The Top 7 Flyers Game 7 Moments

By their very nature, Game 7s are guaranteed to produce joyous or painful memories for years to come. The Flyers have had their share of both over the years.
When the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders take the ice on Saturday for the seventh and deciding game of their Second Round series, it will be the first time since 2014 that the Flyers have participated in a Game 7. Six years ago, Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers held off the Flyers, 2-1, in a first-round Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. The Flyers' last Game 7 win was in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Bruins.
Here are the top seven Flyers Game 7 moments over the years. They are listed in reverse chronological order, from the most recent to the oldest. They are not ranked by order of importance.

2010: Simon Gagne Caps Historic Comeback
The Flyers carved out a special place in NHL history in 2010 when they overcame a three-games-to-zero deficit against the Boston Bruins and a 3-0 deficit in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, to earn a 4-3 series clinching win on the road.
A late first period goal by rookie left winger James van Riemsdyk started the comeback. Second period tallies by Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere drew the Flyers even. Most famously, Simon Gagne's power play goal put the Flyers ahead to stay with 7:08 left in the third period.

2008: Lupul OT Goal Lifts Flyers over Capitals
This would have been agonizing series to lose. The Flyers were unable to protect a two-goal lead in the third period of Game 1 and went down to a 5-4 regulation loss in Game 1. After the Flyers won the next three games to take a three games to one lead in the series,Washington struck back with 3-2 and 4-2 wins to set up a Game 7 in Washington.
Tied at 2-2 in overtime, Joffrey Lupul scored his first goal of the series, beating Cristobal Huet from near the net at 6:06 with nine seconds left on a Tom Poti penalty.

2003: Belfour Blitzed
The Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series between the Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs was a fearsome war of attrition that featured three multi-OT games (the Flyers lost in double-OT in Game 3, won in triple-overtime in Game 4 and lost a 2-1 heartbreaker on double-OT in Game 6).
Even with the series returning to Philadelphia for Game 7, most pundits favored Toronto to win the deciding game. The reason: They predicted that hot-and-cold Flyers goaltender Roman Cechmanek would fold under the pressure while fiery future Hockey Hall of Fame Ed Belfour would rise to the occasion. Instead, it was the Flyers who got to Belfour, early and often.
It was 2-0 Flyers at the end of the first period and 5-1 by the end of the second. An increasingly agitated Belfour blew a gasket and took separate slashing and roughing penalties; the latter resulting in a Mark Recchi power play goal. The Flyers won, 6-1, with Cechmanek facing just 19 shots.
1989: Wregget's Shining Flyers Moment
Backup Flyers goaltender Ken Wregget was the biggest hero in the Flyers' series-winning 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 of the 1989 Patrick Division Finals (Wales Conference Semifinals). Wregget had been acquired from Toronto during the stretch drive at a very high cost (two 1989 first-round picks) because No. 1 goalie Ron Hextall was battling a pulled hamstring.
As it turned out, Hextall was unavailable to play in Game 7 of the Pittsburgh series due to a knee sprain. Head coach Paul Holmgren called on Wregget to step in for the deciding game. He turned back 39 of 40 shots to backstop the Flyers to a road victory.
1987: Ousting the Isles
The Islanders battled back from a three games to one deficit to force a Game 7 at the Spectrum. Thankfully for the blood pressure of ultra-intense Flyers head coach Mike Keenan and fans throughout the Delaware Valley, the Flyers ended the suspense early in the clinching game.
A pair of unlikely goal scorers -- enforcer Dave Brown and defensive defenseman Brad Marsh (shorthanded, no less) -- sandwiched first period goals around a Brian Propp shorthander to give the Flyers a commanding lead by the time the opening frame was halfway done. Philly went on to breeze to a 5-1 win. Hextall flirted with a 22-save shutout until Denis Potvin scored an otherwise meaningless goal in the final minute of the game.

1975: MacLeish Hatty Spoils Islanders' Quest for History
No team in NHL history has ever come back twice in the same playoff year from 3-0 series deficits to win the series. The New York Islanders were trying to do just that in 1975, when Al Arbour's team recovered to defeat Pittsburgh and advance to play the defending Stanley Cup champion Flyers in the semifinals.
The Flyers won each of the first three games of the series. New York gamely fought back to take the next three and force a Game 7 at the Spectrum. The Flyers, who went on to win their second straight Stanley Cup, punished the Islanders with a 4-1 blowout.
Gary Dornhoefer opened the scoring just 19 seconds after the opening faceoff.
Then a pair of Rick MacLeish power play goals built a commanding lead. MacLeish completed a hat trick -- hitting the 10-goal mark for the playoff run -- in the third period.
1974: Dorny Sends Flyers to the Finals
The 1974 Stanley Cup semifinals between the Flyers and New York Islanders was a war of a series. Game 7 is perhaps most famous for Dave Schultz beating the tar out of Rangers defenseman Dale Rolfe in a fight behind the net, complete with Schultz grabbing a handful of Rolfe's hair and headbutting him during the fight (tactics that were later outlawed in the NHL Rule Book).
Tied 1-1 at the end of the first period, the Flyers took control in the second period with goals by Orest Kindrachuk and Gary Dornhoefer. After Steve Vickers brought New York back within a goal at 8:49 of the third period, Dornhoefer answered back just 12 seconds later to restore a two-goal lead.
The Flyers went on to win the game, 4-3, and then upset the Boston Bruins in six games in the Stanley Cup Final to hoist the Stanley Cup.