The Calgary Flames 1990-96

[whcanuck]

The Calgary Flames of course won the Stanley Cup in 1989, and then entered a world of pain I never knew existed.

In the next 7 playoff seasons, the Flames made the playoffs 6 times...missing only in 1992. They failed to reach the second round each time, and were eliminated in overtime of game 7 on three occasions in 1991, 1994 and 1995. If that weren't heartbreaking enough, they lost each of those game 7's on home ice! The last series of this period, a 1996 sweep by Chicago, closed the book on an era for the Flames and they wouldn't make the playoffs again until the team's magical run to the finals in 2004.

My question is why did these teams consistently fail? They had a lot of talent with Fleury, Nieuwendyk, Roberts, MaCinnis, Gilmour etc. but couldn't even reach the second round? With that group they could have maybe won another Cup or at least gone to the Finals wouldn't you think?

Click to read more...

 

[The Panther]

I think there have been two or three threads about this quite recently.

Maybe someone less lazy than I can link them...?

 

[Normand Lacombe]

I think there have been two or three threads about this quite recently.

Maybe someone less lazy than I can link them...?

These threads?

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/thre...in-1990-1991-1993-1994-1995-and-2006.2519353/

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/thre...uarters-sharks-flames.2502205/#post-146795937

 

[streitz]

Biggest problem was their goaltending.


That's it really, Vernon decided to play bad cop for a few years then Trevor Kidd was an AHL level goalie on his best day for the san jose series in 95.

 

[The Panther]

Biggest problem was their goaltending.


That's it really, Vernon decided to play bad cop for a few years then Trevor Kidd was an AHL level goalie on his best day for the san jose series in 95.

Goaltending was an issue for sure, but if you lose a playoff game 12 - 4, as defending Cup champions, with players like Gilmour going -6 on the night, and Vernon getting pulled after only three goals on the night, is goaltending the only issue?

 

[streitz]

Goaltending was an issue for sure, but if you lose a playoff game 12 - 4, as defending Cup champions, with players like Gilmour going -6 on the night, and Vernon getting pulled after only three goals on the night, is goaltending the only issue?

They had plenty of problems but I still think goaltending was their biggest.



Frankly I never liked those flames teams of the 80's and early 90's, in alot of ways I disliked them even more then the Oilers. That being said those were very talented teams with a lot of character issues, '90 wasn't their first time choking. A perfect storm with Gretzky leaving the Oilers allowed them to get their cup in 89, if not for the Gretzky trade there's no doubt in my mind the Flames choke in 89 aswell.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

The losses of Loob, Peplinski, McDonald and Ramage hurt Calgary in 1989-90. While Loob's production was replaced by Sergei Makarov, the leadership of McDonald and Peplinski was missed. Ramage was an underrated, yet, important piece of the SC team that was never replaced.

I believe after they won the Cup, the Flames lost their drive and complacency set in.

 

[The Panther]

The losses of Loob, Peplinski, McDonald and Ramage hurt Calgary in 1989-90. While Loob's production was replaced by Sergei Makarov, the leadership of McDonald and Peplinski was missed. Ramage was an underrated, yet, important piece of the SC team that was never replaced.

I believe after they won the Cup, the Flames lost their drive and complacency set in.

I agree with you. The main problem was sudden loss of leadership after 1989. (Having a coach the whole team hated didn't help either.)

Vernon had his share of bad moments and bad goals, but at the end of the day the guy lead teams to the Finals 4 times, won 2 Stanley Cups, won the Conn Smythe. How bad could he be?

 

[streitz]

Vernon wasn't bad, he was inconsistent.

 

[double5son10]

The losses of Loob, Peplinski, McDonald and Ramage hurt Calgary in 1989-90. While Loob's production was replaced by Sergei Makarov, the leadership of McDonald and Peplinski was missed. Ramage was an underrated, yet, important piece of the SC team that was never replaced.

I believe after they won the Cup, the Flames lost their drive and complacency set in.

And it got worse. After 89-90 debacle they lost leadership in captain Brad McCrimmon, Joe Mullen and Colin Patterson, all traded for futures that resulted in zero. And then came the Gilmour trade. Ouch.

 

[streitz]

And it got worse. After 89-90 debacle they lost leadership in captain Brad McCrimmon, Joe Mullen and Colin Patterson, all traded for futures that resulted in zero. And then came the Gilmour trade. Ouch.

Gilmour was also a locker room cancer pretty much everywhere he went. They should of gotten much more for him though, not to mention they send Macoun(spelling?) with him who was their 3rd or 4th best defenceman during their cup run. Probably higher after they got rid of McCrimmon and Ramage.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i always will marvel at their organizational depth at RW before the trade deadline in 1988–

joe mullen
hakan loob
lanny mcdonald
brett hull
tim hunter
shane churla

sergei makarov (drafted, in the USSR)
theo fleury (drafted, in moose jaw)

perhaps bested only by

maurice richard
boom boom geoffrion
claude provost
ken mosdell
floyd curry

bobby rousseau (habs property, in hull)
murray balfour (habs property, in hull)

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Gilmour was also a locker room cancer pretty much everywhere he went.

Really? This kinda blows me away a little! Was it known in "close quarters" he was like this? In St. Louis and Toronto too??!!