1974 Stanley Cup Finals

1974 Stanley Cup Finals
Celebration in the Flyers' locker room, May 19, 1974
1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Philadelphia Flyers 2 3* 4 4 1 1 4 Boston Bruins 3 2* 1 2 5 0 2
* overtime periods
Location(s)	Philadelphia: Spectrum (3, 4, 6) Boston: Boston Garden (1, 2, 5)
Coaches	Philadelphia: Fred Shero Boston: Bep Guidolin
Captains	Philadelphia: Bobby Clarke Boston: John Bucyk
National anthems	Philadelphia: Kate Smith Boston: Unknown
Referees	Dave Newell (1, 5) Art Skov (2, 6) Lloyd Gilmour (3) Ron Wicks (4)
Dates	May 7–19, 1974
MVP	Bernie Parent (Flyers)
Series-winning goal	Rick MacLeish (14:48, first, G6)
Hall of Famers	Flyers: Bill Barber (1990) Bobby Clarke (1987) Bernie Parent (1984) Bruins: Johnny Bucyk (1981) Phil Esposito (1984) Bobby Orr (1979) Coaches: Fred Shero (2013)
Networks	Canada: (English): CBC (French): SRC United States: (National): NBC (3, 6) (Philadelphia area): WTAF (1–2, 5) (Boston area): WSBK (1–2, 4–5)
Announcers	(CBC) Danny Gallivan and Brian McFarlane (1–2, 5); and Bill Hewitt and Dick Irvin, Jr. (3–4, 6) (SRC) Rene Lecavalier and Gilles Tremblay (NBC) Tim Ryan and Ted Lindsay (WTAF) Don Earle and Gene Hart (WSBK) Fred Cusick and Johnny Peirson
Stanley Cup Finals

The 1974 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1973–74 season, and the culmination of the 1974 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers made their first Finals appearance and the Bruins returned to the Finals for the third time in five years, having won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. The Flyers won the best-of-seven series, four games to two, becoming the first team from the 1967 Expansion to win the Stanley Cup, as well as the first non-Original Six Cup champion since the Montreal Maroons in 1935.

Paths to the Finals

Boston defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4–0 and the Chicago Black Hawks 4–2 to advance to the final.

Philadelphia defeated the Atlanta Flames 4–0 and the New York Rangers 4–3 to make it to the final.

Game summaries

In the previous 19 games against the Bruins in Boston, the Flyers had lost 17 and tied two. Boston had the best regular season record in the league finishing one point ahead of the Flyers. The Bruins also had home ice advantage in the Stanley Cup Finals, and were made heavy favorites to win the series. A key confidence-building win late in the regular season saw the Flyers defeating the Bruins 5–3 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

The first two games at Boston Garden were full of late game dramatics. In game one, the Flyers nearly scored late in the third period to break a 2–2 tie. Bobby Orr, having saved the Flyers' shot by blocking the open Boston net with his leg, then took the puck up the ice and scored on a slapshot past goaltender Bernie Parent with a little over a minute remaining in regulation time to propel the Bruins to a 3–2 win. Game two saw the Bruins on the verge of a 2–0 series lead when Flyers defenseman Andre Dupont scored with Parent pulled with less than a minute remaining for an extra attacker to tie the score at 2–2, and Bobby Clarke scored the 3–2 game winner in overtime. It was the first time the Flyers had beaten the Bruins in Boston Garden since the first ever meeting between the two franchises.

The Flyers, led by Parent's play in goal, won the next two games on home ice to take a 3–1 series lead. Game five in Boston was a sloppy affair marred by many fights and penalties as Boston easily won to extend the series to a game six in Philadelphia. Before a national audience watching the game on NBC and a raucous Philadelphia crowd, Parent posted an epic 30-save shutout against the Bruins as the Flyers won the game 1–0, the series four games to two, and the Stanley Cup. Parent made a spectacular kick save to stop a tremendous slapshot from Ken Hodge with less than three minutes left to play. The blast was the Bruins' final shot of the series. Parent was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. The Flyers were the first of the 1967 expansion teams in the NHL to win the championship.

Coincidentally, the Flyers were the first team to clinch the Stanley Cup at home since the Bruins did so four years earlier on Orr's famous overtime goal vs. the St. Louis Blues in Game 4.

7 May	Philadelphia Flyers		2–3		Boston Bruins	Boston Garden	Recap
Bernie Parent		Goalie stats			Gilles Gilbert

9 May	Philadelphia Flyers		3–2	OT	Boston Bruins	Boston Garden	Recap
Bernie Parent		Goalie stats			Gilles Gilbert

12 May	Boston Bruins		1–4		Philadelphia Flyers	The Spectrum	Recap
Gilles Gilbert		Goalie stats			Bernie Parent

14 May	Boston Bruins		2–4		Philadelphia Flyers	The Spectrum	Recap
Gilles Gilbert		Goalie stats			Bernie Parent

16 May	Philadelphia Flyers		1–5		Boston Bruins	Boston Garden	Recap
Bernie Parent		Goalie stats			Gilles Gilbert

19 May	Boston Bruins		0–1		Philadelphia Flyers	The Spectrum	Recap
Gilles Gilbert		Goalie stats			Bernie Parent

Philadelphia won series 4–2

Aftermath

The Flyers Stanley Cup win triggered the largest celebration in Philadelphia sports history. Some observers of the celebration noted that they had seen that type of event in Philadelphia only once before, upon the announcement of the surrender of Japan on 14 August 1945. The day after the Flyers won the Cup, more than two million lined Broad Street for a ticker-tape parade, making it the largest championship parade in the history of Philadelphia sports. One of the fans who attended the parade was future New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. Richter grew up near Philadelphia in Flourtown, Pennsylvania idolizing Flyers goalie Bernie Parent.

The following year, the Flyers successfully returned to the Finals and captured their second consecutive Stanley Cup; this time, over the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, also winning in six games.

As for the Bruins, they lost in the first round to the Chicago Black Hawks 2–1.

The Stanley Cup was not won on home ice again until the Canadiens did so in 1979.

Team rosters

Philadelphia Flyers

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1		Bernie Parent	G	L	29	1973	Montreal, Quebec
2		Ed Van Impe	D	L	33	1967	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
3		Tom Bladon	D	R	21	1972	Edmonton, Alberta
4		Barry Ashbee	D	R	34	1970	Weston, Ontario
6		Andre Dupont	D	L	24	1972	Trois-Rivières, Quebec
7		Bill Barber	LW	L	21	1972	Callander, Ontario
8		Dave Schultz	LW	L	24	1969	Waldheim, Saskatchewan
9		Bob Kelly	LW	L	23	1970	Oakville, Ontario
10		Bill Clement	C	L	23	1970	Buckingham, Quebec
11		Don Saleski	RW	R	24	1972	Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
12		Gary Dornhoefer (A)	RW	R	31	1967	Kitchener, Ontario
14		Joe Watson (A)	D	L	30	1967	Smithers, British Columbia
15		Terry Crisp (A)	C	L	30	1973	Parry Sound, Ontario
16		Bobby Clarke (C)	C	L	24	1969	Flin Flon, Manitoba
17		Simon Nolet	RW	R	32	1967	St. Odilon, Quebec
18		Ross Lonsberry	LW	L	27	1972	Watson, Saskatchewan
19		Rick MacLeish	C	L	24	1971	Cannington, Ontario
20		Jim Watson	D	L	21	1972	Smithers, British Columbia
21		Bill Flett	RW	R	30	1972	Vermilion, Alberta
26		Orest Kindrachuk	C	L	23	1972	Nanton, Alberta
27		Bruce Cowick	LW	L	22	1973	Victoria, British Columbia
30		Bobby Taylor	G	R	29	1968	Calgary, Alberta

Boston Bruins

No.	Nat	Player	Pos	S/G	Age	Acquired	Birthplace
1		Gilles Gilbert	G	L	25	1973	Saint-Esprit, Quebec
4		Bobby Orr	D	L	26	1966	Parry Sound, Ontario
6		Darryl Edestrand	D	L	28	1973	Strathroy, Ontario
7		Phil Esposito	C	L	32	1967	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
8		Ken Hodge	RW	R	29	1967	Birmingham, United Kingdom
9		Johnny Bucyk (C)	LW	L	39	1957	Edmonton, Alberta
10		Carol Vadnais	D	L	28	1972	Montreal, Quebec
11		Andre Savard	C	L	20	1973	Temiscamingue, Quebec
12		Wayne Cashman	RW	R	28	1964	Kingston, Ontario
14		Dave Forbes	LW	L	25	1973	Montreal, Quebec
17		Bobby Schmautz	RW	R	29	1974	Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
18		Rich Leduc	C	L	22	1971	Ile Perot, Quebec
19		Gregg Sheppard	LW	L	25	1972	North Battleford, Saskatchewan
20		Dallas Smith	D	L	32	1959	Hamiota, Manitoba
21		Don Marcotte	LW	L	27	1965	Arthabaska, Quebec
22		Doug Gibson	C	L	20	1973	Peterborough, Ontario
23		Al Sims	D	L	21	1973	Toronto, Ontario
24		Terry O'Reilly	RW	R	22	1971	Niagara Falls, Ontario
29		Al Simmons	D	L	23	1974	Winnipeg, Manitoba
30		Ross Brooks	G	L	36	1971	Toronto, Ontario

Stanley Cup engraving

The 1974 Stanley Cup was presented to Flyers captain Bobby Clarke by NHL President Clarence Campbell following the Flyers 1–0 win over the Bruins in game six.

The following Flyers players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup

1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers

Players

  Centres

• 10 – Bill Clement 
• 15 – Terry Crisp (A)
• 16 – Bobby Clarke (Captain)
• 19 – Rick MacLeish 
• 26 – Orest Kindrachuk 

  Wingers

• 7 – Bill Barber 
• 8 – Dave Schultz 
• 9 – Bob Kelly 
• 11 – Don Saleski 
• 12 – Gary Dornhoefer (A)
• 17 – Simon Nolet 
• 18 – Ross Lonsberry 
• 21 – Bill Flett 
• 27 – Bruce Cowick 

  Defencemen

• 2 – Ed Van Impe 
• 3 – Tom Bladon 
• 4 – Barry Ashbee 
• 6 – Andre Dupont 
• 14 – Joe Watson (A)
• 20 – Jimmy Watson 

  Goaltenders

• 1 – Bernie Parent 
• 30 – Bobby Taylor 

Coaching and administrative staff

• Ed Snider (Chairman/Owner), Joe Scott (President)
• F. Eugene Dixon Jr. (Vice Chairman), Fred Shero (Head Coach)
• Keith Allen (Vice President/General Manager)
• Lou Scheinfield (Vice President), Mike Nykoluk (Asst. Coach),
• Frank Lewis (Trainer), Jim McKenzie (Asst. Trainer)

Stanley Cup engraving

• #25 Al MacAdam played five regular season games and one playoff game. Although he did receive a Stanley Cup ring, his name was not engraved on the Stanley Cup.
• Joe Kadlec, John Brogan (Directors of Public Relations) were included on Philadelphia's Stanley Cup winning pictures in 1974, 1975, but their names do not appear on the Stanley Cup.
• Bruce Cowick didn't play any regular season games for the Flyers in 1973–74 but was an injury replacement for eight games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, thus becoming eligible to receive a Stanley Cup ring and have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

See also

• 1973–74 NHL season
• 1973–74 Boston Bruins season
• 1973–74 Philadelphia Flyers season

References

• Diamond, Dan, ed. (2000). Total Stanley Cup. NHL.
• Podnieks, Andrew; Hockey Hall of Fame (2004). Lord Stanley's Cup. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1-55168-261-7.