Let’s have some fun with this one from two years ago about the Flyers. Just some perspective in all honesty.
I’ve been hearing this current Flyers roster being called the Broad Street Bullies a lot lately, and quite frankly to me, it’s as confusing as listening to Niklas Backstrom in a shootout attempt against Niklas Backstrom on the radio. I would like to see a reporter look a Dave Schultz or Bobby Clarke in the eye, and tell them, “This is the Broad Street Bullies”. There is only one player that could almost come close to drawing any kind of comparison to what might be the most intimidating hockey team that will have ever played, and that would be Ben Eager, but even that is not close enough.
If I was going to make close to a link here it would be Dave Schultz and Ben Eager.
Eager comes nowhere even Close to “The Hammer”. Both enforcers, Ben Eager in the year he has his most PIMS (233), has 6 goals and 5 assists and a -13. Where Dave Shultz had 472 PIMS, he still had 9 goals 17 assists and was a +16. Sure the stats might not mean much to some people, but with the Flyers being called “The Broad Street Bullies” like it was a bad thing is upsetting. Eager is a modern day enforcer, therefore the two cannot be compared.
Just because Steve Downie looked like a midget shot out of a cannon at Dean Mcammond doesn’t mean squat to me. There is a reason why Don Cherry during the cup finals last year kept talking about the “Bullies” like it was a good thing, and then go on to say Downie deserved more than what he got for his suspension.
The real Broad Street Bullies has to be embarrassed listening to this crap. Here is the difference plain and simple, the 74-75 Flyers put the fear of God into players. They wouldn’t just beat the hell out of them, But they would score like hell also. Look what happened after Downies hit. We lost, Ottawa didn’t seem frightened to me, in fact, they played even better after that. Boulerice, had this happened earlier in the game, who knows what would have happened. There was nothing tough nor intimidating about his cross check to Kessler’s face. If anything, it was embarrassing. Randy Jones, a player not known for huge game breaking hits, makes a mistake and hit’s Bergeron from behind. How these 3 “Dirty” hit’s can be called Broad Street Bully like is beyond me.
What would that make Briere? Bobby Clarke? Or what about Simon Gagne, who is he now? Bill Barber?
My point in all of this is, this team is nowhere even close to being given the compliment of being the “Broad Street Bullies“, last I checked this team hasn’t even dominated anyone yet this year Physically, or Mentally. 3 dirty hits does not warrant this and it is ridiculous that someone would tarnish a great teams name like that, by copy and pasting it onto this current squad.
