(Kate Frese/Flyerdelphia)
If you told me at the start of the season that the Flyers would snag a playoff spot, I wouldn't believe it — and I know I'm not alone.
But the NHL season is always full of twists, and never fails to provide its fair share of shocking moments. After a second-half surge that saw the Flyers become one of the league's hottest teams and rally to the Eastern Conference's second wild card spot, the Orange and Black will make their noble return to the postseason, drawing the Washington Capitals in the first round.
It's a matchup that's already guaranteed to be memorable. The NHL's top team (boasting a franchise-best 56-17-8 record and second-ever Presidents' Trophy) against a scrappy, young club that has been more than willing to take their opponents the distance.
When one thinks of Flyers rivalries, the Capitals aren't exactly the first team to come to mind. It's more of a tertiary rivalry, and pales in comparison to the Flyers-Rangers and Flyers-Penguins rivalries. Sure, there were the 1980s, where both teams were fierce competitors in the old Patrick Division, but when the league realigned in 1993 and separated both teams, the rivalry had diminished — save for a thrilling seven-game playoff series in 2008.
Upon the NHL's realignment to its current four-division format in 2013, the Flyers and Capitals found themselves back in the same division. The first game as Metropolitan Division opponents was entirely one-sided, with the Caps trouncing the Flyers, 7-0. The frustrated Flyers sparked a line brawl just moments after then-Capital Joel Ward's hat trick goal in the third period padded the score — a brawl punctuated by Ray Emery's merciless pummeling of an unwilling Braden Holtby.
The 12 games that succeeded that fateful Nov. 1, 2013 matchup have all been physical, brutal affairs, and have all served to strengthen the rivalry between both clubs. The Orange and Black have won 8 of those 12 games, with the largest margin of victory (for either team) being three goals. It's a rivalry that has generated several nationwide matchups on NBCSN's "Wednesday Night Rivalry," which, though it's nothing more than a simple marketing ploy, still allows for exposure on a national level.
Sure, the rivalry has taken somewhat of a backseat this season, as the Flyers prepared for a rebuilding year and the Capitals established themselves as the class of the league. But both of the Flyers' wins over the Caps have proven to be significant turning points for their season — with the 4-3 overtime win on Jan. 27 entering the Flyers in playoff conversation and the hard-fought 2-1 shootout win just two weeks ago serving as an eventual playoff preview.
On the surface, the Flyers-Capitals rivalry hasn't been the league's most intense, and hasn't matched other Metropolitan Division rivalries in fervor. But it's been growing for the past three seasons, and this first-round playoff series will only serve to validate that. The Flyers will be embracing an underdog role — which has suited them all-too-well this season — and will certainly look to make a further mark on the rivalry.
There's no denying how intense the Stanley Cup Playoffs are — after all, it's the best playoff tournament in professional sports. The Flyers-Capitals series will help validate that intensity, while serving as a benchmark in the restored rivalry between both clubs.
When you think of the rivalry between the Flyers and Washington Capitals, you may think of Emery beating down Holtby, or Joffrey Lupul sending the Caps to an early offseason in 2008. Older fans may even flash back to Dale Hunter's Game 7 heroics in 1988, or Ron Hextall becoming the first goalie to score in the playoffs the following year. After this first-round series, expect more history to be made, and the rivalry to intensify.
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia and Sports Talk Philly. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
