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Greatest Saddledome Games: Taming the Sharks to return to the Stanley Cup Final (May 19, 2004)

Photo credit: Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports

By Ryan Pike

Aug 16, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 11, 2026, 18:51 EDT

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As we enter the final season of hockey at the historic Saddledome, we thought we would spend some time celebrating the history of the iconic building. So, throughout August, we’re taking a look back at key games and key moments in Saddledome history. Next up: the Flames cap off a breakthrough playoff year by punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final via a pretty definitive home victory.

So, uh, the Calgary Flames had some tough times during the 1990s and the 2000s. If you’re reading this series and asking yourself “Hey, they don’t seem to have a ton of greatest games or highlights from the Saddledome between 1989 and 2004…”, well, it’s because the Flames weren’t doing so well during that period.

In the aftermath of the Save The Flames campaigns, though, the Flames finally had a breakthrough year in 2003-04, winning their first playoff rounds since 1989.

And after a pair of playoff triumphs over Vancouver and Detroit, they had a chance to advance to their third Stanley Cup Final on home ice.

The lead up

The Flames had made the post-season in 2003-04 as the sixth Western Conference seed. They beat the Northwest Division winners, the Vancouver Canucks, in the first round in seven games. They beat the Central Division winners, the Detroit Red Wings, in six games. So they were matched up with the Pacific Division winners, the San Jose Sharks, in the Western Conference Final.

The conference final was weird, gang, with the road team winning each of the first five games. But with the Sharks being the higher seed, that means the Flames were able to win three times on the road to return home to the Saddledome for Game 6 leading the series 3-2.

A win would get the Flames back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in a decade and a half.

The box score

Brown SJ (double-minor high-sticking) – 18:27, first period
Calgary (1-0) – Jarome Iginla (10) (Craig Conroy, Jordan Leopold) PP – 18:52, first period

Saprykin Cgy (interference – obstruction) – 4:40, second period
Marshall SJ (holding) – 7:03, second period
McLaren SJ (tripping) – 9:42, second period
Calgary (2-0) – Martin Gelinas (6) (Craig Conroy) – 13:02, second period
San Jose (2-1) – Alyn McCauley (2) (Nils Ekman, Mike Rathje) – 16:14, second period
Clark Cgy (interference) – 17:16, second period

Regehr Cgy (hooking) – 7:15, third period
Calgary (3-1) – Robyn Regehr (2) EN – 19:59, third period

Final Score: Calgary 3, San Jose 1

W: Miikka Kiprusoff (1 goal against on 19 shots); L: Vesa Toskala (2 goals against on 28 shots)

The aftermath

The Flames advanced to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final to face their fourth division-winning team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was a fantastic seven game series, which ended with Tampa Bay beating the Flames in seven games to capture their first Stanley Cup, which they hoisted on home ice.

(It was in.)

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