Kate Smith singing “God Bless America," which had become a Flyers talisman, in 1975. The Flyers won the Cup that year.
If it happens on ice and it involves hitting and scoring, The Times's Slap Shot blog is on it. Go to the Slap Shot Blog Here at the Wachovia Center, “God Bless America" is performed live by Lauren Hart or with her accompanying a videotape by Kate Smith, who died in 1986.
“It's just so much fun for me," Hart, wearing her lucky outfit -- a black leather jacket, a Flyers T-shirt from 1974, their first Stanley Cup year, and other items -- said before Game 6 on Wednesday. “Although when we were in Chicago the other day, someone said, 'You should go down to the ice and elbow the guy.' “
“The guy" is Jim Cornelison, who sings “The Star-Spangled Banner" before Blackhawks games at the United Center. Blackhawks fans are known for their nonstop cheering during the anthem -- not that anyone can hear it. Readings on a monitor placed in a penalty box by the N.H.L. during the Cup finals measured 122 decibels -- a level that can cause damage to hearing at three to four minutes of sustained exposure.
The sound levels for “God Bless America" at the Wachovia Center do not quite reach that plateau -- 114 decibels was the N.H.L.'s highest measurement for Games 3 and 4 -- but the performance has been inspiring for the Flyers.
The Flyers went into Game 6 with a record of 88-22-4 in games at which Smith sang, either live or on a recording, including 9-1 this postseason.
Smith's performance of the 1918 Irving Berlin song has been a Flyers talisman since the team played it for the first time in December 1969, the second season of its existence. Smith herself showed up to sing it live at the Flyers' 1973 home opener.
She also sang it live before the 1974 game against the Boston Bruins in which the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup, and again before Game 7 of the 1975 semifinals, after the Islanders had rallied from a three-games-to-none deficit. The Islanders' captain, Eddie Westfall, tried to trump Smith's mojo by presenting her with a bouquet, but it didn't work.
