35 Years ago Today - ex-EHLers Help Flyers Defeat Russian Red Army 4-1

Okay, it's a lame pretense for an EHL blog, but it was one of the greatest hockey events ever. 35 years ago today, the Philadelphia Flyers dominated the Russian Red Army team 4-1. The Flyers had ex-Salem Rebel Dave Schultz and ex-Jersey Devils Jack McIlhargey and Bobby Taylor on their squad. I'll let the articles and memories speak for themselves...

From Today's Philadelphia Inquirer:
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/flyers/20110111_THEGOOD_OL__DAZE.html
35 years ago today, Broad Street Bullies ran Soviet Red Army out of the Spectrum

POSTED: January 11, 2011
By FRANK SERAVALLI

PLAYING IT BACK, like a train wreck in slow motion, Ed Van Impe can vividly remember the hit that made the Soviets fold like a tent.

The date: 35 years ago today, at the Spectrum, with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Flyers facing the Red Army team in the final game of the 1976 exhibition Super Series.

Van Impe darted from the penalty box, about midway through the first period, and watched the Soviets' breakout develop as he got a glimpse of his favorite kind of pass.

"It was a sucker pass,'' Van Impe, 70, said yesterday from his home in Vancouver. "I could see the play developing. The winger made a sucker pass and [Valeri] Kharlamov had to turn his head to get it. I remember watching it, almost in slow motion. And the same time the puck connected with Kharlamov, I connected with him and flattened him.

"I just wanted to welcome him to Philadelphia.'' Read More

From Flyers.NHL.com:
http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=435985
Great Moments: Flyers Conquer the Red Army

By Bill Meltzer - philadelphiaflyers.com

Hockey’s version of the Cold War reached a pinnacle in the 1970s. Team Canada’s narrow victory at the legendary Summit Series in 1972 only heightened the animosity and that had been between brewing between the powers-that-be in North American and Soviet hockey.
...
There was a lot at stake entering the final game. The Flyers were not only defending their status as the NHL’s preeminent team, they also found themselves in the unaccustomed position of representing North American hockey in general and the NHL in particular. Philly was the NHL’s last and best hope for defeating the Red Army.

On the other hand, if CSKA could complete an undefeated gauntlet of games with a win over the Flyers on Spectrum ice (where Philly won a staggering 36 of 40 games in 1975-76, with two ties), the Red Army could rightfully claim to be the best team in any league in the world.

“They didn’t like us and we didn’t like them. So we were ready for a war,” said Flyers Hall of Fame left winger Bill Barber... Read Whole Article

Check out the photos from this article. There's a great shot of Bobby Clarke and Dave Schultz crashing Tretiak in the Soviet nets.

and a little video...