Stanley Cup Finals : Flames Are Hot Team, but Canadiens Have Tradition With Them

The Calgary Flames--the hottest bunch of players in the National Hockey League, conquerors of the Smythe Division, spoilers who swept away the Kings’ hopes in the first year of the Wayne Gretzky era, repeat winners of the President’s Trophy for the season’s best record--are Stanley Cup finalists for the second time.

And once again, the Flames are up against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Canadiens are not quite as hot as the Flames, but the Canadiens are going into the seven-game series, which starts tonight at the Saddledome in Calgary, with something the Flames do not have.

Tradition.

While the Flames are after their first Stanley Cup title, the Canadiens are seeking to add a 24th banner to the collection that hangs in the Forum at Montreal.

While the Flames can brag that they are in the Stanley Cup final for the second time in four years, the Canadiens hardly need mention that this is their 31st appearance in the Stanley Cup final series.

A proud member of the original six, Montreal traces its heritage in the National Hockey League back to 1909, more than 60 years before the Flames were established in Atlanta. More than 70 years before the Flames moved to Calgary.

In the overall scheme of things, the Calgary Flames are an upstart group. Truth be known, they are more concerned about challenging the recent domination of their rival neighbors, the Edmonton Oilers, than they are about challenging the Canadiens’ historic domination.

The Oilers have an even shorter history in the league than the Flames, and yet the Oilers have won four Stanley Cups. The Oilers have made a habit of knocking off the Flames in the Smythe Division en route to those Cups.

In 1986, when the Flames did finally beat the Oilers to win the Smythe Division final series, (and then beat St. Louis for the Campbell Conference victory), they quickly lost the best-of-seven finals to Montreal, four games to one.

Lanny McDonald, one of the Flames’ most veteran players, explained why there was no frenzied celebration in the Flames’ dressing room at the conclusion of the Chicago series.

“It’s subdued because we still haven’t accomplished what we want,” McDonald said. “We know where we want to be, and that’s with the Cup. As long as we play like we can, I like our chances from here on.”

Indeed, the Flames did compile the best record in the league this season, totaling 117 points with a record of 54-17-9. So the Flames have the home-ice advantage over Montreal, which was second overall with a total of 115 points and a record of 53-18-9.

A difference of one victory.

This promises to be a very close series. And a low-scoring one. Both the Flames and the Canadiens have relied on their defense to stay alive in the playoffs.

Behind the effective goaltending of Mike Vernon, the Flames have a 2.33 goals-against average in the playoffs, despite the loss of defenseman Gary Suter, who is out with a broken jaw.

“Our defense has won all the series,” Calgary Coach Terry Crisp concluded after eliminating Chicago. “But when I say ‘defense,’ I don’t just mean our defensemen. It starts with Vernon and goes right through our six defensemen to our forwards.”

Montreal goalie Patrick Roy had a streak of 34 consecutive games at the Forum without a loss before Philadelphia finally broke it in the first game of the Wales Conference final series. But Montreal’s defense doesn’t begin and end with Roy.

As Montreal Coach Pat Burns put it: “Playing wide open just is not us.”

Stanley Cup Notes

The final series schedule released Thursday night was changed by the NHL Friday morning, moving the seventh game (if needed) from May 27 to May 28.

The Smythe Division representative has beaten the Norris Division in the Campbell Conference final series in all eight years of the current format. . . . The Flames have won nine of their last 10 games, winning the last game of the seven-game series with Vancouver, sweeping the Kings in four games, then winning four of five against Chicago.

Calgary defenseman Al MacInnis has scored at least one point in 10 consecutive playoff games, including a goal on a hard shot from the top of the right circle to beat the Blackhawks in overtime at Chicago Stadium. It sent that series back to Calgary with the Flames leading, three games to one, instead of being tied at two games each. That goal had Coach Terry Crisp sitting astride the glass to kiss his wife during the victory celebration. MacInnis leads the Flames in the playoffs with 22 points.