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Greatest Saddledome Games: Eliminating the Canucks in a wild game (April 25, 2015)

Photo credit: Sergei Belski / USA Today Sports

By Ryan Pike

Aug 20, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 17, 2026, 19:22 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 return to the post-season for the first time in several years, but have to get through one of their most bitter rivals in the opening round.

The Calgary Flames won three playoff rounds in 2004 en route to a Stanley Cup Final appearance. Following that run, they endured the 2004-05 lockout, then made the playoffs in the next four seasons… but lost in the first round each time. Following that, though, they missed the post-season in each of the next five seasons.

In 2014-15, though, the Flames were a team that found a way to win tight games, and found their way back into the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

The lead up

The 2014-15 campaign was the first as general manager for Brad Treliving. The roster was filled with a mix of veterans held over from the team’s rebuilding process under prior GM Jay Feaster, along with some younger players that Feaster had acquired.

The Flames finished third in the Pacific Division in 2014-15, pushing their way over the playoff cut line via a gutsy home win against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 81 – in a game that just narrowly missed the cut for Greatest Saddledome Games. They were matched up with the second place team in the Pacific Division, the Vancouver Canucks.

This was the first time the two teams had been matched up since 2004, and the series was fierce. The teams split the first two games in Vancouver, with Calgary’s Game 2 loss being punctuated with a wild brawl near the end of the game that featured Deryk Engelland fighting two Canucks at once.

The Flames won Games 3 and 4 at home, but Vancouver fended off elimination with a tight 2-1 win in Game 5.

The series returned to Calgary for Game 6, with the Flames looking to move on to the second round and the Canucks trying to force Game 7.

The box score

Vancouver (1-0) – Brandon McMillan (1) (Chris Higgins, Bo Horvat) – 2:36, first period
Edler Van (high-sticking) – 5:32, first period
Vancouver (2-0) – Jannik Hansen (2) (Shawn Matthias, Chris Tanev) – 7:32, first period
Bennett Cgy (slashing) – 9:18, first period
Vancouver (3-0) – Radim Vrbata (2) (Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin) PP – 9:42, first period
Jooris Cgy (interference) – 10:19, first period
Calgary (3-1) – Micheal Ferland (1) (Matt Stajan, David Jones) – 17:02, first period

Calgary (3-2) – Sean Monahan (2) (Jiri Hudler, Dennis Wideman) – 1:02, second period
Calgary (3-3) – Johnny Gaudreau (2) (Jiri Hudler, TJ Brodie) – 5:35, second period
Vancouver (4-3) – Luca Sbisa (1) (Jannik Hansen) – 10:36, second period
Bonino Van (closing hand on puck) – 15:43, second period

McMillan Van (interference) – 5:25, third period
Calgary (4-4) – Jiri Hudler (2) (Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau) PP – 6:14, third period
Calgary (5-4) – Matt Stajan (1) (Micheal Ferland, David Jones) – 15:43, third period
Calgary (6-4) – Jiri Hudler (3) (Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau) EN – 19:31, third period
Calgary (7-4) – Micheal Ferland (2) (David Jones, Matt Stajan) EN – 19:57, third period

Final Score: Calgary 7, Vancouver 4

W: Karri Ramo (2 goals against on 19 shots), Jonas Hiller (2 goals against on 3 shots, pulled 7:32 into game); L: Ryan Miller (5 goals against on 31 shots)

The aftermath

This was the Flames’ first playoff series victory since 2004. The Flames moved on to face the Pacific winners, the Anaheim Ducks, in the second round. The Ducks beat the Flames in five games to advance to the Western Conference Final.

The Flames would continue to qualify for the post-season roughly every second season with Brad Treliving as general manager.

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