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The Calgary Flames have just one Stanley Cup in their history but many great seasons that fell short. With great players from Lanny McDonald to Jarome Iginla leading these teams, the Flames have made some great playoff runs.
No teams from their Atlanta days are on this list, so their great seasons start after their move to Alberta. Let's take a look at the top ten teams in Flames history.
Greatest Flames team of all time: 1988-89
The lone championship in Flames history ranks atop their top ten teams list. The Flames were a very good team throughout the 1980s but with the Islanders and Oilers winning championships, it was hard for them to break through. They set the franchise record with 117 points in '88-'89 on the backs of Joe Mullen's 110 points.
After winning the President's Trophy for best record, the Flames faced a first-round game seven. An overtime win brought them to the second round, where they swept Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. A five-game victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the Conference Final brought them to their second-ever Cup Final. They took care of the Canadiens in six games and defenseman Al MacInnis won the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP.
#2: 2003-04
The '04 Flames are the most recent squad to make the Cup Final. They put up 94 points in the regular season, mostly thanks to Jarome Iginla. He scored 41 goals to tie for most in the league and was honored as a second-team All-Star. The team finished third in the division to make the playoffs but were significant underdogs in the first two rounds.
The Flames played the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, a team who had 101 points in the regular season. They won game seven in overtime to face the President's Trophy-winning Red Wings in the second round. After a six-game victory, they faced another division winner in the San Jose Sharks and won that in six. In the Cup Final, they lost to the Lightning in seven games. Despite a controversial call and a historic shift, the Lightning won their first Cup.
#3: 1985-86
Another team that lost in the Cup Final came right in the middle of their biggest rivals' dynasty. The Oilers had won back-to-back Cups, beating the Flames in the second round in '84. They came into the '85-'86 as the prohibitive favorite and backed it up, winning the division by 30 points over the Flames. Calgary only had 89 points and was led by Dan Quinn and Lanny McDonald with 72 and 71 points, respectively.
After a first-round sweep of the Jets, the Battle of Alberta commenced in the second round. The Flames won game seven 3-2 to take the series. They faced another game seven in the Campbell Conference Final against the Blues and won that one 2-1. After winning game one, the Flames lost three one-goal games to lose the Cup Final to the Canadiens in five games.
#4: 2021-22
The best Flames team in recent memory featured another iconic Battle of Alberta in the second round. The regular season saw Calgary win their division for the second time in 16 years. The late Johnny Gaudreau led the team with 75 assists and 115 points while Matthew Tkachuk had the team-high 42 goals. Coach Daryll Sutter won the Jack Adams Award as the best coach in the regular season.
The Flames beat the Dallas Stars in the first round by winning game seven in overtime. Gaudreau scored the goal to help them advance for the first time since 2015. This matchup with the Oilers did not go as well, with Edmonton winning in five games.
#5: 1987-88
The Flames won their division for the first time in franchise history in 1987-88. With 105 points, they clipped the Oilers by six points to take the Smythe. Håkan Loob had his only 50-goal season to lead the team while goalie Mike Vernon piled up 39 wins. They won the President's Trophy and Joe Nieuwendyk won the Calder Trophy for best rookie.
The playoffs began with a five-game victory over the Kings. The Flames' league-best offense carried over, scoring 30 goals in the five games. A second-round matchup with the Oilers did not go as well. Gretzky and crew swept Calgary to end their season. The Oilers would win their fourth Cup in five years.
#6: 1980-81
The first season in Calgary also represented the first time the Flames had ever advanced in the playoffs. They put up 92 points to finish third in the Patrick Division and make the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. Kent Nilsson led the team with 49 goals, 82 assists, and 131 points, all career highs for the Swede.
The first series win came as a sweep against the Black Hawks. The Flames then took a 3-1 series lead against the Flyers before losing two games to force game seven. A 4-1 win put them in the semi-final. They lost to the North Stars in six games to end the Cinderella run.
#7: 2014-15
The Flames had missed the playoffs in five consecutive seasons and had the worst odds to win the Stanley Cup coming into 2014-15. They surprised everyone by putting up 97 points and finishing third in the Pacific Division. Jiri Hudler led the team with 31 goals, 45 assists, and 76 points. Gaudreau was second on the team with 64 points, earning him third place in the Calder Race. Bob Hartley won the Jack Adams Award.
The playoffs started with a series against the Canucks. The Flames won the series in six, capped off by a 7-4 victory to advance. While the division-winning Ducks finished them off in five games, it was a great and unexpected season for Calgary.
#8: 2018-19
It had been since the Cup Final season of 2003-04 that the Flames won their division. With new coach Bill Peters, they capitalized on their tremendous talent by snagging a division crown in 2018-19. Their 107 points were the most in the Western Conference. Gaudreau led the team with 99 points and Mark Giordano won the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman.
They were upset by the Colorado Avalanche in just five games in the first round. The disappointing finish was surprising because of their lack of goal-scoring. The Flames had the second-most goals in the regular season but only scored 11 goals in the series.
#9: 2005-06
After reaching the Cup Final, any momentum the Flames had was stifled by the lockout. They still won their division with 103 points and reached the playoffs comfortably. They did so by allowing the fewest goals in the league, only 200 over 82 games. Iginla led the team with 35 goals and 67 points.
The playoffs were a far cry from the '04 postseason. The Flames faced the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the first round and took a 3-2 series lead. Anaheim won the final two games, allowing only one goal total, to advance.
#10: 1990-91
The '90-'91 season was another successful one for the Flames. With 100 points, they finished just two points behind Gretzky's Oilers in the Smythe Division. 22-year-old Theo Fleury led the team with 51 goals and 104 points, finishing fifth in Hart Trophy voting.
Another Battle of Alberta commenced this time in the first round. The defending champion Oilers prevailed again, winning this one in seven. The Flames won game six in overtime to stave off elimination but couldn't grab the overtime winner in game seven.
