An almost-daily column that takes a look back at how the Philadelphia Flyers have fared on this day, recalling some of the more memorable moments, achievements, and events that shaped the organization throughout the club’s storied history
The Flyers have posted a stellar 14-4-3-0 record in 21 all-time contests played on October 24 heading into tonight’s Metro Division matchup with the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center. Philadelphia is riding a four-game winning streak on this day dating back to 2008, and have won seven of their last eight October 24 tilts since 1999. Philly holds a 2-1-1 mark against the Rangers on this day, including their last meeting at home in 2013.
Some of the more memorable moments in franchise history from October 24:
1968 — Earl Heiskala netted his first NHL goal with 3:03 left in the third period to help the Flyers gain a point in the standings in a 3-3 tie with the Minnesota North Stars at the Spectrum.
Philadelphia trailed 3-1 at the second intermission, but Gary Dornhoefer started the comeback with a power play marker 6:42 into the final stanza to set up Heiskala’s late-game dramatics.
Ed Van Impe also scored for the Flyers, who got a 32-save performance from Bernie Parent.
1971 — Serge Bernier broke a 1-1 tie 6:47 into the third period and Doug Favell made 29 saves to lift the Flyers to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at the Spectrum.
Bernier also assisted on Pierre Plante’s first period strike, which was Plante’s first in the NHL and the lone goal he would ever score for Philadelphia.
1976 — Rick MacLeish notched a hat trick and Bernie Parent stopped 25 of 28 shots as the Flyers skated to a 5-3 triumph over the Colorado Rockies at the Spectrum.
MacLeish scored once in each period, including the game-winner with 11:53 remaining in regulation to notch his seventh regular season hat trick (10th-overall).
Ross Lonsberry and Don Saleski also scored for Philadelphia, who outshot the visitors by a 40-28 margin.
1981 — Tim Kerr scored a pair of goals and Bobby Clarke added four helpers as the Flyers blasted the St. Louis Blues, 6-3, at the Checkerdome.
Mel Bridgman, Behn Wilson, Bill Barber, and Reggie Leach also dented the twine for Philadelphia, while goaltender Pete Peeters made 21 saves to pick up the win.
Leach’s marker gave him goals in six consecutive games, and nine in seven contests for the season.
1982 — Tim Kerr scored twice and Bobby Clarke scored one goal and assisted on a pair of other Philly markers to lead the Flyers to a 7-4 drubbing of the Detroit Red Wings at the Spectrum.
Philadelphia thoroughly dominated the first two periods — outshooting Detroit 32-12 heading into the third — but former-Flyer Reggie Leach actually staked Detroit to a brief 1-0 lead before consecutive goals by Clarke, Ron Flockhart, Paul Holmgren, Kerr, and Brian Propp propelled the home team to a 5-1 lead early in the third period.
Darryl Sittler closed out the scoring with an empty-netter with 0:07 remaining and Red Wings goalie Greg Stefan pulled for an extra attacker.
Rick St. Croix made 21 saves to garner the win.
1985 — Ilkka Sinisalo, Mark Howe, and Tim Kerr provided the offense and Pelle Lindbergh turned away all 24 shots he faced to record his 10th career shutout (seven during the regular season) in a 3-0 whitewash of the Hartford Whalers at the Spectrum.
It would, unfortunately, prove to be the Swede’s last-ever shutout, as Lindbergh would be fatally injured in a car accident less than three weeks later.
1989 — Ilkka Sinisalo scored twice and Ken Wregget stopped 31 of 32 shots as the Flyers put a 6-1 beatdown on the St. Louis Blues at the Spectrum.
Tim Kerr, Murray Craven, Rick Tocchet, and Mike Bullard also scored for Philadelphia, while ex-Flyer Peter Zezel spoiled Wregget’s bid for a shutout early in the third period for the Blues only goal.
1991 — The Flyers erased a 2-1 deficit by scoring four times in the third period in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota North Stars at the Met Center.
Kimbi Daniels provided the game-winner 6:12 into the third, the only goal the 44th-overall draft pick in the 1990 NHL entry draft would ever score in the league.
Rick Tocchet, Pelle Eklund, Gord Murphy, and Rod Brind’Amour (empty net) would also light the lamp for Philadelphia, while former-Flyer Brian Propp tallied both goals for Minnesota.
Dominic Roussel stopped 26 of 28 shots for Philadelphia to pick up the win, while Jon Casey made 41 saves in defeat.
1992 — Greg Paslawski notched a hat trick and four points, but it wasn’t enough as the visiting Montreal Canadiens torched Flyers’ goaltenders Dominic Roussel and Stephane Beauregard for seven goals on just 27 shots in a 7-6 victory over the Flyers at the Spectrum.
1998 — Third period goals by John LeClair and Rod Brind’Amour helped salvage a 2-2 tie with the New York Rangers at the First Union Center.
Despite outshooting the visitors by a 20-10 count through two periods, Philadelphia found themselves trailing 2-0 heading into the third period thanks to the stellar netminding of Philly-area native Mike Richter.
The Flyers spent most of the third in the Rangers’ end, dominating the stanza to the tune of 14-1 in shots on goal. Former-Ranger John Vanbiesbrouck made 11 total saves for Philadelphia, including two during the scoreless overtime session.
1999 — A pair of ex-Panthers combined to sink their former club as John Vanbiesbrouck made 22 saves to record his third consecutive shutout and made Jody Hull’s first period goal stand as the game-winner in a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers at the First Union Center.
Vanbiesbrouck’s amazing streak set a franchise record for the longest scoreless stretch by any Philadelphia goaltender at 227:40, which would later be eclipsed by Ilya Bryzgalov’s 249:43 during the 2011/12 campaign.
Eric Lindros added an empty net goal in the final minute of regulation with Florida netminder Sean Burke on the bench in favor of an extra attacker.
2000 — Peter White’s power play goal early in the third period proved to be the game-winner and Brian Boucher held off a furious New York Rangers’ attack in a 5-4 triumph at Madison Square Garden.
It was a game of dual domination as Philadelphia thoroughly controled the opening 20 minutes — outshooting New York by a lopsided 13-2 count — and beating Kirk McLean three times. Keith Primeau opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the contest, with Jody Hull and Daymond Langkow adding to the lead by the end of the stanza.
The Rangers the took over and held a 23-6 shots advantage over the last two periods — including a 13-2 margin in the third — but Boucher held the fort to break a personal four-game winless skid (0-3-1).
Justin Williams also scored for the Orange-and-Black.
2002 — Keith Primeau and Michal Handzus each scored a pair of goals and Roman Cechmanek stopped 18 of 20 shots to lead the Flyers to a 6-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Wachovia Center.
Following an even first period in which Marty Murray and Saku Koivu traded goals, it was pretty much all Philadelphia the rest of the way as they outshot the Habs by a 35-11 margin over the final two stanzas. The Flyers got two goals each from Primeau and Handzus, then received a little icing on the cake from Pavel Brendl late in the third to close out the scoring.
2008 — Scott Hartnell scored twice and Martin Biron stopped 23 shots as the Flyers doubled up the New Jersey Devils, 6-3, at Prudential Center.
It was the first victory of the young season for Philadelphia (1-3-3), becoming the last remaining NHL club to get into the win column.
Right off the bat, this one didn’t have the feel of the usually claustraphobically-tight checking affair these two clubs are accustomed to being engaged in. Travis Zajac gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead only 0:47 after the opening faceoff, and Jeff Carter knotted the score just over a minute later. The Flyers took their first lead of the contest when Mike Knuble scored during a power play goal for a boarding major being served by Devils’ Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, but former-Flyer Dainius Zubrus tied it up on a N.J. man advantage, and Zach Parise made it a 3-2 Devil lead when he beat Biron with only 0:19 left on the first period clock.
Simon Gagne evened things up just seconds after John Madden was sent to the sin bin midway through regulation, then Hartnell gave the visitors the lead for good with 3:05 remaining in the middle frame.
Despite New Jersey carrying play to try and pick up they tying goal in the third — they outshot Philly by a 14-7 count — Biron was strong and would not relent. Joffrey Lupul provided some insurance when he beat Martin Brodeur at 11:22 to make it a 5-3 cushion, then Hartnell sealed the deal by hitting the vacated cage with Brodeur pulled with just under two minutes remaining.
Mike Richards contributed a career-high four helpers to the winning effort.
2009 — Daniel Briere posted a pair of goals and three points, James van Riemsdyk scored his first NHL goal, and Ray Emery stopped 17 of 18 shots to lead the Flyers to a convincing 5-1 triumph over the Florida Panthers at the Wachovia Center.
Following an opening period that ended tied with goals from Danny Briere and Florida’s David Booth, it was all Philadelphia after that.
Arron Asham and Simon Gagne beat Tomas Vokoun in the middle frame, and Briere added his second of the contest early in the third before van Riemsdyk notched his first in the league. The second-overall draft pick in 2007 had amassed five assists in his first five games before lighting the lamp.
Mike Richards added a pair of assists, and provided a truly scary moment when he leveled Booth with a blindside check at center ice that left the Panther forward unconscious for several minutes.
2011 — Following seven games in which he managed just four assists, Jaromir Jagr scored his first two goals as a Flyer in a three-point effort in a 4-2 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Wells Fargo Center.
Similarly struggling linemate Scott Hartnell — who had just two assists coming into the contest — also added a pair of goals and an assist, while Claude Giroux and Kimmo Timonen each posted a pair of helpers.
Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 24 of 26 Toronto shots to pick up the win.
2013 — Braydon Coburn’s goal early in the third period snapped a 1-1 deadlock and Steve Mason made it stand up by turning aside 30 of 31 shots in a 2-1 triumph over the New York Rangers at the Wells Fargo Center.
Matt Read scored the Flyers first goal and assisted on Coburn’s game-winner, leading Philadelphia to just its second victory of the season (2-7-0), and coming after an odd six-day break in the schedule.
