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
After going winless in their first four November 30th outings (0-2-2), the Flyers have managed to put together a highly respectable 10-4-3-0 overall record in 17 games played on this day — which includes a current four-game win streak (2002-2013) and a near perfect 6-1-2-0 mark at home — over the course of franchise history.
Some of the more memorable moments and brief recaps in Flyers history that took place in November 30th games —
1972 — Bobby Clarke and Bill Flett each posted a pair of goals and three points but Atlanta scored two third period goals as the Flyers and Atlanta Flames skated to a 5-5 tie at the Spectrum. Gary Dornhoefer also scored for Philadelphia, and Bob “Hound” Kelly assisted on two markers.
There were a total of 91 shots on goal between the clubs (48-43, Philly), with Doug Favell stopping 38 shots and Atlanta’s Daniel Bouchard making 43 saves.
1978 — Wayne Stephenson stopped 17 shots to record his first shutout of the year, while Bobby Clarke and Blake Dunlop each scored one goal and assisted on another as the Flyers blanked the St. Louis Blues, 3-0, at the Spectrum. Bob Dailey added a pair of helpers.
Following a first period that saw the visitors outshoot Philadelphia, 11-10, the Flyers took a 1-0 lead into the locker room at the first intermission on the strength of Dunlop’s strike late in the stanza.
After that it was all Philly as the Orange-and-Black outshot the Blues by a whopping 24-6 margin with early-third period goals from Behn Wilson and Clarke within a 43 second span giving Stephenson plenty of insurance.
Ed Staniowski made 31 saves in the loss.
1983 — Bobby Clarke scored twice and Bob Froese made 32 saves but Paul Coffey scored with 49 seconds remaining in regulation to force a 3-3 tie between the Flyers and Edmonton Oilers at Northlands Coliseum.
Both teams scored once in each period, with a late game-tying tally knotting the score in each frame.
After Jaroslav Pouzar gave the home team a lead early in the opening stanza, Clarke tied the game with 23 seconds left in the period.
Dave Poulin staked Philadelphia to a 2-1 lead before the middle session was two minutes old, but Wayne Gretzky hit the 30-goal mark for the season with 3:09 remaining prior to the second intermission.
Clarke appeared to give the Flyers a victory on the road when he tallied for the second time in the contest with 3:15 left on the clock before Coffey’s late-game heroics.
Grant Fuhr stopped 40 Flyers shots in the deadlock.
1989 — Ilkka Sinisalo, Scott Mellanby, Ron Sutter, and Murray Craven each netted a goal and an assist and Ken Wregget made 34 saves as the Flyers skated to a 4-1 triumph over the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Spectrum.
Up 4-0 late in regulation, Wregget lost his bid for a shutout when Kevin Stevens notched a power play goal to close out the scoring.
Former-Flyer netminder Wendell Young took the loss after stopping 27 shots.
1990 — Rick Tocchet hit the 20-goal mark with a pair of tallies and Pete Peeters made 34 saves to lead the Flyers to a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers at the Spectrum.
It was Tocchet’s second game in a row with multiple strikes and fifth straight game with at least two points. He also extended his overall point-scoring streak to six contests (7-4-11 during that span).
Murray Craven, Kjell Samuelsson, and Keith Acton also lit the lamp for Philadelphia, while Pelle Eklund assisted on three of the Flyers markers.
1995 — The Flyers rallied for two third period goals — including Mikael Renberg’s game-winner with 1:03 remaining in regulation — as Philadelphia pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Spectrum.
Rod Brind’Amour gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead with a first period goal, but Toronto answers off the sticks of Dave Andreychuk and Mike Craig staked the visitors to a 2-1 lead at the second intermission.
Brent Fedyk knotted the score with a power play tally at the tail end of a Sergio Momesso holding minor, setting up Renberg’s game-winner later in the frame.
Garth Snow made 24 saves to post the win.
1996 — Rod Brind’Amour, Dainius Zubrus, and Shjon Podein recorded a goal and an assist apiece and Garth Snow made 14 saves as the Flyers defeated the Ottawa Senators, 4-3 at the Corel Centre.
Trent Klatt’s goal 5:16 into the third period gave the visitors a 4-2 lead and would prove to be the eventual game-winner.
After being outshot by an 8-6 margin in the opening frame and trailing 1-0 on the scoreboard, Philadelphia controlled play the rest of the way as they outshot Ottawa 31-9 over the final two stanzas.
2002 — Justin Williams‘ spectacular breakaway goal with 6.3 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Flyers to just their second win in 11 games (2-5-4) with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Williams stole the puck away from Habs defender Patrice Brisebois, skated in alone on Jeff Hackett and was tripped from behind by Brisebois, but still was able to put his shot past the goaltender while prone on the ice to win the game.
Had Williams not scored, he would have been awarded a penalty shot.
The only scoring in regulation came in the second period. Montreal took a 1-0 lead early in the session courtesy of a Randy McKay marker, and Philadelphia’s Michal Handzus tied it up at the stanza’s midpoint.
Roman Cechmanek made 20 saves to pick up the win, while Hackett stopped 37 of 39 Flyers shots in the loss.
2005 — Second period goals by Mike Knuble and Patrick Sharp staked the Flyers to a 2-0 lead and Robert Esche made 30 saves to lead Philadelphia to a 2-1 triumph over the New Jersey Devils at the Wachovia Center.
The victory snapped a four-game home losing streak for the Flyers.
Ben Eager — who was recalled from the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms earlier in the day — posted his first NHL point in his first NHL game with an assist on Sharp’s game-winning goal.
Tuomas Pihlman spoiled Esche’s bid for a shutout with a goal 8:02 into the third period.
2006 — Special teams goals from Randy Robitaille (power play), Simon Gagne (shorthanded), and Mike Knuble (power play) staked the Flyers to a 3-0 lead, and goaltender Antero Niittymaki stopped 39 of 41 shots as Philadelphia held on for a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.
Up 1-0 late in the opening stanza and attempting to kill off a Ben Eager minor penalty, Gagne backhanded a shot past losing netminder Mike Dunham with just five seconds remaining in the period.
2013 — Vincent Lecavalier managed the lone goal of the shootout and Steve Mason made 34 saves in regulation and overtime and stoned all three shooters in the skills competition to lead the Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Trailing 2-1 late in regulation, Sean Couturier took a fantastic backhand cross-crease pass from Andrej Meszaros and knotted the game by beating Marek Mazanec to force the extra session.
Lecavalier deked to the backhand and put a forehand up high over Mazanec’s right shoulder for the only goal Mason would need in the shootout, as the Philadelphia netminder was spectacular in stopping Craig Smith, Matt Hendricks, and Matt Cullen in succession to pry away the extra point.
