Visiting our Philadelphia Flyers Corridor of Famers as soon as once more, we have a look at the influence ahead Rick MacLeish had on the Orange and Black. One of many most important stars of the Flyers’ Broad Road Bullies groups within the Nineteen Seventies, he completed loads in Philadelphia and spent a big majority of his time within the NHL there, too.
In 12 seasons with Philadelphia, MacLeish compiled 328 objectives and 369 assists for 697 factors in 741 video games performed. Contemplating he was in his prime proper earlier than the high-flying offenses of the Eighties, his numbers are that rather more spectacular. What did he convey to the desk for the Flyers?
A Almost Grave Mistake
Within the Flyers’ first season of existence in 1967-68, inaugural basic supervisor (GM) Bud Poile had a disastrous commerce that just about set the franchise again fairly a bit. They traded their first-round choice within the 1970 NHL Draft to the Boston Bruins for ahead Rosaire Paiement. The latter solely performed 190 whole video games within the NHL earlier than going over to the WHA the place he spent most of his skilled hockey profession.
Sadly, the Flyers missed the playoffs badly in 1969-70 — that they had what stands because the third-worst season in workforce historical past with simply 58 factors in 76 contests. So, after all, that choose ended up being fairly excessive. With the choose they traded, the Bruins took none aside from MacLeish with the fourth-overall choose, proper after successful the Stanley Cup.
However the second — and objectively one of the best — GM in Flyers historical past, Keith Allen, swooped in and saved the day. He traded a strong participant on the time, ahead Mike Walton, to the Bruins for winger Danny Schock and, after all, MacLeish again.
Associated: Keith Allen: The Architect of the Flyers’ 2 Stanley Cups
Getting MacLeish was clearly big for the Flyers, and Allen didn’t surrender long-term property to do it. From there, the younger ahead helped make historical past in Philadelphia — it’s virtually like he was meant to be a Flyer.
MacLeish Grew to become an Early Flyers Star
It took a few uneventful seasons the place he simply performed 43 video games in whole, however MacLeish emerged as one of many first stars within the historical past of the Flyers in 1972-73. In his age-23 marketing campaign, the centerman went from 9 profession factors to 109 — he exploded for 50 objectives and 50 assists for 100 factors in simply 78 contests. Solely two different Flyers, Invoice Barber and up to date workforce Corridor of Fame inductee Mark Recchi, have ever reached 50 objectives and 50 assists in a single season with the membership — each of that are within the Hockey Corridor of Fame. The 23-year-old grew to become a sensation basically in a single day.
He helped the Flyers each clinch the playoffs and win their first sequence in franchise historical past. They didn’t go any additional than the second spherical, simply shy of their first Stanley Cup Closing, however MacLeish put up seven factors in 10 postseason video games. This wonderful season ended up being the one time he reached 100 factors, however he was nonetheless primed for a lot extra.
MacLeish’s Championship Contributions
MacLeish regressed by way of factors in each 1973-74 and 1974-75, placing up 156 factors in 158 factors. As a workforce, nevertheless, the Flyers obtained loads higher. Their greatest season as a workforce was 37 wins set in 1972-73. Within the following campaigns, they received 50 and 51 video games. And, after all, they have been pretty profitable within the playoffs.
The Flyers grew to become the primary growth workforce to win a Stanley Cup in 1974, and MacLeish was an enormous a part of that. Not solely did he rating the game-winning aim in Sport 6 of the Stanley Cup Closing towards the Bruins, however he had essentially the most objectives (13) and factors (22) amongst all gamers within the postseason in simply 17 contests. His 4 game-winning tallies total made him a priceless entity for the Orange and Black.
As if it wasn’t sufficient the primary time, MacLeish was arguably the Flyers’ greatest skater within the postseason in 1975, too. He had 11 objectives and led the postseason with 20 factors and a plus-17 score in 17 video games. He didn’t fairly have the identical clutch issue with only a single game-winning aim this time, however the Flyers received the Stanley Cup as soon as once more.
Often, gamers like Bobby Clarke, Bernie Dad or mum, Reggie Leach, or Barber get the main props for the Flyers successful back-to-back championships. MacLeish deserves all of the love on the planet for what he was capable of accomplish. He was, certainly, a legend.
MacLeish Produced Till Retirement
MacLeish had no plans of slowing down after attaining just about every little thing there may be to as a participant. Sadly, although, he struggled with accidents in 1975-76. He performed simply 51 video games however put up 45 factors. He didn’t play within the postseason, and whereas the Flyers made an ideal effort to win their third straight championship, they fell within the Closing to an unbelievable Montreal Canadiens workforce that went on to win three extra Stanley Cups consecutively after doing so in 1976.
When he was more healthy, MacLeish put up 49 objectives and 48 assists for 97 factors and a plus-46 score in 79 contests in 1976-77, simply shy of his career-best marks set three seasons prior. In 10 playoff video games, he had 13 factors — he didn’t miss main time from harm this go round, and the Flyers didn’t make the Closing this time. And so they didn’t till slightly later in his profession in 1979-80.
When that point got here, MacLeish was 30 however he was nonetheless an necessary participant for the Flyers. He had 66 factors in 78 video games, including 15 extra within the postseason in 19 contests. The Flyers misplaced to the New York Islanders within the Stanley Cup Closing, however contrasting their loss in six video games to New York versus their sweep towards the Canadiens, it’s clear that he was sorely missed.
MacLeish was traded from the Flyers after placing up 74 factors in 1980-81 earlier than briefly returning for 29 video games in 1983-84 and having a formidable 22 factors in that span in his age-34 season. After that, although, he known as it quits and hung up the skates.
Total, MacLeish was one among simply seven Flyers to succeed in the 300-goal mark simply with the Orange and Black. He sadly handed away in 2016, however his legacy will stay on. His quantity 19 just isn’t retired by the workforce, however he undoubtedly has a case for it. Posthumously, he completely deserves some consideration. By way of franchise significance, he’s proper up there with those that do have their numbers off-limits.
