Last week, I was having a catch-up phone conversation with an old writing colleague at a publishing company where I was the editor of a newsletter for benefits/HR managers. My friend, who is a diehard baseball and football fanatic but only casually follows hockey, asked me if I thought the NHL should adopt the shootout in the playoffs. What followed was pretty much the standard debate between hockey lovers and non-fans.
"Are you [bleeping] kidding me?" I fairly shouted into the phone. "I detest the shootout, absolutely despise it. I hate it in the regular season, and it would cheapen the playoffs beyond belief. No way do I ever, ever, ever want to see it in a playoff game."
"Well, if it's good enough for World Cup soccer it's..."
"...still got no business anywhere near the Stanley Cup playoffs," I interrupted.
"Doesn't it beat endless boring overtimes until someone finally scores?" he said.
"You're killin' me, man," I said. "Boring overtimes?! There's nothing like hockey playoff overtime. It's this whole roller coaster ride of emotions, where every time the puck goes over the blueline, you hold your breath."
"Only if you have a real rooting interest," he said. "Otherwise it gets pretty boring."
"Do you find multiple extra inning games boring?" I asked.
"Sometimes."
"Would you like to see the World Series or the NLCS decided by a home run derby?" I asked.
"No but..."
"...Well, it's the same thing with hockey. It's a team sport and the two TEAMS should decide it," I said.
"But hockey is a lousy TV sport," he said. "Half the time you can't even see the puck. The shootout is actually just about the most TV friendly aspect of hockey, and you have to admit it's a pretty dramatic way to end a game. You mean to tell me that you don't get a sense of anticipation when the shooters take their turns? I think it's way more dramatic than overtime, and drama is what sells."
"OK, well first, I have never had problems tracking the puck when I've seen games on TV. Second of all, I find most shootouts to be anticlimactic, with some exceptions. Even in those games, I would still have preferred if the teams were allowed to decide the games," I said.
"But you have to realize that you are in the minority, at least in the US. You write about hockey for a living, and you love the game. Most Americans barely follow hockey, especially on television," he said.
"The shootout doesn't make 'em more likely to watch," I said.
"OK, whatever," he said.
We moved on to other sports topics (mostly Phillies stuff) before saying our goodbyes. Anyway, being cooped up yesterday, I thought about the conversation and decided to pop in one of the discs on the Flyers' Greatest Games DVD set. I chose the Flyers-Penguins five-OT game in the 2000 Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
*******
The 2000 playoffs were actually the first time I was credentialed to cover games from the press box (at the time I was writing for the now defunct Pro Hockey Euro Report). Game 2 of the Flyers-Penguins series was my first game up in the box. The Flyers had been shut out, 2-0, in the series opener. All conventional logic dictated that, unless they fared better in Game 2, they weren't going to win the series.
I will never, ever forget the excitement I felt of receiving my first press pass, entering the building at arena level and riding the elevator up to the balcony. The first thing I did was go over to stand in front of the large collection of Gene Hart photos that are placed near the entrance of the pressbox named in honor of his memory. I received my earliest hockey education from listening to Mr. Hart broadcast games during my childhood. It felt appropriate to stand there a minute or two before I did anything else.
About 20 feet away, Flyers GM Bob Clarke was holding a conversation with someone I could not recognize.
A crystal clear childhood memory came back to me at that moment. I was four years old, listening to a radio broadcast of a Flyers vs. Bruins game as my mother drove the car on a freezing cold night in January. She told me to try to fall asleep, but I couldn't -- especially not with the Flyers playing.
"Clarke carries over the line, tries to go right on in but he's broken up by [Carol] Vadnais," Hart intoned. "Boston in control as [Ken] Hodge starts out the other way."
"Mommy! Bobby Clarke got broken up!" I shouted in alarm to my mother, an image crossing my imagination of the Flyers captain shattered like a vase on the ice.
"Don't worry, he's OK," my mom reassured me.
I was relieved and very happy when, about 15 seconds later, Hart informed the listeners that Clarke was not only OK, he had just fed Reggie Leach for a goal to put the Flyers ahead 1-0 late in the first period.
*****
On this night, I was assigned to write a story on the Penguins' Martin Straka. The born-and-raised Flyers fan in me was, of course, pulling for Philadelphia to win, but I also understood the importance of not letting personal rooting interests show up in my "professional" writing. The work was not for pay -- just for the credentials -- but I could not have cared less at the time.
Straka gave me plenty to write about. He logged three assists and, along with Jaromir Jagr and Robert Lang, was pivotal in Pittsburgh building up a 3-0 lead after two periods. Simon Gagne got one back for the Flyers early in the third period but Jagr soon ended any hopes of a comeback with his second tally of the night.
The Flyers lost, 4-1, and now trailed two games to none in the series. Things looked bleak for Philly.
As I rode downstairs on the elevators and followed everyone else to the coaches' postgame press conferences (where I sat in awe of Herb Brooks when he came out, and almost forgot to turn on my tape recorder), I thought to myself, "I hope this series at least gets back to Philly for a Game 5."
Three nights later, I was watching on TV as the Flyers blew an early 2-0 lead as Jagr and Straka tallied goals in the second period. John LeClair restored the lead in the third period only for Jagr to score with a little over five minutes left and send the game to overtime.
Midway through the first extra frame, Andy Delmore gave the Flyers life in the series. He scored his second goal of the game to cut the series deficit to two games to one.
But Delly's OT goal would likely have meant nothing if the Flyers lost Game 4 to fall behind three games to one. On the evening of Thursday, May 4, 2000, I went home early to my apartment in West Chester, PA, put on some music, eat the same meal I had before Game 3 (a microwave pepperoni pizza and a can of Dr. Pepper) and settled in to watch the game.
When Alexei Kovalev scored on Brian Boucher early in the first period, I thought, "Uh oh. This is going to be a long night."
Little did I know.
The Penguins clung to their skinny 1-0 lead until the third period when a disputed LeClair power play goal stood after a long review to see if he struck the puck with a high stick.
The rest, of course, was NHL history. One overtime became two. Two became three, where the Flyers survived a pair of penalty kills but were unable to convert a power play chance of their own.
Three overtimes became four. Sometime during the fourth extra session, my ex-wife got home from her job at QVC, and asked how the game had turned out.
"It's still going on!" I said. "It's in the fourth overtime."
"Oh," she said. "I thought you were watching the replay."
She watched the rest of the period with me. Bleary-eyed, she said she needed to get some sleep soon. She laid down on the couch and fought to stay awake. I paced the floor nervously, as I had all night.
Four overtimes became five. At long last, at the 12:01 mark, Keith Primeau unleashed a perfect shot from the right circle that beat Ron Tugnutt. The Flyers were 2-1 victors and the series was tied, two games apiece, but for all intents and purposes it was over.
Everyone, including the Penguins knew it. Game 5 back in Philly -- I was back in the press box for it -- and the Flyers romped, riding Delmore's hat track. Philly closed it out in Game 6 with a 2-1 victory. The finish was a bit nerve-racking, as the Pens trimmed a 2-0 deficit in half midway through the third period, but the Flyers hung on.
Gene Hart often described playoff overtime as "exquisite torture." It was the most apt description I have ever heard. I don't care how many rounds a shootout goes. It could never hold a candle to the drama, thrill and jubilation/heartbreak of overtime.
Long live Stanley Cup playoff overtime, and may it reign forever.
*****
Here's a look at the top 10 playoff overtime goals in Flyers' history. You'll note that three of them occurred on a May 4.
1.
Bobby Clarke vs Bruins (May 9, 1974). If the Flyers had gone back to Philadelphia trailing the Bruins two games to none in the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, they probably would not have won the series for their first championship. Clarke's followup of his own rebound, and jump for joy after the puck went in the net remains the most important single play in club playoff history.
2.
Keith Primeau vs. Penguins (May 4, 2000). Any Flyers (or Penguins) fan who stayed up through the entire five-overtime marathon can attest to how emotionally draining this night and morning was. It really did feel at times like the game would never end, as neither Brian Boucher nor Ron Tugnutt would let their respective clubs lose. It was going to take a perfect shot to end the game. That's exactly what Primeau delivered as he moved up the right side and fired a shot under the crossbar from the circle.
3.
Simon Gagne vs. Bruins (May 7, 2010): The Flyers' historic comeback from a three-games-to-none deficit against Boston in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals would not have been possible if a still-hobbling Gagne had not returned from injury to tally the OT winner in Game 4 at the 14:40 mark of the first extra frame. When Boston's Mark Recchi had tallied in the final minute of regulation to tie the game at 4-4, it seemed like the Flyers were not destined to get a single break in the series. Instead, Gagne lifted his team and the comeback was on.
4.
Claude Giroux vs. Blackhawks (June 2, 2010): The Flyers had not won a Game in the Stanley Cup Final -- they had lost seven games in a row -- since J.J. Daigneault's game-winning goal in the third period culminated their comeback in Game 6 of the 1987 Final against Edmonton. After Chicago won the first game of the 2010 Final, Giroux put the Flyers back in the series with his goal at 5:59 of OT in Game 3. Two night later, the Flyers survived a near collapse late in the game to win 5-3 and knot the series.
5.
Gary Dornhoefer vs. North Stars (April 10, 1973). In their sixth season after being created as an NHL expansion franchise, the Flyers had yet to win a playoff series. Although Dorny's goal wasn't the series clincher, it was a defining moment in the young franchise's history. Most of Dornhoefer's goals were the dirty-but-good variety. This one came on an extraordinary individual effort where he beat three North Stars on the line rush and deposited the puck past goaltender Cesare Maniago. For more on the play that was later immortalized in a statue outside the now-demolished Spectrum, click
here.
6.
Simon Gagne vs. Lightning (May 20, 2004). The Flyers were less than two minutes away from being eliminated in Game Six of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, when Keith Primeau (culminating one of the greatest individual playoff runs in team history) scored his ninth goal of the playoffs and second of the game to force overtime.
The Flyers dominated much of the overtime, but couldn't get one past Nikolai Khabibulin until Primeau triggered a sequence than led to Simon Gagne scoring one of the most important goals of his career to force a seventh game in Tampa. Gagne, whom general manager Bob Clarke had called out to elevate his play, had also scored in the first period.
7.
Jeremy Roenick vs. Maple Leafs (May 4, 2004). You often see replays of a woozy Sami Kapanen falling repeatedly as he struggles back to the bench after a crushing Darcy Tucker check. The remainder of the play often gets omitted, at least when the highlights are re-shown in Toronto.
Once Kapanen finally got off the ice and was dragged onto the bench, Jeremy Roenick hopped out onto the, got the puck from Joni Pitkänen and snapped the puck past Ed Belfour to clinch the game and second-round series for the Flyers.
8.
Ilkka Sinisalo vs. Canadiens (May 4, 1987). The Flyers' run the 1987 Stanley Cup Finals may not have been possible without Sinisalo's heroics in the opening game of the semifinals against the Habs. Montreal carried a 2-1 lead into the third period and had more or less taken control of the game after a great start by the Flyers. Sinisalo tied up the game early in the third period, only for Montreal to re-take the lead less than two minutes later.
After Pelle Eklund set up Derrick Smith to make it a 3-3 game late in the third period, the perpetually underrated Sinisalo snapped a shot past Brian Hayward midway through the first overtime period. The Finn had also scored a pair of goals in the clinching game of the quarterfinals against the Islanders.
9.
Mark Howe vs. Rangers (April 10, 1985). During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Flyers made a nearly annual habit of coming into the playoffs favored to beat the Rangers in the opening-round matchup, only to get humilated. In the opening game of the 1985 playoffs, the Flyers blew a 3-0 lead in the second period. Philly was also unable to close out a 4-3 lead in the final half minute of the game, as Anders Hedberg scored to force overtime.
Howe's overtime wrist shot past Glen Hanlon rescued the game, and quite possibly the best of five series, for rookie coach Mike Keenan's Flyers. The Flyers gathered momentum after the win and carried it through five game victories over the Islanders and a six-game win over the Quebec Nordiques to reach the Finals against Edmonton. But if Philly had lost that opening game against the Rangers, there's no telling whether they'd have survived the first round given their recent history against the Blueshirts.
10.
Eric Lindros vs. Devils (June 7, 1995). After losing the first two games of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals at home to the Devils, the Flyers clawed their way back into the series with a pair of wins in New Jersey. The most critical play was delivered by the Legion of Doom in overtime during Game Three.
Mikael Renberg carried the puck over the blueline and drew the Devils' defense toward him. He then dropped the puck to an open Lindros in the high slot, and the Flyers' captain snapped a shot over Martin Brodeur for a 3-2 win in OT (the fourth OT win of that playoff year for Philadelphia). After a 4-2 Flyers win in Game Four, the series headed back to Philadelphia for Game Five.
That game turned into one of the most heartbreaking defeats in Flyers' history. Tied 2-2 late in regulation when Claude Lemieux dialed up a long-distance goal past Ron Hextall to put New Jersey up three games to two in the series on the way to the Stanley Cup. In many ways, the Devils have been in the Flyers' heads ever since.
Honorable mentions
Eric Desjardins vs. Rangers (May 21, 1995). The Flyers' sweep of the defending Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals marked a changing of the guard in the Atlantic Division. The Devils and Flyers became the teams to beat for the next decade.
Desjardins' third period goal and overtime winner in the series opener capped off comebacks from 2-0 and 3-1 deficits, and helped the Flyers overcome Pat Verbeek's goal in the final 20 seconds of regulation to force OT. The following day, Desjardins' defensive partner Kevin Haller scored just 25 seconds into overtime for a 2-0 series lead. The Flyers dominated the remaining two games in Madison Square Garden.
Oddly enough, the Flyers had opened their first round series against Buffalo with an overtime victory in which defenseman Karl Dykhuis did the scoring honors. The win marked the Flyers first playoff victory) since Game 5 of the 1989 Wales Conference Final against Montreal.
Don Blackburn vs. Blues (April 16, 1968). In Game Six of the Flyers first-ever playoff series, Philadelphia faced elimination in St. Louis. Checking liner Blackburn beat Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall midway though the second overtime period to force a seventh game at the Spectrum.
The shot was merely a weak backhanded flip from the blueline, but it hit the glove of St. Louis defenseman Ray Fortin and re-directed past Hall. The goal made a winner of Bernie Parent, who had turned back an extraordinary 63 of 64 shots in the 2-1 victory.
If the Flyers had won the seventh game (St. Louis prevailed 3-1), I wonder if there would have been a statue called "The Deflection" outside the Spectrum, rather than the one commemorating the end of Dornhoefer's improbable one-on-three line rush goal. We'll never know.
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