Flames Canadiens. A Brief History

Flames Canadiens. A Brief History

When people talk about great NHL rivalries, a certain few come to mind. Canadiens vs. Maple Leafs. The Battle of New York. Red Wings vs. Avalanche in the 1990s. Penguins vs. Capitals today. One matchup that isn’t a rivalry but does have a little history is Canadiens vs. Flames. Don’t believe me? Here’s a brief history lesson.

The Flames and Canadiens have met in two Stanley Cup Finals. One in 1986 and in 1989. In the 1986 Stanley Cup Final the Canadiens won the series four games to one, with the turning point being Brian Skrudland’s overtime winner in Game two just nine seconds into the sudden death frame. It still holds the record for the fastest overtime goal in the history of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That series also saw the birth of hall of fame goalie Patrick Roy who won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP.

The 1989 Stanley Cup final was memorable for different reasons. The Flames won the series four games to two, winning the clinching game at the fabled Montreal Forum. The Flames are the only visiting team to hoist the Stanley Cup at the Forum. It was also the last hurrah for Flames legend Lanny McDonald who scored in game six. He retired after the game and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. To this day this is the last Stanley Cup Final that was an all Canadian match up.

So when these two franchises meet up on Monday night at the Bell Centre and next month at the Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium think about the large part these two teams have played in the history of the NHL. They have been part of some of the most memorable moments this game has to offer along with some of the most memorable players as well.

History lesson over. Now back to the present.