Remember the other day, when the Blob opined that God must have a mad-on against hockey -- and goaltenders in particular -- because Ken Dryden and Eddie Giacomin went to their reward within a week of each another?
"No," you're saying now.
Well, I DID. And now it turns out God still has a mad-on against hockey (and goaltenders), because Bernie Parent is dead.
Passed in his sleep the other day at the age of 80, and, geez, Lord, what's up with that? Three Hall of Fame 'tenders in less than a month? This is not the kind of roll we were talking about when we prayed "Please, God, get on a roll" in church last Sunday.
This time around it took the man who backstopped the rowdy Philadelphia Flyers of the 1970s, whose leaders were guy with no front teeth (Bobby Clarke), and a guy nicknamed the Hammer who liked to rearrange people's faces (Dave Schultz), and another guy everyone called Cowboy (Bill Flett). Therefore you will not be surprised to learn that America came to know them as the Broad Street Bullies.
And it was a goalie named Bernie who was their backbone.
In 1974 and '75 he won the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe and Vezina trophies back-to-back, which is a hell of a double trifecta. The Flyers were the first expansion team to win Stanley, and Bernie was one of the main reasons why.
And now he's gone, called home to that big goal crease in the sky. May he and Ken and Eddie stand shoulder-to-shoulder for all eternity at the pearly gates. Ain't no shady characters gettin' past them.
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