The Individual 1975-76 O-Pee-Chee / Topps hockey cards of Bobby Clarke of the Philadelphia Flyers and Glenn Resch of the New York Islanders combine for a total value of around $20. The number 2 card from the series featuring both Clarke and Resch in 1974-75 Stanley Cup Semi-Final action is nothing more than a common card worth a buck.
I believe this card is an underachiever. You have the upstart New York Islanders in just their third season in the NHL, taking the defending Stanley Cup champions to the seven game limit. You have the Hockey Hall of Fame captain of the Flyers, Bobby Clarke, trying to score on the rookie standout, Glenn Resch. You have one of the best examples of an air-brushed action card in production!
The Islanders lost 60 of 78 games in 1972-73. In their second season, they reduced that number to 41 losses. In 1974-75, the Islanders turned things around with a 33-25-22 record during the regular season. In the preliminary round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Islanders took out their cross town big brothers, the New York Rangers, two games to one.
In the quarter-finals, the Islanders were down 3 games to 0 when they roared back to win in seven games. New York was only the second team to come back and win from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff round and only the third team all-time in the National Hockey League. They met the Flyers in the semi-finals and once again stretched the series to seven games with the Flyers ultimately winning.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the playoff bracket, the Buffalo Sabres breezed past the Chicago Black Hawks in five games in the quarter-finals. The Sabres took out the Montreal Canadiens in six in the semi-finals. The Broad Street Bullies proved to powerful in the finals and dispatched Buffalo in six games.
Glenn Resch played 25 games in 1974-75, his first full season in the NHL. Resch made his NHL debut in 1973-74, playing two games with the Islanders. His 2.47 goals against average in 1974-75 placed him fourth in the league. Goaltending partner, Billy Smith, played 58 regular season games, recording a 2.78 GAA which placed him eighth in the league.
Resch went on to play in the National Hockey League until the end of the 1986-87 season. Ironically, Glenn finished his career with two seasons
as backup with the Philadelphia Flyers. In between New York and Philly, Resch also played with the Colorado Rockies and followed the team to New Jersey when they became the Devils.
For Bobby Clarke, 1974-75 was his sixth season in the NHL. Along with winning his second Stanley Cup in as many years, Clarke won the second of three Hart Memorial Trophies as the league’s MVP. Clarke’s 89 assists tied him for first in the NHL with Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins. His 116 points placed him sixth in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. Clarke was the NHL’s first team all-star centre.
Clarke played fifteen years in the NHL, all with the Flyers, retiring after the 1983-84 season. Clarke finished his career with 1210 points over 1144 regular season games. He added another 119 points in 136 playoff games. Bobby was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.