Hi everyone! You’re probably wondering what today’s title could possibly mean. I was looking for a new article to post this week, and I really had no idea which one to pick, so I just chose a random game from a random season: March 25, 1970, Oakland vs. Philadelphia. Ok, so maybe I picked it because I could sense it would be historic. After all, it was the last head-to-head battle between the two division rivals, and I knew that both teams ended the season with 58 points, tied for fourth place in the West division. I had no idea, however, that the game had been a heart-stopping classic. The teams were tied 2-2 late in the third period when the Seals’ Joe Hardy scored the game-winner with just 12 ticks of the clock to go. Think of the ramifications of this. Had Hardy not scored that goal, the Seals would have ended up with 57 points, and the Flyers, had they won, would have had 59, and thus no need for a tie-breaker to decide fourth place. Of course, you can also argue that if the Flyers hadn’t gone on a 5-18-8 tailspin to close out the schedule, they could have finished as high as second place. Or you could argue that if the Flyers had converted just one of their 24 tie games into a win, they could have squeaked into fourth place. Take your pick. You can read all about Gypsy Joe’s season-altering goal right here.

Until next time, stay gold!