Flyers' 1974 Stanley Cup win among biggest upsets in NHL playoff history

Legendary hockey reporter Stan Fischler writes a weekly scrapbook for NHL.com. Fischler, known as "The Hockey Maven," shares his humor and insight with readers each Wednesday.

RANGERS-MAROONS, 1928 Stanley Cup Final

Unexpectedly in their second NHL season, the New York Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Maroons. New York lost the opening game, 2-0, and then faced adversity in Game 2. Rangers goalie Lorne Chabot was hospitalized after being hit above the eye by a puck. Without a spare goalie, their 44-year-old manager-coach Lester Patrick replaced Chabot and led the Rangers to a 2-1 overtime victory.

The Rangers borrowed part-time New York Americans rookie goalie Joe Miller to be their starter the rest of the series. Miller played the next three games and lost the first, 2-0. Then, unexpectedly, Miller got red hot. He helped the Rangers win the next two games, 1-0 and 2-1, and New York captured its first Stanley Cup championship. Miller's reward? He was traded to Pittsburgh. Chabot? He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs!

BLACK HAWKS-MAPLE LEAFS, 1938 Stanley Cup Final

The Chicago Black Hawks, who were mocked because they dressed an unprecedented eight United States-born players, was the only playoff team to finish under the .500 mark (14-25-9) in 1937-38. Coached by a Major League Baseball umpire Bill Stewart, not much was expected of Chicago in the 1938 playoffs. But they fooled skeptics. The Black Hawks eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in the first round and then defeated the New York Americans in the second round.

That set up a meeting against the Maple Leafs in the Cup Final. Chicago's regular goalie, Mike Karakas, injured his foot in the final game against the Americans and was unable to play in Game 1 of the Final. Without a backup -- and at the 11th hour -- the desperate Black Hawks signed Alfie Moore, a castoff of the Americans and Detroit Red Wings. To everyone's astonishment, Moore played the game of his life and the Black Hawks defeated the Maple Leafs 3-1 in the series opener.

When Maple Leafs boss Conn Smythe won a protest about Moore's eligibility, the Black Hawks switched to minor league goalie Paul Goodman in Game 2. The Black Hawks lost 5-1 and Karakas returned wearing a special boot over his injured foot in Game 3, which Chicago won 2-1. Karakas starred again in Game 4, and the Black Hawks won 4-1 to secure their second championship.

Amazingly, the Stanley Cup was not at Chicago Stadium to be presented to the winners. The Chicago Tribune explained: "NHL President Frank Calder had earlier caused the trophy to be shipped to Toronto reportedly on the assurance that a hockey team which harbored eight American-born hockey players as did the Hawks couldn't possibly win the Stanley Cup!"

MAPLE LEAFS-CANADIENS, 1945 semi-final

No matter how one viewed the wartime 1944-45 season, the defending champion Montreal Canadiens were a dominant team. Their regular season record (38-8-4) suggested that another Stanley Cup championship was in the cards. The Maple Leafs finished 28 points behind the Canadiens and barely over .500 (24-22-4).

Worse for the Maple Leafs, their goalie Frank McCool suffered from chronic ulcers. By contrast, Montreal's goalie, Bill Durnan, was a Vezina Trophy winner.

Before the Canadiens played the Maple Leafs in the semi-finals, Montreal coach Dick Irvin boasted, "I have the greatest hockey club in 20 years."

Unimpressed, McCool backstopped a 1-0 shutout at the Montreal Forum and followed that by helping the Maple Leafs defeat Durnan and the Canadiens 3-2 in Game 2.

The Canadiens bounced back to win two of the next three games. Undaunted by a 10-3 loss in Game 5, though, the Maple Leafs won the series with a 3-2 victory at home in Game 6

What also made the upset so arresting was that Montreal's famed "Punch Line" of Maurice "Rocket" Richard, Toe Blake and Elmer Lach was outplayed and outscored by their Toronto counterparts in the series.

The Maple Leafs went on to win the Cup, defeating the Red Wings in seven games.

BRUINS-RED WINGS, 1953 semi-final

The Red Wings emerged in the early 1950's as an NHL powerhouse. They won the Stanley Cup in 1952, sweeping both the Maple Leafs and Canadiens in the playoffs.

Led by Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly and Terry Sawchuk, the Red Wings finished the 1952-53 season with 90 points, 21 more than the third-place Boston Bruins. Howe led the League in goals (49) assists (46) and points (95). Boston's leading scorer, Fleming Mackell, was barely visible among NHL sharpshooters with 44 points, 51 fewer than Howe.

Detroit was an overwhelming favorite to win another title, an assessment reinforced after its 7-0 win at home against Boston in Game 1 of the semi-finals.

Bruins coach Lynn Patrick made a not-so-subtle decision before Game 2 to have 36-year-old forward Woody Dumart shadow Howe. Perhaps the move worked because the Bruins defeated the Red Wings 5-3 on the road in Game 2, tying the series. Then the Bruins returned home and shocked the Red Wings in Game 3, winning 2-1 in overtime when obscure left wing Jack McIntyre scored against the great Sawchuk at 12:29 of OT.

"They stunned us," Howe said.

On a roll now, the Bruins dominated Game 4, winning 6-2 at Boston Garden.

Although the Red Wings managed to stay alive in Game 5, winning at home 6-4, it was a last gasp. Boston finished off the series with a 4-2 win in Game 6.

"Our rebound from the opening loss was huge and Johnny McIntyre's overtime winner, combined with Dumart's shadowing of Howe, made me think we could actually do it," Patrick said.

FLYERS-BRUINS, 1974 Stanley Cup Final

Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and the Big, Bad Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 1970 and 1972. By the 1974 Cup Final, Boston still had its legendary core in place, seeking a third championship in five seasons. The Bruins were heavy favorites against the Philadelphia Flyers, who joined the NHL in its first expansion in 1967.

So, it didn't seem surprising that the Bruins won Game 1 at Boston Garden 3-2 on Orr's game-winner.

What was surprising was how the Flyers rebounded in Game 2, overcoming a two-goal deficit on the road to win 3-2 after a goal late in the third period by Bobby Clarke.

Even more surprising was that the Flyers took a 3-1 series lead with consecutive wins at home, 4-1 and 4-2. Flyers coach Fred Shero devised an effective forechecking strategy that frustrated Orr and slowed the Boston attack.

Still, the Bruins had one rally left in Game 5, winning decisively 5-1 at home. But it proved to be their last gasp. In Game 6 at The Spectrum, Rick MacLeish put the Flyers ahead 1-0 late in the first period and then goalie Bernie Parent took care of the rest. The Flyers shockingly shut out the Bruins 1-0 to become the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup.