potential to become the “Next One,” hindsight proved that the Flyers got the short-end of the stick in this deal.  When healthy, Lindros was one of the most dominant players in the league.  But several concussions severely limited the E-Train’s effectiveness and shortened his career.  There was also the locker room issues in which Lindros was front and center.  The Avalanche ended up with a young Peter Forsberg (pictured above), trade bait they used to acquire Patrick Roy and a Stanley Cup.

February 9, 1995: The Flyers trade Mark Recchi and a 3rd-Round pick to the Montreal Canadiens for Eric Desjardins, John LeClair and Gilbert Dionne.

Although this trade didn’t correlate to a Stanley Cup, it was a fantastic deal for the Flyers, especially considering Recchi would rejoin the team a few years later.  For over a decade, Desjardins was the Flyers’ best defenseman.  Before injuries got the better of him, Desjardins was a consistent 40-50 pt. blue liner.  Along with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg, LeClair formed the Legion of Doom line, one of the most physical and productive lines in team history.  LeClair became the first American-born player in the NHL to record 3 consecutive 50-goal seasons and ranks 5th in team history with 333 goals in a Flyers uniform.

August 20, 1997: The Flyers trade Mikael Renberg and Karl Dykhuis to the Tampa Bay Lightening for 1st-Round picks in ’98, ’99, ’00 and ’01.  With those picks the Flyers chose: Simon Gagne, Maxime Oullet, Justin Williams and Tim Gleason (who was transferred to Ottawa).

By breaking up the Legion of Doom, the Flyers acquired a stockpile of draft picks that resulted in Simon Gagne and Justin Williams.  As a rookie, Gagne scored 20 goals, added 28 assists and was named to the NHL All-Rookie team.  He made the All-Star team in his second season, but his career really took off after the lockout when he played with Forsberg and Knuble on the Dueces Wild line.  Gags was always one of the most offensively skilled players on the team until 3 concussions in 5 months and then a hernia injury shut him down and eventually led to him being traded in 2010.  Justin Williams was another offensively talented winger who, in my opinion, was traded away a bit too early.

January 23, 2000: The Flyers trade Rod Brind’Amour, Jean-Marc Pelletier and a 2nd-round pick to Carolina for Keith Primeau and a 5th-Round pick.

At the time, getting rid of Rod-the-Bod was gut-wrenching.  He was one of the true good-guys: hard-working, professional, passionate.  But the guy we got in return gave us one of the most memorable playoff goals of all time and 4 years later, he gave us the most dominant playoff performance in Flyers history.  In the 2000 Eastern Conference Semis, Primeau did this to Pittsburgh in the 5th OT of Game Four.  And then in 2004, he was a man on fire.  To say that Primeau carried the Flyers during the run to the Eastern Conference Finals is an understatement; he scored 9 clutch goals and 16 points during the 18 postseason games.  They aren’t called the “Primeau Playoffs” for nothing.

February 15, 2007: Flyers trade Peter Forsberg to the Nashville Predators for Ryan Parent, Scottie Upshall, a 3rd-Round pick, and a 1st-Round pick that was subsequently traded back to the Predators for Kimmo Timonen and Scottie Hartnell.

When this trade was made, Forsberg’s career was just about over.  The 17 games he managed to play for the Predators wasn’t worth nearly what the Flyers got in return.  Timonen is as smart as they come and is captain material (he was Nashville’s at the time of the trade).  Hartnell has proven to be a contributor in addition to being an agitator.  At the time, Ryan Parent and Scottie Upshall were young players with a ton of upside.  Of all the trades on the list, this one may be the most lopsided in favor of the Fly-guys.

February 24, 2007: The Flyers send Alexei Zhitnik to the Atlanta Thrashers for Braydon Coburn.

The Thrashers brought in the Russian-born defenseman for playoff experience late in ’07 season.  Not a good move.  Zhitnik’s contract was bought out less than a year later and he returned to Russia.  Coburn, on the other hand, has developed into one of the better skating defenseman and can provide offense when called upon.  Coburn shined during the 2010 playoffs.

June 26, 2009: The Flyers trade Joffrey Lupol, Luca Sbisa two 1sts and a 3rd to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks for Chris Pronger and Ryan Dingle.

In the summer of ’09 the Flyers again traded away youth for veteran leadership.  In addition to the picks, Lupol was 25 and and Sbisa was just 19.  Although he battled through injuries this year, Pronger was a stud in the 2010 season that ended in the Stanley Cup Finals.  The 36-year-old almost never makes a poor decision and provides the grit and leadership along the blue-line and in the locker room that will most likely have him wearing the “C” come October.

H/T to flyershistory.com, which lists every trade in franchise history.

On This Date In 1997, Destiny Seemed Certain

Posted: May 25, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment »

It was May 25th, 1997, the Flyers defeated the New York Rangers 4-2 and four games to one in the series. 20,000+ Flyers fans roared and roared and roared as the Flyers were returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in a decade. Eric Lindros went through the handshake line sharing a word with the Rangers greats who had loaded up for one last run at the Cup. When Lindros passed, Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Esa Tikkanen, Mike Richter and Wayne Gretzky there was no denying the feeling that the torch had been passed. The icons of the eighties were on the way out and it was the time of a new superstar. Eric Lindros had ascended the throne.

The Flyers had rolled through the first three rounds of the playoffs defeating those Rangers, Sabres and Mario Lemieux’s Penguins in five games each. Lindros had eleven goals so far in the playoffs, including his huge game-winning goal with just seven seconds left in game four.

When the Prince of Wales Trophy was presented on the CoreStates Center ice at the conclusion of the series Lindros didn’t touch the trophy presented to the Eastern Conference champion and barely acknowledged the glistening metal. The throngs continued to scream. “Let’s Go Flyers” chants rang through the “House that Lindros Built” as the fans filed down the escalators. So giddy, the only uncertainty anyone had was just how many Cups Lindros would bring to Philadelphia.

We know how the Lindros era turned out but on that beautiful spring afternoon, destiny seemed certain.

May 25, 1997 Box Score [Flyers History]

Flyers Set New Team Record

Posted: May 5, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Hockey | Tags: , , | Leave a comment »

If you tuned into Versus for Game 3 of he Flyers/Bruins series last night a couple minutes late, you missed a new team record…and not the good kind of team record.  Just 30 seconds into the game, Zdeno Chara lit the lamp on a one-timer after Kris Versteeg somehow lost the 6’9″ defenseman.  Then before the Bruins PA announcer finished announcing the Chara goal, David Krejci put the Flyers down 2-0.  The Krejci goal came at the 1:03 mark of the first period when Andrej Meszaros let the forward slip in front of him.  The Flyers defense in the first 1:03 of last night’s game was as non-existent as Danny Briere was all night.

By giving up two goals in the first 63 seconds of last night’s playoff game, the Flyers set a franchise record for the fastest 2 GAA in a playoff game.  History will be made, right?

The previous mark was set on May 26, 1985 in the Stanley Cup Finals against the Edmonton Oilers.  In Game 3, a relatively unknown forward named Wayne Gretzky scored twice in the first 85 seconds against Pelle Lindbergh.  Flyers winger Derrick Smith would get one back just 16 seconds later, but the Great One added another later in the first period.  The Oilers went on to win the game 4-3, and took the Cup (their second straight) in five games.

So thanks to last night’s defensive ineptitude, there is one less hockey trivia question out there for which you can just guess Gretzky and be right.

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