Reading all the stories here.... this is why the Flames could make the SCF tomorrow and it would never be the same again.
Back in 03-04 it sounds like a lot of us:
- were 20ish
- had no kids, possibly no spouse / SO
- jobs with fewer expectations
- had an abundance of time so that spending 4+ hrs in a bar / at the Dome every other day for 2 months was possible.
- had few financial commitments
I have none of those things now.
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Seeing them beat Detroit in that incredible 1-0 goaltending duel is one of my favourite memories. I was 14 at the time, me and my brother dressed in full old school hockey gear cheering them on.
When that goal went in, I've never been a part of something so loud.
I know today is all about scoring, but there's something special about a hard-fought 1-0 marathon in OT.
Reading all the stories here.... this is why the Flames could make the SCF tomorrow and it would never be the same again.
Back in 03-04 it sounds like a lot of us:
- were 20ish
- had no kids, possibly no spouse / SO
- jobs with fewer expectations
- had an abundance of time so that spending 4+ hrs in a bar / at the Dome every other day for 2 months was possible.
- had few financial commitments
I have none of those things now.
This x 1000% haha.
Was ~20... now ~40.
Barely had a job, single, no kids.... now a full career, married, 2 kids. Barely have time to watch games on TV.
Bump on this for fun. May 17 2004, Flames win 3-0 in Game 5 vs SJ in the WCF.
After taking the first two games pretty handily in SJ, they came back to the Dome and got beaten up by SJ, especially game 4, chasing Kiprusoff.
However, turning point of the series could've well been the schedule...that due to a scheduling issue, Game 5 was in SJ the next night after Game 4 was in Calgary.
This allows the Flames to instantly avenge a poor home showing less then 24h later and SJ, riding high with emotion from battling back to tie the series, had to get ramped for a game again the next day.
Sharks looked flat, Flames got two first period goals, Iginla shorthanded, and Marcus Nilson, and then a dagger by Conroy in the 3rd, and cruised to a shutout win and 3-2 series lead.
Every series that year it was 2-2 going into Game 5's and the Flames win every Game 5. Remarkable.
Last edited by browna; 05-18-2024 at 12:36 AM.
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Reading all the stories here.... this is why the Flames could make the SCF tomorrow and it would never be the same again.
Back in 03-04 it sounds like a lot of us:
- were 20ish
- had no kids, possibly no spouse / SO
- jobs with fewer expectations
- had an abundance of time so that spending 4+ hrs in a bar / at the Dome every other day for 2 months was possible.
- had few financial commitments
I have none of those things now.
I had a little kid and a baby, a terrible job that paid #### all, and debts coming out my ears. I still found time to savour every second of that run.
#priorities
Being older meant that I knew just how rare Cup runs were, even back when the Flames were historically talent-stacked during the 1980s.
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Oh, and one more thing: I have always said that I think the Dome crowd sounds a lot quieter on TV than it is - I have always felt they must have the mikes turned down lower than in other buildings. Watching that, I can tell you that it was so loud in the building that you could not think and could not talk to the person beside you, during the pre-game. It looks loud on the video, but it was actually 10X louder than that.
Back then, I knew the sound guy that worked at the Saddledome. And indeed he mixed the crowd noise down. Because, in his words: "people like to hear the skaters on the ice".
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Back then, I knew the sound guy that worked at the Saddledome. And indeed he mixed the crowd noise down. Because, in his words: "people like to hear the skaters on the ice".
Always hated that. If it’s loud that should come across the broadcast, even if it’s harder to hear the play by play.
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I was living in LA at the time, hence the handle - LA Flames Fan (I'm not French) working as an actor. Leading up to the playoffs there was no chance to watch the games, but I'd read USA Today sitting at the Starbucks next to Bob's Big Boy in Burbank/Toluca Lake to check the scores or plug in the old DSL modem at home to see if I could hear Peter Maher's sweet voice call the game. When they booked their ticket to the playoffs it seemed like I was the only person who cared about it, but I wore my jersey everywhere and couldn't stop talking about it.
I found Calgarypuck shortly before those playoffs and I was hooked. In the first round against the Canucks I watched the games at home on ESPN, to the dismay of my girlfriend, who wasn't a hockey person at all and couldn't understand why I'd spend hours on Calgarypuck (sometimes spending hours making avatars) before, during, and after the games.
It was during round two against Detroit that I found a bar in Burbank called "Champs" which according to my Google search is still there and still open! They had satellite TV and would show the CBC feed of the Flames games which for some reason filled me with that feeling of warmth and got me a little closer to home. It also meant beer. Lots of beer. Too much beer. But it didn't matter.
During round two I met two guys from Montreal at Champs, Michel and another guy whose name I can't remember. They would get there before me to watch Montreal, but they'd stay after and watch the Flames. We became great friends, seeing each other every couple days over beers and hockey.
The worst part of being in LA was the FOMO. After every game when the Red Mile was in full swing, I'd call my buddy Diego and he'd be down on 17th right in the middle of the action. I could hear the cheers, the screams, the tarps coming up...the buzz of it all. It made me miss home so much. Sometimes he'd just keep his phone on and I'd just listen...not even talking to him. It felt like I was there.
My Mom sent me a car flag and I proudly put it on my car. That's when all the Flames fans came out of the Holly-woodwork. Stuck in traffic on the 405 I'd get people rolling their windows down and yelling "I'm from Calgary! Go Flames!" You could feel the electricity starting to rise there.
They knew my by name at Champs now...and I secretly started smoking again but only at Champs. I don't know if my girlfriend ever found out, but the relationship was sinking as the Flames kept winning. Flames first...sorry girl.
Then, game 7 against TB. I watched that one at home for some reason, maybe that's why they lost...I messed up my superstition. I'll never forget that feeling and I definitely cried and spent the next who-knows-how-many hours on Calgarypuck consoling each other, remembering the amazing run, all the things. I can't imagine what that playoff run would have been like without Calgarypuck.
I come to Calgarypuck everyday 20 years later...and look forward to the next run where maybe I'll be here this time to celebrate with you all. In person.
Anyone remember Bill Goldberg in attendance for Game 6 against TB? Random but true!
3:15 mark though it was for game 3 or 4 I think, interviewed by a young Ryan Leslie who was doing the Flames in game stuff then.
It was direct reaction to Brooke Hogan doing the anthems for Tampa, and Hulk showing up for the first two games in Tampa.
Last edited by browna; 05-18-2024 at 11:41 AM.
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Flames goal scored by number 12 Jarrrrrrrome Iginla!! Assisted by number 28 Robbbbbyn Regehr. A power play goal. Iginla, his “12th” of the playoffs. From Regehr.
Chills man. Chills.
Last edited by Manhattanboy; 05-18-2024 at 02:30 PM.
20 years since the '04 run
