Trailing by one goal going into the third period of the franchise's first Stanley Cup Playoff game in six years, there was no sense of panic inside the Flames' locker room. The young Flames may be short on playoff experience, but they have plenty when it comes to third-period comebacks this season. David Jones tied the game 7:59 into the third and Kris Russell scored the winner with 29.6 seconds left in regulation to lead Calgary to a 2-1 win against the Canucks in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Arena. After taking control of the game during the final four minutes of regulation, the Flames finished a dominant late shift in the Vancouver end by getting the puck back to Russell at the point. His shot beat goalie Eddie Lack low on the glove side through the screen of rookie Sam Bennett, giving the Flames a win in their first playoff game since 2009. Rookie center Bo Horvat opened the scoring for the Canucks midway through the second period, but Calgary showed why it excelled in the third period during the regular season. The Flames won 10 games when trailing after two periods and were tied for the lead in third-period goals with 99.
They got No. 100 after goaltender Jonas Hiller made four great saves to keep it 1-0. Hiller made a flashy glove save off Daniel Sedin in the opening minute, a right-pad robbery from the slot two minutes later, and gloved Christopher Tanev's rebound chance in the slot. Jones tied it after the Canucks turned the puck over just outside their blue line and Calgary tagged up quickly to create a 3-on-2. Michael Ferland passed back to Jones, who was making his NHL playoff debut, for a wrist shot from the slot past Lack's glove. Canucks coach Willie Desjardins stuck with his balanced, four-line program, with every player seeing at least 12:46 of ice time and only Alexander Edler with more than 22 minutes. But it was the Flames, who had three forwards with less than eight minutes of ice time and top Dennis Wideman and Russell near 30, who took over late. Instead it was the Flames, who had seven players making their NHL playoff debut, who capitalized late. Bennett, an 18-year-old who made his NHL debut in the final game of the regular season, had Calgary's best chances early and set the screen on the winning goal. Lack made 28 saves in his NHL playoff debut for the Canucks, who were back in the postseason after missing for the first time in six years last season. Vancouver is 0-7 in home playoff games since Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and has only one victory since losing Game 7 of that series to the Boston Bruins. Horvat, who turned 20 on April 5, opened the scoring 12:08 into the second period. His initial shot from the top of the right circle hit a crowd in front, but Horvat got to the rebound and threw a backhand towards the net that bounced off the heel of Wideman's skate and deflected between Hiller's legs. For a while it looked like Lack would match Hiller, but after robbing Flames rookie Johnny Gaudreau with the glove on a 2-on-1 with two minutes left, he couldn't glove Russell's shot through traffic. Hartley praised Joe Colborne for his work to keep the play alive before changing, and Bennett for setting the screen on the winning goal.
Game 2 - Calgary @ Vancouver 1-4 - Fri, Apr 17 - Series Tied 1-1
This time the Canucks built on their lead instead of sitting on it against the Flames. Daniel Sedin and Chris Higgins ended long playoff scoring droughts in the first period and Eddie Lack made 22 saves to lead the Canucks to a 4-1 win against at Rogers Arena. Rookie Ronalds Kenins scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal early in the third period, Radim Vrbata hit the empty net with 2:01 left and Alexandre Burrows had two assists for the Canucks, who evened the best-of-7 series at one victory apiece. Kris Russell, who scored the winning goal with 29.6 seconds left in Game 1, ended Lack's shutout bid with a power-play point shot through a screen with 3:34 left in regulation. If the end of Game 2 was any indication, the old Canucks-Flames rivalry has heated up again.
Referees Dan O'Halloran and Brad Meier assessed 132 penalty minutes after all five skaters from each team squared off deep in the Canucks' end with 1:17 left to play. The penalty total included three game misconducts for Deryk Engelland and one each for Vancouver's Derek Dorsett, Dan Hamhuis and Brad Richardson. The win snapped a seven-game playoff losing streak on home ice for the Canucks, who hadn't won at Rogers Arena since Game 5 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. It was also the second win in 13 playoff games for Vancouver dating back to that Cup Final. Daniel Sedin opened the scoring 2:56 into the first period, and Higgins doubled the lead on a power play four minutes later.
Engelland fell defending a Canucks rush, allowing Henrik Sedin to walk around him and down to the left faceoff dot before passing cross-ice to brother Daniel at the opposite dot. Daniel took the pass and beat Calgary goalie Jonas Hiller over the glove with a wrist shot for his first playoff goal in 13 games, dating to Game 2 of the of the 2011 Final. Unlike Game 1, when they blew a 1-0 lead in the third period, the Canucks quickly added to their lead on a power play. Dennis Wideman was penalized for knocking a rebound over the glass after Hiller got his shoulder on a good shot from Horvat, and Vancouver's second power-play unit converted. Christopher Tanev made a nice play to keep the play onside at the blue line and Burrows threw the puck at the net to set off a scramble. Higgins shot the rebound between Hiller's legs from the top of the crease for his first playoff goal since Game 2 of the 2011 Western Conference Final, a span of 21 games. Lack got into the game after making his fifth save of the night on a screened point shot 7:27 into the second period. The rebound sat loose for a second and as Lack pushed to his right and Brandon Bollig ended up on top of the Canucks goalie as a scramble ensued. Bollig stayed there while other players tried to pull him off. An angry Lack, missing his helmet, got up throwing blocker punches at the backside of the big Flames forward. Calgary has 11 wins this season when trailing after two periods, including one in the series opener, but Kenins ended any thoughts of a second straight playoff comeback early in the third. Horvat skated onto a chip down the left wing and circled down near the goal line before passing cross-ice to Kenins for a one-timer past Hiller's glove. Calgary's Sam Bennett, an 18-year-old rookie who was the Flames' best forward in Game 1, left the game with 5:39 remaining in the second period after a big hit by Alexander Edler but returned five minutes into the third. Michael Ferland was called for charging after a big hit on Tanev, and Sean Monahan and Gaudreau got into a scrum Hamhuis with 4:14 left. Hamhuis was penalized for interference, leading to Russell's goal, but the post-whistle activity continued even after Vrbata's empty-net goal ended the scoring.
Penalties
| 1st Period | ||
|---|---|---|
| 05:52 CGY | Dennis Wideman Delaying Game-Puck over glass | |
| 2nd Period | ||
| 02:53 VAN | Kevin Bieksa Slashing against Jiri Hudler | |
| 07:27 CGY | Brandon Bollig Roughing against Luca Sbisa | |
| 07:27 VAN | Luca Sbisa Roughing against Brandon Bollig | |
| 16:41 CGY | Mikael Backlund Hi-sticking against Shawn Matthias | |
| 3rd Period | ||
| 09:53 CGY | Micheal Ferland Charging against Christopher Tanev | |
| 15:46 VAN | Yannick Weber Misconduct (10 min) against Dennis Wideman | |
| 15:46 CGY | Dennis Wideman Misconduct (10 min) against Yannick Weber | |
| 15:46 VAN | Dan Hamhuis Interference against Sean Monahan | |
| 18:43 VAN | Brad Richardson Game misconduct against Matt Stajan | |
| 18:43 VAN | Shawn Matthias Misconduct (10 min) against Micheal Ferland | |
| 18:43 VAN | Derek Dorsett Game misconduct against Deryk Engelland | |
| 18:43 VAN | Derek Dorsett Fighting (maj) against Deryk Engelland | |
| 18:43 VAN | Derek Dorsett Fighting (maj) against Deryk Engelland | |
| 18:43 VAN | Brad Richardson Fighting (maj) against Matt Stajan | |
| 18:43 CGY | Brandon Bollig Misconduct (10 min) against Dan Hamhuis | |
| 18:43 CGY | Micheal Ferland Misconduct (10 min) against Shawn Matthias | |
| 18:43 CGY | Deryk Engelland Game misconduct against Derek Dorsett | |
| 18:43 CGY | Deryk Engelland Game misconduct against Derek Dorsett | |
| 18:43 CGY | Deryk Engelland Game misconduct against Derek Dorsett | |
| 18:43 CGY | Deryk Engelland Fighting (maj) against Derek Dorsett | |
| 18:43 CGY | Deryk Engelland Fighting (maj) against Derek Dorsett | |
| 18:43 CGY | Deryk Engelland Instigator against Derek Dorsett | |
| 18:43 CGY | Matt Stajan Game misconduct against Brad Richardson | |
| 18:43 CGY | Matt Stajan Fighting (maj) against Brad Richardson | |
| 18:43 VAN | Dan Hamhuis Game misconduct against Deryk Engelland | |
Game 3 - Vancouver @ Calgary 2-4 - Sun, Apr 19 - Flames Lead 2-1
Sam Bennett spent plenty of time while growing up imagining his first NHL goal. The scenario that took place on Sunday wasn't one that crossed his mind.
Bennett's first NHL goal stood as the game-winner and Jonas Hiller made 23 saves to lead the Flames to a 4-2 win against the Canucks in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round. Bennett, the first Flames rookie to make his Saddledome debut in the playoffs since Brennan Evans in 2004, extended Calgary's lead to 3-1 at 2:14 of the third period by swatting a loose puck past a downed Eddie Lack. At 18 years, 303 days old, Bennett became the second-youngest player in Flames history to score a playoff goal; only Jarome Iginla was younger (18 years, 297 days). Bennett also became the youngest player in NHL history to score a playoff game-winning goal in regulation. Three other players, Don Gallinger on March 21, 1943, Nathan MacKinnon on April 26, 2014 and Patrice Bergeron on April 9, 2004, have scored postseason overtime winners at a younger age than Bennett. With Yannick Weber serving a goaltender interference minor and Hamhuis called for a hit to the head of Bennett, the Flames' top line finally got on the board and put Calgary up 4-1. Working the 5-on-3, Sean Monahan capped a passing play set up by Russell and Johnny Gaudreau by beating Lack at 14:36. Jannik Hansen's goal with 2:19 remaining in regulation and Lack on the bench for an extra attacker trimmed Calgary's lead to two goals and made Bennett's goal the winner. The Flames didn't disappoint the full house at the Saddledome after a six-year intermission between home dates in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Brandon Bollig didn't make them wait long. Mason Raymond's shot towards the Vancouver net was blocked by Derek Dorsett, but the puck skipped to an open Bollig, who fired a shot off the post and behind Lack for his first of the playoffs 6:35 into the game to give the Flames the lead. Shawn Matthias responded for the Canucks at 9:09 with his first career playoff goal. A partially blocked shot off the stick of Dan Hamhuis skipped in on Hiller and, after a scramble in the crease, Matthias swatted a loose puck over the goal line for his first career playoff goal to tie the game. But TJ Brodie, with his first of the playoffs, restored Calgary's lead at 15:02 with a goal reminiscent of Kris Russell's Game 1 winner. After a heavy forecheck in Vancouver's end, Radim Vrbata couldn't clear the zone under pressure from Joe Colborne. David Schlemko held the puck in and fed Brodie, whose shot through Bennett's screen beat Lack.
Penalties
| 1st Period | ||
|---|---|---|
| 16:58 CGY | Brandon Bollig Cross checking against Derek Dorsett | |
| 2nd Period | ||
| 05:35 CGY | Josh Jooris Interference on goalkeeper against Eddie Lack | |
| 07:58 CGY | Mikael Backlund Boarding against Dan Hamhuis | |
| 08:15 VAN | Alexander Edler Interference against Matt Stajan | |
| 15:39 VAN | Alexandre Burrows Roughing against Kris Russell | |
| 15:39 CGY | Kris Russell Roughing against Alexandre Burrows | |
| 3rd Period | ||
| 04:34 VAN | Kevin Bieksa Charging against Mikael Backlund | |
| 13:52 VAN | Yannick Weber Interference on goalkeeper against Jonas Hiller | |
| 14:28 VAN | Dan Hamhuis Illegal Check To Head against Sam Bennett | |
| 18:35 VAN | Alexandre Burrows Instigator against Kris Russell | |
| 18:35 VAN | Alexandre Burrows Boarding against Johnny Gaudreau | |
| 18:35 VAN | Alexandre Burrows Fighting (maj) against Kris Russell | |
| 18:35 CGY | Kris Russell Fighting (maj) against Alexandre Burrows | |
| 18:35 VAN | Alexandre Burrows Game misconduct | |
| 18:54 VAN | Kevin Bieksa Fighting (maj) against Micheal Ferland | |
| 18:54 CGY | Micheal Ferland Fighting (maj) against Kevin Bieksa | |
| 18:54 CGY | Joe Colborne Misconduct (10 min) | |
| 20:00 CGY | Deryk Engelland Roughing against Luca Sbisa | |
| 20:00 VAN | Luca Sbisa Fighting (maj) against Deryk Engelland | |
Game 4 - Vancouver @ Calgary 1-3 - Tue, Apr 21 - Flames Lead 3-1
The Flames are on the verge of advancing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 11 years. Calgary has made it to the second round once since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989, in 2004 when the Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. Jonas Hiller made 28 saves.
The Flames didn't waste time picking up where they left off in Game 3, a 4-2 win, thanks in large part to their power play. With Ronalds Kenins in the penalty box for boarding Sam Bennett, Dennis Wideman and Jiri Hudler worked a give-and-go below the goal line before Wideman fed a cross-slot pass to Johnny Gaudreau waiting on the back door. Gaudreau scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal on Eddie Lack 3:23 into the game. The goal was matched by Henrik Sedin's first of the 2015 playoffs less than five minutes later. On the power play, Sedin's shot glanced off the leg of a sprawled Kris Russell before sneaking between Hiller's legs at 8:12 to make it 1-1. But with another man-advantage, Hudler deflected Wideman's one-timer over Lack's shoulder 1:08 later to restore Calgary's one-goal lead. The goal was Hudler's first of the playoffs. Calgary built on it with 41.3 seconds remaining in the period. After breaking out of the Flames end, TJ Brodie fed Joe Colborne before taking a return pass and snapping a shot that banked off Bennett and behind Lack to put Calgary up 3-1.
The goals came on seven shots, and Vancouver replaced Lack with Ryan Miller to start the second period. Miller helped stabilize the Canucks with six saves; Hiller had to make three in the scoreless period. Vancouver matched that output in the first three minutes of the third. After the Canucks' fifth shot, coming at 5:13, they went nearly 10 minutes without another as the Flames tightened up to protect the two-goal lead. Vancouver's next shot came with 5:36 remaining, one of Hiller's 15 saves in the third period. Alexandre Burrows was transported from the arena in an ambulance following the morning skate and did not play. He was to remain in Calgary overnight, the Canucks said.
Penalties
| 1st Period | ||
|---|---|---|
| 01:44 VAN | Ronalds Kenins Boarding against Sam Bennett | |
| 07:08 CGY | David Schlemko Slashing against Brandon McMillan | |
| 09:02 VAN | Nick Bonino Roughing against TJ Brodie | |
| 19:28 VAN | Bo Horvat Hi-sticking against Matt Stajan | |
| 2nd Period | ||
| 03:54 VAN | Brandon McMillan Cross checking against Micheal Ferland | |
| 06:15 CGY | Brandon Bollig Misconduct (10 min) | |
| 14:58 CGY | Matt Stajan Delay of game | |
Game 5 - Calgary @ Vancouver 1-2 - Thu, Apr 23 - Flames Lead 3-2
The Canucks avoided elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by playing their best game against the Flames. Now they need to do it two more times.
Daniel Sedin scored the go-ahead goal 1:47 into the third period to lead the Canucks to a 2-1 win against the Flames in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Arena. Sedin said a mixture of patience and increased desperation led to the win. The added desperation helped the Canucks outshoot Calgary 43-21. The patience enabled them to stick with a game plan of getting pucks to the net even after falling behind early, and even though it wasn't paying off for long stretches against Flames goaltender Jonas Hiller. It finally paid off after an icing against the Flames early in the third period. Henrik Sedin won the offensive-zone faceoff and defenseman Dan Hamhuis skated the puck into the corner before firing a sharp-angled shot at Jonas Hiller, who made the save. But the rebound went off Daniel Sedin and under Hiller's left pad for his second goal of the playoffs, breaking a 1-1 tie. Nick Bonino tied the game with 6:29 left in the second period for the Canucks. Daniel Sedin doesn't expect the Canucks to change a game plan he thinks may finally be wearing down the Flames. Vancouver goalie Ryan Miller made 20 saves in his first start of the playoffs; he took over for Eddie Lack after the first period of a 3-1 loss in Game 4. Miller, who had played five periods since spraining his right knee two months ago, got help from his goal posts on a couple of occasions but made his best save of the third period on a Calgary power play nine minutes in, getting his left arm on Joe Colborne's shot from the slot. David Jones scored early and Hiller made 41 saves for the Flames, who are trying to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004, when lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The Canucks are trying to overcome a 3-1 series deficit for the fourth time in franchise history. That includes a comeback against Calgary in the first round of 1994, a run that ended in a trip to the Final.
It didn't look good early. Jones, a North Vancouver native who scored the tying goal in the third period of Calgary's Game 1 win, opened the scoring after a Canucks turnover 2:40 into the first period. With the most of the Canucks exiting the zone, Alexander Edler's pass went off the skate of forechecking Matt Stajan and caromed right to Jones, who was alone in the left slot. Jones gloved the puck down to his stick and quickly fired it past the glove of Miller on the short side, off the post and in. Calgary had a chance to double the lead on a power play just over one minute later, but Dennis Wideman hit the post on the Flames' best chance and puck was cleared from behind Miller. The Canucks stuck with their game plan. Bonino finally tied it with a perfect shot after a good forecheck. Vrbata got the puck behind the net to Bonino at the left faceoff dot, and his one-timer beat Hiller high over the blocker just inside the far corner. Calgary pressured after Sedin put the Canucks ahead, but couldn't take advantage of two power plays. After scoring three power-play goals in Games 3 and 4 in Calgary, the Flames managed only Colborne's shot on their two third-period advantages. The Flames have two more chances to finish the job, but Mikael Backlund wants no part of a return to Vancouver for Game 7 on Monday.
Actress Kate Upton spotted in Vancouver for Game 5.
Game 6 - Vancouver @ Calgary 4-7 - Sat, Apr 25 - Flames Win 4-2
Fittingly, the Flames pulled off another third-period comeback to extend their season and escape the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The Flames erased an early three-goal deficit and defeated the Canucks 7-4 in Game 6 of their Western Conference First Round series at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and just the second time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989. Matt Stajan goal with 4:17 remaining broke a 4-4 tie. The Flames, who won the best-of-7 series 4-2, will face the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Second Round. Stajan, 31, gave the Flames their first lead of the game with the first playoff goal of his career. After Ryan Miller couldn't handle David Jones' initial shot cleanly, Stajan lifted Calgary's second rebound opportunity over the shoulder of the Canucks goaltender and into the top corner to put Calgary ahead 5-4. A poke check by goaltender Karri Ramo on Daniel Sedin, who was in alone, led to Jiri Hudler's second of the night, an empty-net goal with 28.4 seconds. Michael Ferland, with his second of the game, added another into the empty net with 2.1 seconds remaining to complete the win. The late outburst capped another Calgary comeback. The Flames trailed early after Vancouver scored the fastest three goals from the start of a playoff game in franchise history to take a 3-0 lead at 9:42. But Ferland trimmed Vancouver's lead to 3-1 late in the first period, and Calgary's top line of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Hudler completely erased it in the second, scoring twice in a span of 4:33 for their first even-strength goals of the series. But Luca Sbisa, with the first goal from a Canucks defenseman in the series, put Vancouver ahead midway through the period by beating Ramo through a screen. Vancouver took the 4-3 lead off the ice at the second intermission. The Flames, who were third to Anaheim (12) and the Detroit Red Wings (11) in victories when trailing after 40 minutes in the regular season and added another in Game 1 in Vancouver, came up with one more comeback thanks to their top line. With Vancouver's Brandon McMillan in the penalty box for interference, Monahan couldn't redirect Gaudreau's slap-pass on net, but Hudler fished the puck from below the goal line and beat a downed Miller to tie the game at 6:14 of the third. That goal accounted for three of the trio's 10 points in the game. The line entered Game 6 having combined for a total of seven points through the first five games. After Calgary opened the scoring early and went on to win Games 3 and 4, Vancouver got the jump this time with McMillan burying a rebound in the slot off an initial shot from Chris Higgins at 2:36 to put the Canucks ahead. They were the Canucks' first shots on Jonas Hiller. Vancouver struck again with goals from Jannik Hansen at 7:32 and Radim Vrbata at 9:42. Hansen's goal chased Hiller, who made one save on three shots. Vrbata's goal came on the first shot against Ramo.
Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins was complimentary in defeat. "You have to give them credit," Desjardins said. "They found ways all year, and they found a way again tonight. I'm proud of our guys; 101 points this year was a good run. I thought our fans were great, we wanted to get back there for a Game 7 because they've been so good, they deserved a Game 7. It just didn't go our way. I knew coming in it was going to be a hard series, and leaving I knew it was a hard series. I think the games were there, we just didn't quite seize it to get it."
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