Tookey scores as Caps down Flyers for the first time, December 21, 1980
Posted on June 28, 2012
Our trip back in time with Ron Weber takes us back today to December 21, 1980. As noted in this space earlier this week, Washington struggled mightily to find that elusive first victory against Montreal, finally winning after 34 previous attempts. While the struggle to beat Philadelphia in terms of number of games wasn’t as great, it was still very significant. For fans of the Capitals, it was likely just as sweet.
The Flyers may not have been the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970’s, but the Broad Street Bullies were a reasonable facsimile. Stanley Cup winners in 1974 and 1975, Philadelphia was a rather intimidating bunch to face back then. The time period, of course, coincided with the birth of the Washington franchise, as the Caps were just coming to life in Landover. Whether the game was played at Capital Centre, or at the Spectrum, the venue did not impact the outcome. The Flyers rolled to 25 straight wins over Washington, in a streak that began on November 9, 1974. Throughout the rest of the 1970's, the Capitals could not find a way to break through. But as the 1980's began, Washington finally found a way.
On December 21, 1980, in a game played at the Spectrum, the Capitals and Flyers played the second of a home-and-home set. The Flyers had posted a 5-2 win the night before at the Cap Centre, a place they had never lost. Little did fans of the Caps realize heading into the back half of the set that Christmas was about to come early.
From beginning to end, it was Washington's night. Dennis Maruk opened the scoring at 14:35 of the first period on a five-on-three power play to give the Caps a 1-0 lead. It would prove to be the game-winning goal that night, but after all the struggles for six plus seasons, it was just the beginning of a big night on Broad Street. Washington picked up two more goals in the second period from Yvon Labre and Jean Pronovost to bolt out to a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes. In the third, Pronovost picked up his second goal of the night, and notched it short-handed. It would prove to be the only shorty that Pronovost scored all season. Ryan Walter, not to be denied a chance at a piece of the action, scored as well in the third to make the score 5-0.
Rookie Tim Tookey, a recent callup from AHL Hershey, had scored his first NHL goal the night before against the Flyers in Landover. On this night, he scored against Philadelphia goaltender Phil Myre in the third to round out a 6-0 win over the Flyers. Tookey, who would play in 29 games for the Capitals that season, had scored two goals in as many nights, and would go on to score eight more that season. Mike Palmateer earned his 16th career NHL shutout in the game, and his first in a Washington sweater.
Funny enough, the home team lost every game in 1980-81 in the four-game season series between the two teams. The Capitals were 2-0 in Philadelphia during the 1980-81 season, winning again along Broad Street and Pattison Avenue on March 24. But Washington did not find that elusive first home win against the Flyers until the following season on November 21, 1981. But winning against one of the NHL's elite teams was an important building block in the history of the franchise. As with all of the important early days of the franchise, Ron Weber brought it to you. Long time fans of Ron will recognize his “Miss Twiddle” reference in this clip. It wasn’t something Ron said all the time, but on this night, it signified a big Washington win. When I went to visit Ron at his home here this week, he told me he had no idea where it came from. “It just came out one night,” Weber said. Four days before Christmas, this particular “Miss Twiddle” reference had a little extra holiday cheer.
Click the link below, for Tookey’s goal to make the score 6-0, and the final moments from the Spectrum, December 21, 1980. An important moment in the early days of the Washington Capitals.
Washington beats Philadelphia 6-0, Tim Tookey scores, Palmateer with the shutout, Ron Weber on the call
