As the Calgary Flames matured, their expectations changed. In the 1970s, they were happy to make the playoffs. In the 1980s, though, they became dissatisfied with just making the post-season and set their eyes on winning some hardware. But as we’ve seen quite a bit, the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs can be a stiff test for even the league’s best teams – especially if they’re pit against a rival.

With that in mind, let’s talk a bit about the seventh game of the opening round of the 1989 Smythe Division Semi-Finals.

The Flames won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1987-88, finishing at the tippity-top of the league standings. Then they were swept by Edmonton in the second round.

The following season, 1988-89, the Flames finished first overall again. In the first round, they were matched up with a scrappy Vancouver Canucks team. The teams exchanged wins and series leads, with the Flames having a chance to eliminate the Canucks in Game 6… but losing 6-3. That sent the series back to Calgary for a decisive seventh game.

The game pretty much ruled, with scoring chances back and forth and a pair of superb goaltending performances.

The overtime period featured arguably the most important single save in franchise history, as Vernon robbed Stan Smyl with a glove save on a breakaway chance.

After that scare from the Canucks, the Flames lost just three games for the remainder of the playoffs. They swept Los Angeles in the second round and beat Chicago in five games before triumphing over Montreal in six games in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final.

Fun fact: the Flames and Canucks have met seven times in the playoffs. In four of those years – 1982, 1989, 1994 and 2004 – the team that won that series ended up advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.