Avery, The Rangers Take On Flyers in Rocky's Hometown

Sean Avery, the “Rocky of hockey,” makes a comeback with the New York Rangers and leads his team to Philadelphia, the home of Rocky Balboa, to take on a team that reminds people of the Broad Street Bullies of the Seventies.

The new NHL got rid of the big goons or bullies but that left the ice wide open for smaller goons who also have above average hockey skills, but the NHL is evolving, going in the direction of fewer fights, and so is Avery, if not the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Rangers and Flyers have a long history of feuding and fighting.

It will be interesting to see how the new and improved, mild but not that mild, Sean Avery responds to the welcome he gets in Rocky's hometown.

The Flyers recently added Daniel Carcillo to their team.

He leads the NHL in penalties this year.

That used to be Sean Avery's position, when he played with the Los Angeles Kings for two seasons.

Carcillo is the team's new leader in that category, ahead of Riley Cote with 155, Arron Asham with 144.

Carcillo says he has been working on being more levelheaded.

Today's Flyers, remind me the Broad Street Bullies, with Bobby Clarke and Dave Schultz.

In 1974–75, Schultz topped his mark from the previous season by setting an NHL record for penalty minutes (472).

The highlight of the 1975-1976 seasons was the Super Series '76, played a memorable exhibition game against the Soviet Union's dominant Central Red Army team.

The Flyers' rugged and intimidating style of play led the Soviets to leave the ice midway through the first period.

They were protesting a hit on Valeri Kharlamov by Ed Van Impe. Clarke had slashed Kharlamov on the ankle and broke it in the Summit Series '72 and some said that was the reasons the Canadians were able to defeat the USSR.

The Soviets eventually returned but he Flyers went on to win the game, 4–1. They were the only NHL team to defeat the Red Army in the series.

The Flyers recorded the best record in team history with a record of 51–13–16. The line with Reggie Leach, Clarke and Bill Barber has set an NHL record for goals by a single line with 141.

The current squad has 16 Canadians and four Americans, as well as two Swedes and one Austrian.

They are not known for playing a European style of hockey.

Jeff Carter leads the Flyers, Philadelphia's first pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He is in third place in NHL scoring with 38 goals and 30 assists, and recently broke out of a scoring funk.

The Flyers, 36-20-10, with 82-points are eighth overall, fourth in their conference and second in their division.

The Rangers, 35-25-8, have 78-points, and are 11th, seventh and fourth in same areas.