On Wednesday, the Calgary Flames head to Detroit to face the Red Wings for the first time this season.
Over 20 years ago, the Flames finished with a 42-30-7-3 record in the 2003-04 season, finishing sixth in the Western Conference with 94 points, five ahead of provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers.
They faced the other Western Conference Canadian team in the first round, a back and fourth series against the Vancouver Canucks (read more about the two teams’ history in the post-season here). That series saw a Game 7 that featured a game-tying goal with just seconds left to send it to overtime before Martin Gélinas scored one of just 50 Game 7 overtime goals. Keep that name in mind.
Thanks to reseeding, the sixth-seeded Flames had a date with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Red Wings. This was not the Red Wing team we see today. Instead of missing the postseason for eight consecutive seasons, the Wings were coming off their fourth Presidents’ Trophy in nine seasons, winning three Stanley Cups in that span.
The question is, how did the Flames fare against the Red Wings in the second round of the 2004 postseason?
Game 1
The series was a low-scoring affair with only 23 goals between the two teams. Game 1 was no exception, as Robert Lang opened the scoring for the Red Wings 6:14 into the second period. With 2:03 left in that period, defenceman Robyn Regehr scored to tie the game. After a scoreless third period, the game headed to overtime.
Early in that overtime period, Marcus Nilson scored to give the Flames a series lead, with Martin Gélinas picking up the only assist on the goal.
Game 2
Game 2 was the highest-scoring game of the series. After a scoreless first period, Tomas Holmström opened the scoring just over three minutes into the second period, with Steve Yzerman scoring two quick-fire goals to take a 3-0 lead. Shean Donovan stopped the bleeding with a goal with just over six minutes left in the second.
However, the Red Wings added two more goals late in the third period, with Brett Hull and Nicklas Lidström scoring power play goals to make it 5-1. Gélinas scored with just over a minute left in the game as the Flames fell 5-2.
For the second consecutive game, the Flames weren’t only outshot but failed to reach 20 shots on Curtis Joseph. Unfortunately, Miikka Kiprusoff was unable to repeat the 28-save performance he had in Game 1, as he allowed five goals on 27 shots.
Game 3
The series shifted to Alberta for Game 3. For the second time in the series, Lang opened the scoring with a goal early in the second period after another scoreless first. However, Stephane Yelle scored just over two minutes later, before Jarome Iginla’s power play goal gave the Flames a 2-1 lead.
Jiří Fischer tied the game with just eight minutes left in the period, but 40 seconds later, Donovan scored the game-winning goal to give the Flames a 2-1 series lead. Kiprusoff was solid once again, saving 27 of 29 shots.
Game 4
The Flames had a chance to take a stranglehold in the series on home ice in Game 4. There was only one goal scored in the first period throughout the series, as Kirk Maltby scored 26 seconds into the game.
Early in the second period, Red Wings forward Boyd Devereaux scored to make it a 2-0 game, but the Flames scored twice in 18 seconds, as Gélinas scored his fourth of the postseason and Ville Nieminen tied the game.
Unfortunately, Mathieu Dandenault’s goal midway through the third period was the game-winning goal, as Henrik Zetterberg scored in the empty net with 24 seconds remaining in the game.
Game 5
With the series becoming a best of three, it became the Miikka Kiprusoff show. Current general manager Craig Conroy scored the only goal in Game 5 with just under four minutes left in the second period.
The Flames and Kiprusoff held on for the 1-0 victory, with the netminder saving all 31 shot attempts he faced. With the win, the series returned to Calgary with the Flames having a chance to win it on home ice.
Game 6
Gélinas was selected seventh overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1988 draft. Shortly after, he was involved in the trade for Wayne Gretzky and won a Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers in 1990. He also reached the Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks in 1994 and the Carolina Hurricanes in 2002.
On May 3, 2004, Gélinas broke the 0-0 deadlock in Game 6 with his second consecutive series-clinching goal in overtime, sending the Presidents’ Trophy winners packing and the Flames to the third round.
For the second consecutive game, Flames’ netminder Kiprusoff saved each shot he faced, 38 in this one, for the shutout. In that series, Kiprusoff finished with a .941 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average.
The rest of the 2004 post-season
In the Western Conference Finals, the Flames faced off against the San Jose Sharks, who were the second-best team in the Western Conference in 2003-04. Like the Red Wings, they fell in six games, with Gélinas scoring the game-winning goal in Game 6.
Earlier that season, the Flames acquired Kiprusoff from the Sharks for a second-round pick. He was their third-string netminder but broke out as a Flame and posted a .925 save percentage against his former team in this series.
It’s painful to discuss, but the Flames fell in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Controversy struck in Game 6, as it appeared that the puck went over the goal line with just under seven minutes left in a 2-2 game. Had this been ruled a goal, the Flames very well could’ve won the Stanley Cup and Gélinas would’ve scored his fourth series-clinching goal of the postseason.
Either way, what a run it was, and defeating the Red Wings amid their dynasty was a high point of the Flames’ run.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Bluesky @ryleydelaney.bsky.social. While the Mike Vernon trade was a topic of interest for this article, I’ll save that for a Throwback Tuesday next month!
