Pulse: Pursuits: 60-Second Critic: Broad Street Bullies


HBO’s new documentary about the Philadelphia Flyers of the ’70s plays as a love story — a toothless, bloody love story, between a gang of blue-collar Canadians and a city of losers. But it’s also a reminder why Ed Snider’s team was so loathed, and how it changed the NHL with its fists-first style. Much here is already gospel to Flyers faithful; the film could use a few more surprises, like when the team wore black armbands during the ’75 playoffs to honor a fallen friend — Rexy’s, a favorite bar that had gone up in flames. Regardless, this is a glorious 60-minute nostalgia trip of archival game footage, personal photos, and interviews with the Bullies themselves, who, like Flyers fans, are still unapologetic for their haymaker brand of hockey.

Grade: A-