When it comes to sports, folks, there are few things as awesome as playoff hockey. Sure, the post-season is fantastic in a lot of different sports, but playoff hockey has the added benefit of lengthy playoff overtimes where games as much about endurance as they are about execution and tactical excellence.

In the history of the Calgary Flames, they’ve played 49 playoff games that have required overtime.

Here are their five longest games in franchise history.

In 2005-06, the Flames won the Northwest Division (yay!) but lost to Anaheim in the first round in seven games (boo!). In the aftermath of the loss, Flames general manager Darryl Sutter opted to step back from his post as head coach and installed his right hand man, Jim Playfair, as his replacement.

In 2006-07, the Flames finished third in the Northwest, taking a bit of a step back in the regular season. But that would be forgiven if they could have playoff success. The Flames were matched up with Detroit in the first round and lost the first two games by a combined 7-2 score. They battled back, though, winning a pair of games at home by identical 3-2 scores to tie the series. But a 5-1 loss in Game 5 put them on the ropes heading back to Calgary for Game 6.

On Apr. 22, 2007, Jarome Iginla opened the scoring early in the second period but Detroit answered back and the game remained tied going into the second overtime period. Johan Franzen scored 4:23 into double overtime to eliminate the Flames from the playoffs.

The 1980-81 season was the first for the Flames after relocating from Atlanta. The Flames’ eight seasons in Atlanta were fairly unremarkable, with the team qualifying for the post-season six times but never winning a series. In their first season in Calgary, the Flames were matched up against Chicago in the best-of-five preliminary round and won the first two games.

On Apr. 11, 1981, the Flames had a chance to finally win a playoff round. The Flames got out to a 4-2 lead at the end of the second period, but third period goals by Al Secord and Darryl Sutter forced overtime with the game tied at 4-4. But 15:17 into the second overtime period, Willi Plett beat Tony Esposito to win the game, complete the sweep, and advance the Flames to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time ever.

By the 1988-89 season, the Flames had matured since their arrival in Calgary. They made the Stanley Cup Final in 1986. They won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1988. After advancing past Vancouver, Los Angeles and Chicago in prior rounds, the Flames were matched with Montreal in the Cup Final in a rematch from the 1986 series (won by Montreal).

After splitting the first two games, May 19, 1989 was the third game of the Cup Final. The game was pretty back and forth, with the Flames leading 3-2 late in regulation before a goal by Mats Naslund forced overtime. Ryan Walter beat Mike Vernon 18:08 into the second overtime period to take a 2-1 series lead. (Montreal wouldn’t win another game in that playoff year, with the Flames taking the next three games to win their first-ever Stanley Cup.)

So, uh, remember how the Flames beat Montreal in the 1989 Cup Final? It was a great time. What was less great was that the Flames failed to win a playoff round for 15 years after that championship win.

The 2004 playoff year saw the Flames finally get off the schneid, but not before playing an extremely long game in the process. The Flames entered Game 6 at home on Apr. 17, 2004 with a 3-2 series lead. After trailing 4-0 by the midway point of the game, the Flames battled back to force overtime with the game tied at 4-4. But 2:28 into the third overtime period, Brendan Morrison beat Miikka Kiprusoff to tie the series at 3-3 and send things back to Vancouver for a stressful seventh game – that Calgary won.

If the second-longest game in Flames history was a night of frustration before the elation of getting past Vancouver, the longest game ever was the last in a series of rakes the Flames stepped on in the playoffs – before missing the playoffs for eight seasons.

The Flames made the playoffs in 1996, but were matched up against Chicago and lost the first three games of their series. On Apr. 23, 1996, they entered Game 4 hoping to fend off a sweep. Rookie Jarome Iginla, in his second game ever, opened the scoring, but Jeremy Roenick scored with nine seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then Joe Murphy scored 10:02 into the third overtime period to complete the sweep of the Flames.