In the NHL, it’s typically pretty rare to see two teams collectively score a massive amount of goals in a single contest. Even though it doesn’t happen often, it’s often a treat when it does. Over their history that has spanned over seven individual decades, the Philadelphia Flyers have had a few games like the ones described. Historically, which games have had the most combined goals in Flyers history?
Related: World Junior Championships All-Time Biggest Blowouts
To settle tie-breaking scenarios, the game with the most goals for one individual side will be chosen. With ground rules aside, let’s get down to business.
1960s — Blackhawks 12 – Flyers 0 (Jan. 30, 1969)
There’s nothing more iconic than some expansion team hazing. The Chicago Blackhawks waxed the second-season Flyers to give them their largest defeat to date by a whopping 12 goals. Simply looking at the skater-talent on paper might give a hint as to why this contest went so poorly for Philadelphia.
Brothers Bobby and Dennis Hull had a combined eight points in this one, both having fantastic seasons in 1968-69. Forward Jim Pappin was another notable player of this era and was treated to a hat-trick performance. Legendary center Stan Mikita had two points in this game, and he was around the peak of his powers coming off consecutive seasons where he won both the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Trophy.
Chicago’s goal distribution for this game was a bit strange. One would expect them to have a solid game on the power play, but they had more shorthanded goals than on the man advantage, with two and one, respectively. With nine goals at even strength, it was a dominant performance the whole way for the Blackhawks. This 12-goal blowout could stand as the Flyers’ biggest loss for a very long time — though it already has.
1970s — Flyers 10 – Canucks 5 (Feb. 9, 1973)
Considering how good the Flyers were in the 1970s, it’s not all that surprising to see them on top of one of these matchups. In their contest with one of the league’s worst teams in the Vancouver Canucks, the Flyers had their way.
Even though this game happened just a few seasons after the Flyers’ massive defeat to Chicago, their roster for this game was entirely different. This time around, they were led by some franchise legends, including Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, and Rick MacLeish. The three stars combined for five goals and 10 points in the game, almost defeating the Canucks by themselves. A familiar face to their 1968-69 club, Gary Dornhoefer, scored four points of his own for Philadelphia, assisting on the game-winning goal for the Orange and Black.
The Canucks at least made the score more respectable, but their lack of star talent when compared to the Flyers was apparent. It’s no wonder why Philadelphia went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in the following two seasons.
1980s — Penguins 4 – Flyers 13 (March 22, 1984)
Before legendary forward Mario Lemieux entered the scene, the Pittsburgh Penguins served as the Flyers’ punching bag for a while. That reached its height when the Flyers spanked the Penguins 13-4 in a merciless defeat. Fifteen of the Flyers’ 18 skaters registered points, and Pittsburgh laid flat — especially in the third period.
Winger Tim Kerr led the way with two goals and six points in the game, but nine other Flyers also had a multi-point contest. Surprisingly, it was only 6-4 after two periods. Pittsburgh had a legitimate shot to get a miraculous win after trailing 6-1, but they did the opposite. Philadelphia scored seven straight goals in the third, exposing the talent gap in the two rosters.
1990s — Flyers 5 – Penguins 11 (Nov. 16, 1993)
One might think that Lemieux was the ultimate difference-maker in an 11-5 fiasco between the Penguins and Flyers, but he wasn’t even playing in the game. Forwards Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, and Bryan Trottier combined for five goals and 12 points to get some revenge against Philadelphia. Flyer netminder Tommy Soderstrom had all 11 goals go past him, getting left in for the entirety of the contest.
Even after this game, the Flyers had a better record than the Penguins despite Pittsburgh winning two Stanley Cups in their prior three seasons. However, this marked a significant turnaround for Philadelphia. Not long after this loss, the Flyers went on to lose much more than they won and turned a potential playoff season into one where they fell short. As for Pittsburgh, they made the playoffs with flying colors. This only added insult to injury.
2000s — Flyers 6 – Hurricanes 8 (Oct. 28, 2005)
Getting into the flavor of some more recent Flyers games, their 8-6 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes is the closest one listed so far. Philadelphia saw a 5-3 lead completely slip away in the third period, where the Hurricanes surged for a 5-1 period and dismantled the Flyers’ defense.
No player on either side stands out for this game on the stat sheet. Young center Eric Staal notched a hat-trick, but nobody had more than three points for either team. Depth forward Jon Sim took charge for the Flyers with two goals, including one that tied the game at six, but Carolina won regardless.
The playoff implications for this loss majorly affected Philadelphia, even if they had months to make up for it. The Flyers tied with the New Jersey Devils for the Atlantic Division lead with 101 points. But they lost the tiebreaker to determine playoff seeding, ultimately losing out on home-ice advantage in the first round.
Instead of having the third seed and playing a New York Rangers club that the Devils swept in the first round, Philadelphia finished with the fifth seed and dealt with a Buffalo Sabres team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Final. The Flyers’ loss to the Hurricanes might not have changed the outcome of their season, but they also might not have been a first-round exit.
2010s — Jets 9 – Flyers 8 (Oct. 27, 2011)
This was one of those games that is hard to forget. An old-fashioned shootout between the Flyers and brand-new Winnipeg Jets transpired, and it was one of the early signs that the nine-year contract given to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov might not have been the right choice. Giving up all nine goals in a see-saw game, the Flyers fell just short.
The Flyers trailed 5-1 in this game but rallied back to take a 7-6 lead in the third period. Less than two minutes of game action later, all their progress was wiped out after two quick goals from the Jets. A heartbreaking goal with just over a minute left in the game put an end to the Flyers’ comeback. Of the Jets’ 12 forwards, 11 of them got a point in this game, yet none of them scored over three. It was a combined offensive rout.
Bryzgalov didn’t deserve all the blame for losing this game, but it’s not a big secret why he got bought out of his contract after a disappointing 2012-13 season on top of his performance in 2011-12. He had stints of solid play, but games like this one weren’t too great for his confidence in a demanding market like Philadelphia.
2020s — Flyers 6 – Red Wings 7 (Dec. 22, 2023)
Similar to the Flyers’ loss to the Jets, they trailed 5-1 early in a contest with the Detroit Red Wings. Somehow, they found it in them to rally back. A one-goal loss resulted, but they managed to get a point in all the madness, making it to a shootout.
Patrick Kane had two goals and three points on top of the game-winning goal in the shootout and was the clear-cut best player on either side. He dominated the first period before the Flyers took charge with five straight goals, including one from Owen Tippett that gave them a 6-5 lead late in the third period. The Red Wings got on the board again to force overtime, but the Flyers’ effort was valiant nonetheless.
The ultimate victor for the most goals of the 2020s is yet to be determined, but the Flyers haven’t had a game with more than the 13 combined goals they and the Red Wings recorded since they had 17 with the Jets on Oct. 27, 2011. They still have plenty of time to beat this record, although allowing copious amounts of goals probably isn’t in their plans anytime soon.
Goal-scoring masterpieces have only increased in rarity for the Flyers in the 21st century, but they still pop up once in a while. With offense around the NHL improving each and every season, it’s only a matter of time before the Orange and Black find themselves competing in more of these games.
