This past season was definitely a success for the Philadelphia Flyers. They weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs; they came away with two playoffs wins before their season came to an end. It’s something to be celebrated.
It’s also not the ultimate prize. The Flyers haven’t come any closer to winning the Stanley Cup in recent history than they did six years ago: and on this date six years ago, they fought to make one of the most unlikely comebacks ever.
Consider: in this decade, only eight teams have had the chance to win a single Stanley Cup Final game, and the Flyers are one of them. And they were often times just a goal away from seeing their season end in the second round.
Enter: Simon Gagne in overtime to prevent the sweep.
Enter: a 4-0 win to strike some fear into some hearts.
Enter: clinging on to a lead created by Mike Richards and Danny Briere; a lead that was cut in half with just one minute to go in regulation, leading to some hearts pounding at the end.
And finally, six years ago, on this very day, enter: going down 3-0 in the first period, only to chip away, tie the game – and again, Gagne, this time in the third period to make it 4-3 – both in Game 7, and in the series.
It’s a feat that has only been accomplished once more in the six years since the Flyers did it. Teams don’t come back from down 3-0 in a playoff series – well, except a select few. And six years ago today, the Flyers became one of those select few.
No playoff hockey today? That’s fine – today can be all about this classic instead. Because it’s definitely one worth remembering.
