This Day in Hockey History – February 2, 1974 – Hats Flyin’

Feb 2, 2020

0 823

In the history of the Philadelphia Flyers, they have rarely flown as high as they did during the 1973-74 season. On February 2, 1974, the team broke several of its own records as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 12-2.

Philadelphia had rejoined the NHL with the 1967 expansion. Two years later, they drafted center Bobby Clarke, and in January 1973, the 23-year-old became the youngest-ever NHL captain. Two months after becoming captain, Clarke became the first expansion-team player to notch 100 points. He finished the season with the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. Even with these accomplishments, Clarke and the Flyers had more in mind for the following season.

Under Clarke’s leadership, on February 2, 1974, the Flyers really gave the 17,007 fans at the Spectrum something to cheer about. Clarke got the party started at 2:38 of the first period, and he closed out the scoring at 15:33 of the third. In between, he had another goal (at 11:55 of the second period) and three assists. This was Clarke’s second of five hat tricks during his NHL career, and it was the only one he would score on home ice. It happened to take place just two weeks shy of the one-year anniversary of his first NHL hat trick.

On every one of Clarke’s goals, he received assistance from right winger Simon Nolet. In addition to a fourth assist, Nolet also tallied his own goal (with help from Clarke). His five points place him second in scoring behind Clarke.

The other major scoring effort from the Flyers came from another line’s left wing, Ross Lonsberry. He first found the back of the net at the end of the first period. Having closed out the opening session, he opened the final period with back-to-back goals at 3:38 and 4:11. Lonsberry humbly claimed, “I didn’t have to do too much for those last two goals. Just put my stick on the ice. Dorny (Gary Dornhoefer) did all the work.” This was his second of three career hat tricks, his first having been nearly 11 months prior.

With both Clarke and Lonsberry each scoring thrice, Philadelphia had its first ever double hat trick. Unsurprisingly, Clarke, Nolet, and Lonsberry received the three stars of the game.

The 12-2 victory broke three franchise records. Previously, Philadelphia’s record for most goals in a game was ten, and they had managed that four times. To get to their record-setting 12 goals, the Flyers contributed 22 assists. That beat their former record of 17 that had been set March 22, 1973. The game from the previous March had also matched their previous record of 26 points. This February rout gave them a new high of 34 points. Coach Fred Shero crowed, “We destroyed them early. We bumped the hell out of their wings.”

In addition to their successes, the Flyers had two near misses. They had 55 shots on goal, with 9 of them by Clarke alone. That came close to their record of 60 (set November 22, 1972). The game total between the two teams came to 90 shots, which was just one less than they had had twice back in 1972.

After the game, the Flyers kept on succeeding. For a team that had yet to even hit 90 points, they accumulated a whopping 112 to finish out the 1973-74 season. They clearly won the West Division and only lost the top spot to the Boston Bruins by one point. The two met for the Stanley Cup Final, and Clarke turned the tide with an overtime goal to end Game 2. The Flyers won their first Stanley Cup championship and then did it all again the following season.