1989 Game 6 in Montreal on right now NHL Network

[bc-chris]

the game was on again yesterday so my 4 year old and i watched it.

at the end of the game, matthew throws up his hands and exclaims with jubilation, "FLAMES WIN DADDY! FLAMES WIN!!!!"

i know buddy... i know!

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

So many great choices.
What a team.
The other factor with Chopper is he clearly got in Roy's head. In some ways, that defined the series.
But Gilmour's two way play was just outstanding.
Either are certainly valid choices.

My view of the season at the time, admittedly as a teen without the advantage of modern day 'fancy stats' but I feel like it still holds up is that


Joe Mullen was the teams regular season MVP
Al MacInnis was the playoff MVP


but Gilmour was the MVP for the entire body of work that year


the much maligned earlier trade (Hull for Ramage, Wamsley) followed by the trade that brought in Gilmour (and Hunter) both with St. Louis were really fundamental to a major change on the Flames (and I think mostly that's Gilmour but all 4 players)


2 high scoring players were moved out but the overall play esp on defence improved more


the Flames in 87-88 scored 397 goals (the most ever by a team that didn't have Orr or Gretzky on it) yet allowed 305 (+92)


in 88-89 offence drops to 354 but GAA to 226 (!) (+128)

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

What hurts me is how much of that team we gave away for peanuts. I was young at the time and never understood the business (still don't, really), but it just seemed like we lost amazing players at a continuous rate and got nothing in return.

[Rejean31]

Originally Posted by transplant99

He was great no doubt, but chopper was the guy IMO...IIRC he led the entire squad in scoring while playing huge minutes against every teams top lines.

Mullen was fantastic that year as well.

As was Vernon, without a couple of key saves in OT in Game 7 against the Canucks, we aren't even talking about a Stanley Cup.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

As was Vernon, without a couple of key saves in OT in Game 7 against the Canucks, we aren't even talking about a Stanley Cup.

Yeah, I think about that whenever I see his glove save off a breakaway in game 7 OT where his whole body except for his glove slid back into the net. That goes in, and 89 is yet another year to throw a first round choke onto the pile. Crazy to think how close that championship season came to early heartbreak. Vernon was huge those playoffs.

And RE: Gilmour talk, it's telling how good he was when we actually drafted a Hall of Famer who scored 87 goals in a season once in Brett Hull and traded him away before he broke out, and even in hindsight no-one cares because it helped us land Doug Gilmour (I know it was a different trade), and a Cup.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by Rejean31

As was Vernon, without a couple of key saves in OT in Game 7 against the Canucks, we aren't even talking about a Stanley Cup.

Vernon also held it together in 1986 over those Oilers in that grueling 7 game series.

[Tsawwassen]

Originally Posted by JBR

After play continued, Lemieux tried the same move a few minutes later. Watch for it. Vernon was spilled again.

I've hated Claude Lemieux for this very reason ever since.

Lemieux was a rookie in the 86 final and from what I've been told, he was showing those stupid moves already.