Precisely one-third of the first 48 Conn Smythe Trophies have gone to a goaltender. The first, and still only, one of those netminders to win it in consecutive years was Philadelphia’s Bernie Parent.
Returning to the Flyers after a one-year stint with the WHA’s Philadelphia Blazers in 1973, Parent led the NHL in regular-season games, minutes, wins, shutouts and goals-against averages.
He followed up in the playoffs by authorizing only 35 goals in 17 games to help Philadelphia to its first Cup. Highlights of that run included an overtime clincher to sweep the Atlanta Flames, another OT victory to tie the Stanley Cup Final at a game apiece and a 1-0 Game 6 Cup-clincher over Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr and the Bruins.
Parent practically duplicated everything in 1974-75, once again leading all netminders in wins, GAA and shutouts. In the playoffs, he went 10-5 with four shutouts and a 1.89 GAA.
Once again, he sealed the deal with a Game 6 goose egg, blanking Buffalo, 2-0, before clutching the Conn Smythe and the Cup yet again.
The Flyers’ bid for a three-peat collapsed at the hands of the Canadiens, who swept them in the 1976 championship round. Due to injury, Parent only mustered 11 regular-season and eight playoff appearances that year.
Still, Parent later led the league in shutouts once more in 1977-78 and finished among the top three in GAA in each of his final two seasons. Before that, he appeared in his fifth and final All-Star Game in 1977.
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