What if the Flames went to the Second Round in 90, 91, 93, 94, 95, 06, and 17?

[TheRealPepman]

Good day everyone! I’m new here but I’ve been reading CalgaryPuck threads since early 2017, at the height of the historic ten-game winning streak. I’ve been thinking about registering here for about a year now, and I only decided to go on with it a few weeks ago. And I finally decided to register because something about the Flames have bothered me – their lack of playoff success. This may not be an issue to some, but to me, it does. I didn’t personally experience that as I only started becoming a Flames fan in the Spring of 2015, when I bandwagoned them #NEVERQUIT boys. That bandwagoning blossomed into a full-time devotion and support to the team. As I read and analyze through this team’s history, I realized that winning FOUR PLAYOFF series in 29 YEARS isn’t something worth remembering.

Which leads me to this topic. Some may not be into “what-ifs”, but I just happen to be amazed by the alternate scenarios. It’s just my personality. Anyway, the years on the title above were the times, in my opinion, these Calgary Flames looked legit enough to go on a deep playoff run. Too bad they always ran into bad luck in the opening round, only advancing TWICE in 2004 and 2015. These are the following teams the Flames would have faced if they were able to exorcise their first round demons:
1990 - Edmonton Oilers
1991 - Los Angeles Kings
1993 - Vancouver Canucks
1994 (Oh so close! Three straight OT losses man SMH...) - San Jose Sharks (R2 could have been Calgary/San Jose and Toronto/Dallas)
1995 - Chicago Blackhawks (R2 could have been Detriot/Vancouver and Calgary/Chicago)
2006 - Edmonton Oilers (R2 could have been Calgary/Edmonton and San Jose/Colorado)

If you were to ask me, the following would happen below:
1990 - Smythe Final L to EDM, 2-4
1991 - Smythe Final W over LAK, 4-1; Campbell Final W over MIN, 4-2; Stanley Cup Final L to PIT, 4-2
1993 - Smythe Final W over VAN, 4-2; Campbell Final L to TOR, 4-3
1994 - Second Round W over SJS, 4-0; Western Final W over TOR, 4-2; Stanley Cup Final L to NYR, 4-3
1995 - Second Round L to CHI, 4-3
2006- Second Round W over EDM, 4-3; Western Final L to SJS, 4-2
What do you guys think would have happened?


By the way, I made this same thread on HFBoards a few weeks ago and I got some interesting responses. Would love to know your perspectives this time. I didn't add 2017 at the time I posted the HFBoards thread and the final sentences below will tell you why.

Final thoughts: Looking back, I thought we would have won a playoff series in 2017, if not for Brian Elliott. We would beaten Anaheim in 6 and faced Edmonton in the second round, only to lose to them in 6 games. I just realized it a few days ago.

[Geeoff]

Uhh the Flames suck against Anaheim. We got swept in 2017. Maybe if Elliott played well, it gets to game 6.

[Bingo]

The seven games losses to both Vancouver and San Jose really stand out to me as lady luck paying them back for the Otto skate in '89 and the Smith own goal for '86

The '04 run certainly had some bounces to realign things though.

The face plant against the Ducks in '06 was inexcusable .. how do you come out that nervous?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

Uhh the Flames suck against Anaheim. We got swept in 2017. Maybe if Elliott played well, it gets to game 6.

They lost 4 one goal games with .800 goal tending...they certainly would have had a chance with average goal tending.

Should have won round one 94 and 95, and could have gone all the way. Those ones sting.

[direwolf]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The face plant against the Ducks in '06 was inexcusable .. how do you come out that nervous?

Ugh. I was at that game, and it still makes me angry all these years later. Game 7 at home, and they come out like it's a freakin' preseason game. Easily the most pathetic playoff effort by a Flames team I've ever seen.

I think they likely would have repeated as Cup champs in 1990 had they advanced past the 1st round. They still had essentially the same roster as '89, minus Lanny. Man, that team was stacked.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The face plant against the Ducks in '06 was inexcusable .. how do you come out that nervous?

I actually would have figured them for underdogs in that series. The Ducks were 26-12-6 since the new year and had a team led by two future hall of famers, a conn smythe winning goalie and a backup who was a .920 starting goalie the following year, and a young Getzlaf and Perry. There's a reason they won the cup the following year, and it wasn't just the addition of Chris Pronger. Game 7, well, it wasn't a blowout at least...

[Finger Cookin]

People would still complain about the Flames playoffs record.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

People would still complain about the Flames playoffs record.

They rightfully do now. The last three players to score series-winning goals for the Flames are Matt Stajan, Martin Gelinas, and Doug Gilmour.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by direwolf

Ugh. I was at that game, and it still makes me angry all these years later. Game 7 at home, and they come out like it's a freakin' preseason game. Easily the most pathetic playoff effort by a Flames team I've ever seen.

I think they likely would have repeated as Cup champs in 1990 had they advanced past the 1st round. They still had essentially the same roster as '89, minus Lanny. Man, that team was stacked.

The '90 playoff series loss to the Kings is mentioned in the Johnson book "100 Things a Flames Fan should know before they die" (I think that's the title). Fleury et al go on about how they were screwed by Denis Morel in the game 6 loss.

Called a Flames goal off that was in.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Bingo

The seven games losses to both Vancouver and San Jose really stand out to me as lady luck paying them back for the Otto skate in '89 and the Smith own goal for '86

The '04 run certainly had some bounces to realign things though.

The face plant against the Ducks in '06 was inexcusable .. how do you come out that nervous?

The 2006 game 7 was just shocking. They had played rather well in game 6 IIRC. They had the lead for a lot of the game and then Huselius had a late crossbar that would have tied it I believe.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by thescorpion

they rightfully do now. The last three players to score series-winning goals for the flames are matt stajan, martin gelinas, martin gelinas, martin gelinas, martin gelinas , and doug gilmour.

fyp

[rhino]

My good lord"........ who cares!

[djsFlames]

Past is past. Let's get it done in the next two seasons.

[EastCoastFlamesFan]

Anyone have any memories from '91 around Gilmour? He had only 2 points in the entire series. Bad luck? Was he hurt? Dogging it?

[Tron_fdc]

The biggest memory for me in 06 was knowing that had the Flames won vs Anaheim we would have played Edm in round 2, setting up their ultimate defeat and ruining their "magical" cup run that year.

ENG

[Owen15]

I've been at a few stinging playoff defeats.

Game 2 in 1988... Gretzky shorthanded in OT. eff me
Game 7 in 2006... the flattest playoff game I've ever seen the Flames play.
Game 3 in 2017... Lead blown, Elliott sucking, Hamilton penalty, Perry's goal off three of our guys. eff me

I think I'll spend the rest of the afternoon drinking.

[TheScorpion]

I too was at Game 3 in 2017. Never been happier than when Versteeg scored. How quickly it all fell apart. Thanks, Elliott.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The 2006 game 7 was just shocking. They had played rather well in game 6 IIRC. They had the lead for a lot of the game and then Huselius had a late crossbar that would have tied it I believe.

Did he hit the crossbar before or after Niedermayer scored the game winner with 5 mins left in the third? I could have sworn Huselius's breakaway near-goal occurred while the teams were still tied.

[Owen15]

On a brighter note I was at game 3 in 1986 which was pretty incredible.

Not enough to stop me from drinking though.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I too was at Game 3 in 2017. Never been happier than when Versteeg scored. How quickly it all fell apart. Thanks, Elliott.

The Shea Theodore goal he allowed from a bad angle above the circle was irredeemably awful. What a terrible game.