It’s now been 45 seasons since the Atlanta Flames relocated to Calgary.
The Battle of Alberta is discussed quite frequently, but another Pacific Division rivalry is between the Flames and the Vancouver Canucks is just as interesting. In the series opener, or the 266th regular season game between the two teams, the Flames stormed back from a 4-1 deficit to defeat the Canucks 6-5 in overtime.
Overall, the Flames have a 134-86-26-19 record over the Canucks and on Tuesday, the two teams meet for the 267th time in the regular season with both teams currently in a playoff spot just over a month into the season. Speaking of the playoffs, the two teams have met on seven different occasions.
In this edition of Throwback Tuesday, we’ll look at key meetings between the two teams in the post-season.

The early 1980s

In three consecutive post-seasons from 1982 until 1984, the two teams met in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Canucks got the upper hand in the 1982 postseason, sweeping the Flames in three games that series. In Game 1, Canucks forward Stan Smyl scored eight seconds into the game, the fifth-fastest goal to open any post-season period. Unfortunately, the Flames weren’t able to recover and fell 5-3. 
Game 2 was a heartbreaker, as the Canucks won 2-1 in overtime thanks to a Dave Williams goal with 4:40 left in the first overtime period. The Canucks completed the sweep at the Stampede Corral in Game 3, defeating the Flames 3-1 after the Flames opened the scoring. The Canucks went to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history, falling to the New York Islanders.
However, the final two series in the back-to-back-to-back series went to the Flames. In a tightly contested series, the Flames won Game 1 4-3 in overtime, followed by a 5-4 victory in Game 2. The series shifted to Vancouver for Game 3, with the Canucks winning the must-win game 5-4. However, an overtime goal from Greg Meredith in the first overtime period sent the Flames to the division finals, where they lost in five games to the Edmonton Oilers.
In the first round of the 1984 post-season, the Flames defeated the Canucks in four games once again. Like the season before, the Flames took the first two games at the Olympic Saddledome by a score of 5-3 and 4-2, before being blown out 7-0 when the series shifted to British Columbia. Like the year before, the Flames once again won in Game 4 thanks to three first period goals from Paul Reinhart, Håkan Loob, and Jim Jackson. Reinhart scored two more goals.
For the second consecutive post-season, the Flames fell to the Oilers. However, this time it was a hard-fought series that went the distance, with the Flames being three of the four losses the Oilers would suffer en route to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

1989 post-season

Fast forward five seasons and the Calgary Flames are one of the best teams in the league. In the 1986 post-season, the Flames fell short of their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, as they fell in five games to the Montréal Canadiens. On the other hand, the Canucks made one post-season appearance from 1985 until 1988, failing to win a game against the Oilers in the 1986 post-season.
In 1989, the two teams faced off in the post-season for the fourth time, with the Flames once again taking the series. Unlike the other three series, this one went the distance, as the two teams played all seven available games.
The Canucks took the series opener, defeating the Flames 4-3 in overtime thanks to Paul Reinhart’s goal early in the period and Kirk McLean’s 43-save performance. Game 2 saw the Flames get back into it with a 5-2 win, thanks to goals from Joel Otto, Colin Patterson, Theo Fleury, Doug Gilmour, and Håkan Loob.
Flames netminder Mike Vernon had his best game of the series in Game 3, stopping all 21 shots he faced as the Flames took the series lead 4-0. Loob scored twice, while Joe Nieuwendyk and Joe Mullen added the other two goals. The Canucks tied the series in Game 4 with a 5-3 victory after scoring the first three goals. Four of the five Canucks goals came on the power play.
Heading back to Calgary for Game 5, the good guys once again won 4-0. Nieuwendyk, Mark Hunter, Loob, and Mullen scored a goal, while Vernon saved all 18 shots he faced. In a do-or-die game, the Canucks once again tied the series in Game 6 thanks to a 6-3 victory in British Columbia, setting up the decisive Game 7.
Nieuwendyk opened the scoring in Game 7 on the power play, which was promptly followed by a Canucks goal from Robert Nordmark. Before the end of the first period, Gary Roberts scored to give the Flames a 2-1 lead. Early in the second period, Trevor Linden scored to tie the game, before Mullen scored with 35 seconds left in the second. Canucks’ defenceman Doug Lidster scored in the third period to send the game to overtime.
A theme between the Canucks and the Flames in the postseason is that the series has more often than not, been clinched in overtime. It happened in 1983 with Gregory Meredith’s goal and happened once again in 1989 as Joel Otto scored in the final minute of the first overtime period.
The Flames swept the Los Angeles Kings in the following series, before beating the Chicago Blackhawks in five games for their second Stanley Cup Final in four post-season. It was another date against the Canadiens, but you know the story and if you need a refresher, you can read last week’s Throwback Tuesday.

1994 post-season

Another common theme in the series between the two teams is that whenever the Canucks beat the Flames, they make the Stanley Cup Finals.
In Game 1 of the 1994 first round, the Canucks won 5-0 thanks to 31 saves from Kirk McLean, while Flames netminder Mike Vernon saved 23 of 28 shots. The Flames tied the series two days later with a 7-5 win, with two goals from Joe Nieuwendyk and Al MacInnis, as well as Mike Sullivan, Theo Fleury, and German Titov.
Games 3 and 4 shifted to British Columbia, with the Flames taking a commanding 3-1 lead thanks to a 4-2 victory and a 3-2 victory. The third game saw two goals from Fleury and goals from Wes Walz and Gary Roberts. In Game 4, Ronnie Stern, Walz, and Fleury all managed to get on the scoreboard.
It looked as if the Flames were going to win the series as the series returned to Alberta for Game 5. Well, Geoff Courtnall scored in the first overtime period to send the series back to Vancouver for Game 6. The Canucks won 3-2 in overtime, thanks to a late Trevor Linden goal in the first overtime period.
Would you believe it if I told you that the Flames and Canucks went to overtime again in the decisive Game 7? Well, the game was tied 3-3 heading into the second overtime period, before Pavel Bure scored an early goal for the series-clinching goal.
In the second round, the Canucks defeated the recently relocated Dallas Stars in five games, before defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in five games in the Western Conference Finals. They also clinched the series with an early goal in the second overtime period. Sadly for Canuck fans, the British Columbian team fell 3-2 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

2004 post-season

The 2004 postseason matchup had all that you’d expect for a Flames/Canucks matchup. It was in the first round, the series was clinched in overtime, and the winning team (you’ve seen the year, the Flames won) went to the Stanley Cup Final.
Game 1 saw the Canucks take it thanks to a 5-3 victory. The Flames answered back with a victory of their own in Game 2, outscoring the Flames 2-1 thanks to goals from Jarome Iginla and Matthew Lombardi. Miikka Kiprusoff was fantastic in Game 2, saving 25 of 26 shots.
The series shifted to Calgary for Game 3 and 4, with the Canucks taking Game 3 by a score of 2-1. Chris Simon scored the only Flames goal, as Kiprusoff saved 23 of 25 shots. Once again, the Flames tied the series, as they took Game 4 with a 4-0 shutout. Goals came from Stephane Yelle, Chris Clark, Shean Donovan, and Jarome Iginla, while Kiprusoff saved all 20 shots.
Game 5 saw the Flames defeat the Canucks 2-1 to take a 3-2 series lead, with goals coming from current Flames general manager Craig Conroy, as well as Iginla. The Flames had a chance to clinch the series at home in Game 6, but Brendan Morrison’s triple overtime goal sent the series back to Vancouver for a decisive Game 7.
Iginla opened the scoring in the second period with his fourth goal of the series. Matt Cooke tied it in the third before Iginla scored again to take a 2-1 lead. With just 5.7 seconds left in the game though, Cooke scored his second of the game to save the Canucks, a pretty cool moment for any non-Flame fan.
It’s okay though, as Martin Gélinas scored early in the overtime period to clinch the series for the Flames. 
As you know, they went on to defeat the Detroit Red Wings in six games (Martin Gélinas scored the series-clinching overtime goal in that series as well), defeated the San Jose Sharks in six games, but sadly fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The puck crossed the line.

2015 post-season

Fun fact: The 2015 post-season saw five Canadian teams make the post-season, the most since the 2004 post-season. Both times, the Edmonton Oilers missed the playoffs.
Anyway, the Flames once again took on the Canucks in the first round as the Canucks were the second seed in the Pacific Division and the Flames were the third seed. The Flames won the first game of the series, scoring two third period goals, including Kris Russell’s goal with just 30 seconds remaining to break the deadlock.
Game 2 went in favour of the Canucks, as they took a 3-0 lead after two first period goals and an early third period goal. Russell scored his second of the post-season on the power play with just minutes remaining before Radim Vrbata iced the game with an empty netter.
The series shifted to Calgary for Games 3 and 4, with the Flames taking both games. In Game 3, Brandon Bollig opened the scoring, before Shawn Matthias tied it. Before the end of the first period, TJ Brodie scored, before Sam Bennett scored the game-winning goal early in the third. Sean Monahan added an insurance goal as the Flames won 4-2.
In Game 4, the late great Johnny Gaudreau opened the scoring on the power play, before Hendrik Sedin tied the game with the Canucks’ only goal. Jiří Hudler scored the game-winning goal just a minute and eight seconds later, with Bennett scoring with just 42 seconds left in the second. There was no further scoring in the game, as the Flames won 3-1 with Jonas Hiller stopping 28 of 29 pucks.
The series returned to British Columbia, where the Canucks played their butts off in a do-or-die Game 5, scoring two goals on Hiller who saved 41 of 43 shots in a 2-1 defeat. In Game 6, the Canucks led 3-1 after the first period and it looked as if it’d be a repeat of the 1994 matchup with the Flames taking a 3-1 series led, before blowing it.
However, Sean Monahan scored early in the second period to make the game 3-2, before Gaudreau scored his second of the postseason just over four minutes later. Canucks’ defenceman Luca Sbisa scored to regain the lead, with the Canucks leading 4-3 into the third period.
However, the Flames did all the scoring in the third, with Hudler tying the game just over six minutes into the final frame. Matt Stajan scored the game-winning goal with just over four minutes left in the game, with Hudler and Michael Ferland scoring empty net goals to seal the victory.
The Flames sadly fell in five games to the Anaheim Ducks in the following series. With that being said, it’s hard not to draw parallels between the team from 10 years ago and the team today. Both are scrappy underdogs who were/are considered rebuilding teams. The 2014-15 Flames made the post-season, while the 2024-25 Flames have started the season quite well. 
Time will tell if the Flames make the 2025 post-season, but another matchup against the Canucks would be lovely.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social.