If I were a coach and I could have one goalie in NHL history to try to win the Stanley Cup championship with, I would have to strongly consider Bernie Parent of the mid 1970s. Anyone who saw him play in two consecutive Stanley Cup finals knows few goalies have ever played at a higher level than Bernie Parent.
Much like Dominik Hasek 20 years later with Buffalo, Parent was simply incredible. He was "the second coming of Jacques Plante" and the Flyers "undisputed MVP." Neither of the Flyers beloved back to back Stanley Cup championships would have been possible without Parent.
In 1973-74 he established himself as the best goalie in hockey. He played more minutes (4314), had more wins (47 - still a NHL record), had more shutouts (12) and had a better GAA (1.89) than any other goalie, earning the Vezina trophy. In the playoffs he would impossibly take his game to a higher level, upsetting the heavily favored Boston Bruins, sporting Bobby Orr andPhil Esposito, for the Stanley Cup. Parent was the obvious choice as playoff MVP and earned the Conn Smythe trophy.
The following season Parent proved his success was no fluke. He notched another 44 wins, another 12 shutouts, another Vezina Trophy in the regular season, and another Smythe trophy en route to another Stanley Cup in the playoffs.
Full Bernie Parent Biography
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