40 Years Ago.

On this very date, May 19, marks the 40th anniversary of the Philadelphia Flyers winning the Stanley Cup in 1974. The fans are always there for them, good seasons or bad. In the team's very first season, they made the NHL playoffs. Seven years after they became an official team in the NHL, they won their first Stanley Cup. They won the next year, as well. Led by some all-time favorites and superstars, this team is never really a huge upset. They don't always make the Playoffs, but it's pretty common to see the Orange and Black around there. We made it to the Stanley Cup Finals many of times, most recently in 2010, but haven't won since 1975. The Broad Street Bullies came a long way, and they still fight to this very day. During both of these Stanley Cup wins, the Flyers had nobody but Canadian players on their roster.

1974 Stanley Cup Finals: In the 1974 Stanley Cup Finals, one of the Original 6 teams, the Boston Bruins, came to challenge the Philadelphia Flyers. The teams played 6 Games. In the final game, the Flyers shut out the Bruins 1-0, the only goal from Rick MacLeish. Bernie Parent was named MVP of the series. This was the first time a non Original 6 team has won the Stanley Cup.

1975 Stanley Cup Finals: In the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals, another expansion team, the Buffalo Sabres, challenged the Flyers for the Cup. The series took 6 Games to complete. During Game 3, it was a hot day in Buffalo, the temperature at 90 degrees. While the Game was in play, the ice became crowded with fog, and a bat appeared out of nowhere. Jim Lorentz of the Buffalo Sabres killed the bat with his stick. Game 6 was the final Game of this series, and the final score was 2-0 Philadelphia, the final goal by Bob "The Hound" Kelly. This was the first time a Stanley Cup Final took place without the Montreal Canadiens or the Boston Bruins, and also the first time two non Original 6 teams appeared in the Finals.