By Beaker
The Montreal Canadiens and Philadelpia Flyers have only met six times in history (the Habs hold a 3-2 series edge) but despite the small sample size, it’s a rivalry by any measure. I wanted to mark this occasion with one series in particular that remains stuck in my memory.
In 1989, the Canadiens eliminated the Flyers 4 games to 2 in a sick, intense, wild series. Chris Chelios had set the tone in the series after a dirty hit on Brian Propp early in the series. Listening to whiny Flyers fans still talk smack about the hit is comical given how proud they are of the Broadstreet Bullies and their lunatic antics. Incidentally, the could never intimidate the Habs and Boston Bruins of the 1970s. Just thought I’d throw that in there.
They say Bruce Springsteen saved rock and roll in 1975 with the landmark Born to Run album. One year after, people in hockey circles were saying the Canadiens saved hockey when they took out Philadelphia. It seems fans outside Philly had had enough of the Hanson brothers-like goonery.
Not to be outdone Ron Hextall pulls this classic madness out of his ass. As Philly fans littered the ice with garbage, a young Patrick Roy wasn’t helping matters by challenging Hextall, Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson was doing is part to gang up on Bobby Smith (a wonderful smooth hockey player who deserves more credit for his play) while Craig Ludwig (hardly an angel himself) stepped in to help Smith out. Not seen in this video is when Smith was escorted off the ice to a shower of beers as he flashed a #1 gesture with his finger. I remember that very well. Good times.
Love Mats Naslund.
That these two franchises don’t like each other much is obvious. It’s a neat rivalry. One that doesn’t get too much attention. If they’d meet more often I think it would rank among the top rivalries in hockey.
I’d like to add one thing. The infamous pugilism of the Flyers of the 1970s has earned the franchise a reputation for hard-nosed, if not dirty hockey – a tag they carry proudly. Hey, you have to respect that. However, recent editions of this team hardly come close to that rap yet the media still write about them as though they’re the Broadstreet Bullies redux. I don’t see it. I see a team willing to shit disturb and does play physical hockey but the goonery seems no worse than other teams.
