What if the Calgary Flames advanced past the first round in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 2006?

[TheRealPepman]

Mods, please move this thread to "History of Hockey" if this thread shouldn't belong in the "National Hockey League Talk" section.

In my opinion, those were the years that the 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 (could have def. Los Angeles Kings, 4-3) - Edmonton Oilers
1991 (could have def. Edmonton Oilers, 4-3) - Los Angeles Kings
1993 (could have def. Los Angeles Kings, 4-3) - Vancouver Canucks
1994 (could have def. Vancouver Canucks, 4-1) - San Jose Sharks

• Second Round could have been Calgary Flames/San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs/Dallas Stars

1995 (could have def. San Jose Sharks, 4-2) - Chicago Blackhawks

• Second Round could have been Detroit Red Wings/Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames/Chicago Blackhawks

2006 (could have def. Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, 4-2) - Edmonton Oilers

• Second Round could have been Calgary Flames/Edmonton Oilers and San Jose Sharks/Colorado Avalanche

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 MNS, 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

Basically, the Flames still win no Stanley Cups after 1989, but they would have absolutely ran into better luck when playing playoff hockey instead of what really happened - FOUR SERIES WINS in almost THREE DECADES. FOUR.

What do you guys think would have happened?

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[Zegs2sendhelp]

Theyd get to the 2nd round?

 

[JPeeper]

Maybe they don't lose all the talent they had? Who knows. I know we lost a lot of players because we couldn't afford them with the horrendous Canadian dollar, but maybe they don't trade f***ing Gilmour for bullshit.

 

[Bounces R Way]

What if that puck was in? WHAT IF?!

The mid-late 90s teams were nothing special. 2006 and 2008 they could maybe of won a round. Never had the elite 1C it takes to be a good team in the playoffs.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Im too young to rememeber those 90s teams. The team in 2006 didnt deserve the 2nd round though. They were outworked at their own game by the Ducks and was the worst effort I seen at the time for a game 7 at home. The Oilers had some magic that year going on anyways so they would of lost to them anyways I think.

 

[innitfam]

They could have won a cup in the early 90s. But in 2006 they would have definitely been knocked out in round 2.

 

[rent free]

They could have won a cup in one of those years. I'd like to see how people's lives change if that scenario happened.

 

[The Panther]

There have been threads about this on the History forum fairly recently, if you search.

Here's the thing: They didn't make it past the first round in all those years. Did they have bad luck? Yes, at times. But let's not forget the 1990 Flames -- as defending Cup champions, no less -- lost to 4th-place Los Angeles 12-4 one night after a tight 2-1 overtime game. Doug Gilmour was pointless and minus 6 in that game (as was fellow Hall of Famer, Joe Mullen). That is inexcusable. What this suggests is that the 1990 Flames were more interested in late-night partying in Hollywood than in preparing to defend the Cup.

In retrospect, losing Mark Hunter (serious injury), Lanny McDonald (retirement), and Jim Peplinski (early retirement early next season) cost them their leaders and character guys. Not enough maturity in the locker-room.

 

[sr edler]

In retrospect, losing Mark Hunter (serious injury), Lanny McDonald (retirement), and Jim Peplinski (early retirement early next season) cost them their leaders and character guys. Not enough maturity in the locker-room.

Håkan Loob was also a key loss, I think, in terms of leadership and character guys. Very good all-round player, scorer and a leader figure/team player. Had been on the team for six years and were part of the core group that had also experienced the 86 finals.

Gilmour's last one and a half seasons with the Flames weren't overly impressive (both regular season and playoffs) in comparison to what he did before and after, and I guess that's also why they moved him.

 

[The Panther]

Håkan Loob was also a key loss, I think, in terms of leadership and character guys.

Yes, you are quite right. I had forgotten Loob left then, too! He was a player!

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

the early 90s flames are still probably the most perplexing team i've ever seen. mike vernon, we don't know the voting but i'm willing to bet he was top five in smythe voting three times in his career. joe nieuwendyk, overrated af but he had a great run one time to win the cs himself. al macinnis, two monster playoff runs to his name, including a cs. doug gilmour, playoff legend, multiple runs better than nieuwendyk's cs run. theo fleury, playoff legend. makarov, i mean, he's sergei makarov; his gold medal count is ridiculous. and in 1990, joe mullen, who led the playoffs in goals twice, is still there.

every contender loses veterans. makarov took loob's spot next to roberts and nieuwendyk. fleury grew into a star RW to replace hunter and lanny. ranheim and later matteau should have been enough to replace peplinski on the ice, and you'd think the battery of present and future captains -- mcrimmon, gilmour, macinnis, nieuwendyk, tim hunter -- should have stepped into his leadership role. and yet

and yet the question is better asked not as "What if the Calgary Flames advanced past the first round in 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995?" but as what if the calgary flames had lost in the first round in 1989.

because they were closer to losing in the first round eight straight years (a clutch breakaway save on stan smyl in game 7 OT was the difference) than the alternative.

 

[Big Phil]

There was just something dysfunctional about those Flames teams. Which is strange when you think of it. Lots of guys on that team you think of as "winners" such as Gilmour, Fleury, Nieuwendyk, MacInnis, Mullen, Vernon, Roberts, Suter..............

I think if they get past the Kings in 1990 they probably win the Cup. They had a 4-3-1 record against Edmonton that year for what it is worth. By this time the Flames aren't the step sibling of the Oilers anymore. However, the Oilers still have much of their dynasty there, do they get over the hump with their character? Let's not forget, the Flames all won a Cup too just the previous year so it isn't as if no one had experience.

1991 if they get past the Oilers my guess is they make the Cup final.

1993? Tough to say. Cracks were beginning to show by then but I think they beat the Leafs.

1994.........ditto, see 1993.

After that they aren't contending.

 

[The Panther]

I think if they get past the Kings in 1990 they probably win the Cup. They had a 4-3-1 record against Edmonton that year for what it is worth. By this time the Flames aren't the step sibling of the Oilers anymore. However, the Oilers still have much of their dynasty there, do they get over the hump with their character？

I am quite certain the 1990 Oilers take down Calgary in a playoff series. The '90 Oilers, after Winnipeg, were a very confident bunch, sweeping aside the Kings (who themselves beat Calgary). Oilers had the psychological edge over Calgary that year.

(1989 is a different story. No doubt Calgary wins that one.)

1991 Calgary vs. L.A. would have been awesome, and very close. I think L.A. would have taken that one in seven, however.

 

[Big Phil]

I am quite certain the 1990 Oilers take down Calgary in a playoff series. The '90 Oilers, after Winnipeg, were a very confident bunch, sweeping aside the Kings (who themselves beat Calgary). Oilers had the psychological edge over Calgary that year.

(1989 is a different story. No doubt Calgary wins that one.)

1991 Calgary vs. L.A. would have been awesome, and very close. I think L.A. would have taken that one in seven, however.

The thing about Calgary is that you can't say things with complete confidence about them, they just lost too much and in poor dramatic fashion too. The 1990 Flames had 9 players with at least 54 points. I did a study on this once, in NHL history there are two teams that have done this. The 1975 Habs and the 1971 Bruins. That's it. No joke. So the 1990 Flames were a seriously deep team. Yet our visions of the 1990 Oilers are of them lifting the Cup, so it is hard to just say the Flames win.

 

[Jets4Life]

I think if they get past the Kings in 1990 they probably win the Cup. They had a 4-3-1 record against Edmonton that year for what it is worth. By this time the Flames aren't the step sibling of the Oilers anymore. However, the Oilers still have much of their dynasty there, do they get over the hump with their character? Let's not forget, the Flames all won a Cup too just the previous year so it isn't as if no one had experience.

Flames would have lost to the Oilers in 5 or 6.

1991 if they get past the Oilers my guess is they make the Cup final.

No. They would have their hands full with LA, and what makes you think they would defeat a Minnesota team that easily disposed of the Oilers (who beat the Flames) in 5 games?

1993? Tough to say. Cracks were beginning to show by then but I think they beat the Leafs.

No. They would have been defeated by Canucks.

1994.........ditto, see 1993.

No.

Bure single handedly did Dallas and Toronto in. Calgary had no person remotely close in their arsenal. Dallas would have defeated them in 5.

 

[NYR94]

Looking back at the Flames historically it's interesting to note that the team that finished with the 6th best points percentage in their history is the 2008-09 team and Kipper only had a .903 save percentage for them that season. The only year that it was worse as a Flame was in his last year.

Very top-heavy team though, Iginla and Cammalleri broke 80 points but no one else even broke 50.

 

[streitz]

Well they would of been in the 2nd round alot of times.