<p>The Calgary Flames are in a tough spot, friends. They head into Thursday night&#8217;s Game 5 with the Edmonton Oilers trailing 3-1 in their best-of-seven series. The Flames have been in this situation nine times previously.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s how those nine series unfolded.</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>1981 Stanley Cup semi-final</strong></h2>
<p>After beating Chicago and Philadelphia in their first post-season in Calgary, the Flames hit a roadblock in the form of the Minnesota North Stars. They split a pair of games at the Corral before heading back to the Twin Cities, where the Flames lost both games (6-4 and 7-4) to go down 3-1 in the series.</p>
<p>The Flames won Game 5 by a 3-1 score at the Corral to force Game 6, but they lost Game 6 by a 5-3 score to be eliminated from the playoffs.</p>
<h2><strong>1983 Smythe Division final</strong></h2>
<p>The first-ever playoff Battle of Alberta went poorly for Calgary. They lost the first three games (6-3, 5-1 and 10-2) before avoiding the sweep with a 6-5 win at the Corral. However, the Flames lost Game 5 by a 9-1 score.</p>
<h2><strong>1984 Smythe Division final</strong></h2>
<p>The following year, we had a Battle of Alberta rematch in the second round. The Flames went down 3-1: they split two games in Edmonton, then the Oilers won both games at the Saddledome. The Flames won Games 5 and 6 by identical 5-4 scores, winning in overtime in Game 6. But that&#8217;s as far as the Flames got, as the Oilers closed out the series in Game 7 by a 7-4 score.</p>
<h2><strong>1986 Stanley Cup final</strong></h2>
<p>The Flames ran out of steam by the time they reached their first Stanley Cup Final. They won Game 1, then lost the next three games to go down 3-1, then lost Game 5 as Montreal completed the Gentleman&#8217;s Sweep and eliminated them in five games.</p>
<h2><strong>1987 Smythe Division semi-final</strong></h2>
<p>The Jets won Games 1, 2 and 4 against the Flames, while Calgary managed a Game 3 win. Facing a 3-1 deficit, the Flames won Game 5 to extend the series, but then the Jets won 6-1 to close out the series in six games. (Weirdly enough, the first five games were all decided by one or two goals.)</p>
<h2><strong>1990 Smythe Division semi-final</strong></h2>
<p>The Kings and Flames changed wins in the first two games, then Los Angeles won a close game (2-1 in overtime) and a blowout (12-4) to take a 3-1 series lead. The Flames won Game 5 by a 6-1 score, but Los Angeles slammed the door shut with a 4-3 double overtime victory to end the series in six games.</p>
<h2><strong>1991 Smythe Division semi-final</strong></h2>
<p>After splitting the first two games, Edmonton won Games 3 and 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. But the Flames battled to win each of the next two games – including Theo Fleury&#8217;s dramatic Game 6 overtime winner – to force Game 7. Unfortunately, that&#8217;s where the magic ended, and the Oilers won 5-4 in overtime to advance.</p>
<h2><strong>2015 Western Conference semi-final</strong></h2>
<p>After beating Vancouver to advance past the first round, the Flames hit a wall in the form of the Ducks. The Ducks won both games in Anaheim to go up 2-0 before the Flames won Game 3 in overtime to cut their series lead to 2-1. But the Ducks won Game 4 to go up 3-1, then closed out the series in five games with an overtime victory.</p>
<h2><strong>2019 Western Conference quarterfinal</strong></h2>
<p>The most recent series where the Flames went down 3-1 was in 2019, where the Flames won Game 1 against Colorado, then lost three in a row to go down 3-1&#8230; and then lost Game 5, as the Avalanche completed the Gentleman&#8217;s Sweep.</p>
<p>In series where the Flames are down 3-1, the Flames are 5-4 in Game 5. In series where the Flames are down 3-1, the Flames are 0-9 in the series themselves, though they&#8217;ve managed to battle to force a seventh game a couple of times.</p>
<p>The Oilers have lost a series they led 3-1, though. They led the Kings 3-1 in the first round in 1989, then lost three straight to lose that series in seven games.</p>
<p>All-time, teams that are down 3-1 win just 9.5% of their series, but that percentage jumps up to 12.5% when (like the Flames do) that team has home ice.</p>
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The Calgary Flames are in a tough spot, friends. They head into Thursday night's Game 5 with the Edmonton Oilers trailing 3-1 in their best-of-seven series. The Flames have been in this situation nine times previously.

Here's how those nine series unfolded.


<h2><strong>1981 Stanley Cup semi-final</strong></h2>
After beating Chicago and Philadelphia in their first post-season in Calgary, the Flames hit a roadblock in the form of the Minnesota North Stars. They split a pair of games at the Corral before heading back to the Twin Cities, where the Flames lost both games (6-4 and 7-4) to go down 3-1 in the series.

The Flames won Game 5 by a 3-1 score at the Corral to force Game 6, but they lost Game 6 by a 5-3 score to be eliminated from the playoffs.
<h2><strong>1983 Smythe Division final</strong></h2>
The first-ever playoff Battle of Alberta went poorly for Calgary. They lost the first three games (6-3, 5-1 and 10-2) before avoiding the sweep with a 6-5 win at the Corral. However, the Flames lost Game 5 by a 9-1 score.
<h2><strong>1984 Smythe Division final</strong></h2>
The following year, we had a Battle of Alberta rematch in the second round. The Flames went down 3-1: they split two games in Edmonton, then the Oilers won both games at the Saddledome. The Flames won Games 5 and 6 by identical 5-4 scores, winning in overtime in Game 6. But that's as far as the Flames got, as the Oilers closed out the series in Game 7 by a 7-4 score.
<h2><strong>1986 Stanley Cup final</strong></h2>
The Flames ran out of steam by the time they reached their first Stanley Cup Final. They won Game 1, then lost the next three games to go down 3-1, then lost Game 5 as Montreal completed the Gentleman's Sweep and eliminated them in five games.
<h2><strong>1987 Smythe Division semi-final</strong></h2>
The Jets won Games 1, 2 and 4 against the Flames, while Calgary managed a Game 3 win. Facing a 3-1 deficit, the Flames won Game 5 to extend the series, but then the Jets won 6-1 to close out the series in six games. (Weirdly enough, the first five games were all decided by one or two goals.)
<h2><strong>1990 Smythe Division semi-final</strong></h2>
The Kings and Flames changed wins in the first two games, then Los Angeles won a close game (2-1 in overtime) and a blowout (12-4) to take a 3-1 series lead. The Flames won Game 5 by a 6-1 score, but Los Angeles slammed the door shut with a 4-3 double overtime victory to end the series in six games.
<h2><strong>1991 Smythe Division semi-final</strong></h2>
After splitting the first two games, Edmonton won Games 3 and 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. But the Flames battled to win each of the next two games – including Theo Fleury's dramatic Game 6 overtime winner – to force Game 7. Unfortunately, that's where the magic ended, and the Oilers won 5-4 in overtime to advance.
<h2><strong>2015 Western Conference semi-final</strong></h2>
After beating Vancouver to advance past the first round, the Flames hit a wall in the form of the Ducks. The Ducks won both games in Anaheim to go up 2-0 before the Flames won Game 3 in overtime to cut their series lead to 2-1. But the Ducks won Game 4 to go up 3-1, then closed out the series in five games with an overtime victory.
<h2><strong>2019 Western Conference quarterfinal</strong></h2>
The most recent series where the Flames went down 3-1 was in 2019, where the Flames won Game 1 against Colorado, then lost three in a row to go down 3-1... and then lost Game 5, as the Avalanche completed the Gentleman's Sweep.

In series where the Flames are down 3-1, the Flames are 5-4 in Game 5. In series where the Flames are down 3-1, the Flames are 0-9 in the series themselves, though they've managed to battle to force a seventh game a couple of times.

The Oilers have lost a series they led 3-1, though. They led the Kings 3-1 in the first round in 1989, then lost three straight to lose that series in seven games.

All-time, teams that are down 3-1 win just 9.5% of their series, but that percentage jumps up to 12.5% when (like the Flames do) that team has home ice.
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