1979-80 PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Backstory
After winning Stanley Cups in 1973-74 and 1974-75, the Flyers had been unable to win another title, but they did have a minimum of 95 points each regular season and finished no lower than second in their division despite the loss of coach Fred Shero to the New York Rangers.

The postseason
In its second regular-season game, Philadelphia got stomped 9-2 by the mediocre Atlanta Flames. That would be the Flyers’ last loss for two months. From Oct. 14, 1979, to Jan. 6, 1980, the Flyers were unbeaten in 35 straight games (25 wins, 10 ties) — the longest unbeaten streak in North American major pro sports history. The Flyers beat or tied every team but Washington, only because they didn‘t play the Capitals. The Flyers started the season 26-1-10, and finished it 22-11-10 to sport an overall 48-12-20 record, leading the NHL with 116 points.

Not every game was a thing of beauty, a given with a team that still led the NHL in penalty minutes. On Oct. 21, the Flyers blew a 6-2 lead to four-time defending Stanley Cup champion Montreal and settled for a 6-6 tie. An Oct. 27 game at Pittsburgh was canceled because of a custodians’ strike.

But the most controversial game was No. 28, which tied the record for the longest unbeaten string. A Philadelphia player appeared to have illegally kicked the puck in the net with seconds remaining against Pittsburgh, but the goal was allowed, salvaging a 1-1 tie and giving all of Pittsburgh the feeling that karma owed the Flyers one.

The playoffs
Philadelphia swept Edmonton in the first round, tossed out their old coach Shero and the Rangers 4-1 in round two, took out Minnesota (which had upset Montreal) 4-1 in the third round, and faced the New York Islanders for the Stanley Cup. And that’s where karma caught up with the Flyers. Despite outscoring New York 26-25, Philadelphia lost the series 4-2. Karma particularly showed its ugly side in the final game, lost in overtime, as one Islanders goal was allowed despite the team clearly being offside.

Postscript
The Pittsburgh Penguins, buoyed by Mario Lemiuex’s return from Hodgkin’s Disease — cancer of the lymphatic system — won the last 17 games of the 1992-93 season, an NHL-record winning streak. (The Flyers’ longest win streak in their unbeaten run was nine.) But the two-time defending champion Penguins were bounced in the second round by, wouldn’t you know it, the New York Islanders.

The greatest regular seasons ever Introduction 1934 Chicago Bears 1971-'72 Los Angeles Lakers 1972 Miami Dolphins 1976-'77 Montreal Canadiens 1979-'80 Philadelphia Flyers 1990-'91 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers 1995-'96 Chicago Bulls 1997-'98 Tennessee Lady Vols 2001 Seattle Mariners 2003-04 Arsenal FC VOTE: Which was most impressive?

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