Since the Flyers are in the midst of a week with just one game and they are (seemingly) playing very well, here’s a look at some of the best goals by the Orange and Black since the year 2000.
10. Simon Gagne vs. Boston, Game 4 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals
At the time, it really just seemed like a goal that was prolonging the inevitable. The Flyers (in an 0-3 series hole) led most of this game until Mark Recchi sent it to overtime with 32 seconds left. Then, 6 minutes into the extra frame, Simon Gagne, fresh off an injury, deflected a Matt Carle shot home. This was the beginning to one of the most miraculous comebacks in sports history, and that is not an exaggeration.
9. Claude Giroux vs. Pittsburgh, Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
It wasn’t just the goal. It was the whole shift. The Flyers went up 3-0 in this series, only to drop the next two games. Coming back home to Wells Fargo Center meant a raucous home crowd and a chance for the Flyers to put away the Penguins in the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Immediately after the opening faceoff, Giroux set the tone by leveling Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. He followed that up just seconds later with an absolute snipe on Marc-Andre Fleury. The Flyers never looked back, and took the game 5-1 and the series 4-2.
8. Joffery Lupul vs. Washington, Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game 7 overtime. If your favorite team is in it, it’s your worst nightmare. Well it happened to the Flyers in 2008. The Flyers went up in the series 3-1 only to watch Washington take the next two games to force a game 7 on their home ice. It was only fitting that game 7 went into overtime as it had been a very close series. Just 6 minutes into overtime while on the powerplay, Joffery Lupul punched home a rebound infront of the net and sent the Flyers on to the next round.
7. Keith Primeau vs. Toronto, Game 5 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals
To put it in the words of Bill Clement. “The legend of Keith Primeau”. The Flyers won the first two games of this series but then surrendered the next two back in Toronto. The Flyers came home for game 5 and Keith Primeau asserted his dominance and fulfilled his captancy with shining colors. The Flyers need a kickstart after the two losses and the captain did not disappoint. He posted a hattrick in a 7-2 rout of the Leafs.
6. Mike Richards vs. Montreal, Game 5 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals
“The Shift”. The Flyers were on fire at this point in the playoffs. They went from a shootout and were now within one win of the Stanley Cup Finals, they had only lost one game in their last eight, and fresh off a win in game 4, Captain Mike Richards was ready to put his team in the Finals. The Flyers had dominated the Canadiens despite being shorthanded on this shift. Claude Giroux fought the puck out of the corner and flipped it out to center ice, where Mike Richards raced to beat the Montreal defenders to the puck. Richards dove under Halak while he collided with Roman Hamerlik, and then burried the puck as it squeaked through. It exemplified the Flyers heart and determination through the playoffs that year, and it’s a goal most fans will not forget. The Flyers went on to win the game 4-2.
5. Claude Giroux vs. Chicago, Game 3 of the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals
Talk about a game with a roller-coaster of emotions. The Flyers came into this game already trailing in the series 2-0, and they could not afford to lose another one. This game was a see-saw battle through 3 periods, and included 2 goals by Patrick Kane and Villie Leino just a few seconds apart in the third period. The game then went to overtime where the Flyers appeared to have scored, however upon review it was determined the puck never crossed the line. Moments later Matt Carle set up Claude Giroux infront of the net and the Flyers were given new life. They then went on to tie the series at 2, only to lose in 6 games.
4. Jeremy Roenick vs. Toronto, Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals
No one ask Sami Kapanen if he remembers this one. Just moments before the goal you saw, Darcy Tucker came out and absolutely leveled little Sami Kapanen with a hit along the boards. There was frantic back and forth action throughout the whole overtime. That’s when Roenick found himself moving in on a two on one with Tony Amonte. Roenick stepped into the zone and didn’t even think twice about it. He fired a shot right over Ed Belfour’s shoulder and sent the Flyers into the Eastern Conference Finals, in what was starting to look like a very promising playoff run.
3. Simon Gagne vs. Tampa Bay, Game 6 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals
“SIMON GAGNE! WE’VE GOT A GAME 7!” It’s a phrase that almost any Flyers fan has to know. The Flyers and Lightning were locked into a series that was arguably one of the best of the 2000s. Game 6 did not disappoint. The Flyers were down 4-3 with under two minutes remaining in regulation when Keith Primeau lit the lamp (that goal deserves honorable mention). With the Flyers just a goal away from being eliminated from the playoffs, tensions were very high. Almost a whole overtime period had passed when Simon Gagne came along and saved the day. Gagne propelled the Flyers to a game 7, which they ultimately ended up losing. Nevertheless, it was a goal that is with Flyers fans forever.
2. Keith Primeau vs. Pittsburgh, Game 4 of the 2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
You might forget this one, because it happened deep into the night (early morning if you’re being specific). The Flyers were locked in a defensive battle with cross-state rival Pittsburgh. Seven and a half periods after the puck first dropped, Keith Primeau put one home, short side, on Ron Tugnutt. It took 72 shots for the Flyers to win the game, but Primeau got the job done. This tied the series for the Flyers and ended the longest game in modern NHL history. The Flyers never looked back as they went on to win 4 straight and beat the Penguins 4-2 in the series.
1. Simon Gagne vs. Boston, Game 7 of the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals
It speaks for itself. The Flyers were down 0-3 in the series, and 0-3 in the game. They came back from both. It was so fitting that Gagne started the comeback in game 4 with his goal in overtime, and he finished it in game 7 by giving the Flyers the lead. This was arguably the greatest comeback across any of the major sports, and it wouldn’t have been complete without this goal, and that is why Simon Gagne’s game winner is at the top of this list. It is a goal that is etched in Flyers history forever, and a goal that no fan will ever forget.
Matt is a contributor for the Philadelphia Flyers at The Hockey Writers. He has previously covered the Flyers for GrandstandU. He enjoys playing hockey and making music in his spare time.
