The 1975 champs allowed a league-low 181 goals, and "Only the Lord Saves More Than Bernie Parent" bumper stickers were the rage.
The 2010 Flyers (236 goals) don't have the offensive firepower to compare with the Broad Street Bullies (293 goals), but they get the job done with balanced scoring and a defense that has pitched five shutouts in the last 13 playoff games.
"The biggest difference in the teams is that we had a Hart Trophy winner in Bobby Clarke and a Vezina Trophy guy in Bernie Parent," said Bill Clement, who scored 21 goals for the Flyers that season. He was referring to trophies awarded to the league's MVP and top goalie, respectively.
"The game is more skilled now than when we played," said Joe Watson, a sturdy defenseman on the Flyers' 1974 and 1975 Cup winners. "When we played, it was more brawn. Now it's more speed and finesse."
Another difference, Clement said, is that the 1975 Flyers were expected to repeat as Cup champions. These Flyers, seeded seventh in the East, were supposed to get knocked off in Round 1 by the second-seeded New Jersey Devils.
And they were underdogs in Round 2 against the Bruins and in Round 3 against the Montreal Canadiens.
"There were no expectations for this team when the playoffs started," said Clement, now a Comcast hockey analyst. "And I honestly believe that people around here are having more fun with this team. They're like a lottery ticket that you never expect to cash in . . . and you hit it."
With Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, and Ian Laperriere recently back from injuries, and Ville Leino blossoming into a top-six forward, the Flyers have a healthy four-line setup that has never looked better this season.
A strong defense, however, has been their calling card. Anchored by future Hall of Famer Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen, the Flyers have allowed a league-low 2.12 goals per game during the playoffs.
