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Replay of Flyers’ epic 2010 playoff win over Boston to be shown on its 10th anniversary

10 years ago Thursday, the Flyers became the first team to overcome both a 3-0 series deficit AND a 3-0 hole in Game 7 as they shocked host Boston. NBC Sports Philadelphia is showing a replay of the famous game Thursday night.

Flyers left winger Simon Gagne scores the game-winning power play goal during the third period against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of their 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Flyers left winger Simon Gagne scores the game-winning power play goal during the third period against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of their 2010 Eastern Conference semifinals.Read more(David Maialetti / Staff Photographer)

It was a comeback for the ages.

Fact is, it was arguably the greatest comeback the NHL has ever witnessed.

Ten years ago from this Thursday, the Flyers became the first team to overcome both a 3-0 series deficit and a 3-0 hole in Game 7 as they stunned the host Boston Bruins, 4-3, and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the epic victory, NBC Sports Philadelphia is showing a replay of the game Thursday at 7 p.m.

The headline in The Inquirer after that win was concise and powerful: 0-3 to 4-3.

Tied at 3-3, the Flyers got the game-winner from Simon Gagne, who was nursing a broken big toe and couldn’t walk without crutches earlier in the series. The left winger scored a power-play goal with 7 minutes, 8 seconds remaining as the Flyers took advantage of a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty.

“The Stanley Cup is all about sacrifice . . . like Simon did tonight,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said at the time.

It was the still-gimpy Gagne’s fourth goal in the four games he played since returning from his injury. The Flyers won all four games.

The Flyers faced a 3-1 deficit after the first period but tied it on second-period goals by Scott Hartnell and Danny Briere.

“After the first period in our dressing room, it was dead quiet. No one was saying a word,” Briere recalled the other day. "After the second period, it was the total opposite. It was like we knew we had won. Guys were fired up. Guys were talkative. The energy and momentum we had built in the second period, we knew we were winning that game.”

After completing the historic comeback, the Flyers beat Montreal, four games to one, as Michael Leighton collected three shutouts. That sent them into the Stanley Cup Final, where Chicago won its first title since 1961, clinching the crown on Patrick Kane’s dramatic overtime goal in Game 6.

The Flyers’ magical ride — they had qualified for the playoffs with a shootout win over the New York Rangers on the last day of the regular season — was over.