page_title: 1988–89 Calgary Flames season
section_title: Playoffs
hierarchical_section_title: 1988–89 Calgary Flames season / Playoffs
caption_attribution_description: English: Former defenceman Al MacInnis during the alumni game at the 2011 Heritage Classic in Calgary.
context_page_description: The 1988–89 Calgary Flames season was the ninth season for the Calgary Flames and 17th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League. They won their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular season club and went on to win the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, defeating the Montreal Canadiens in the 1989 Stanley Cup Final. Al MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
  The regular season saw the debut of Theoren Fleury, who went on to become the Flames' all-time leading scorer, and Sergei Pryakhin, who became the first Soviet player allowed to play in the NHL. Four players represented the Flames at the 1989 All-Star Game: Gary Suter, Joe Nieuwendyk, Joe Mullen and Mike Vernon. Mullen received several awards following the season. He was named the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly conduct, won the Emery Edge Award for having the top plus-minus in the league and was named a First Team All-Star.
  Co-captain Lanny McDonald scored his 1,000th point and 500th goal late in the season.
context_section_description: Though they finished 43 points behind the Flames in the regular season, the Vancouver Canucks proved a significant challenge in the Smythe Division semifinal.  Calgary produced an uninspired effort in the opening game that resulted in a 4–3 loss as former Flame Paul Reinhart scored the winner for Vancouver in overtime. The Flames rebounded with 5–2 and 4–0 victories, but the Canucks continued to battle. Vancouver won the game 4 and after losing the fifth, staved off elimination with a 6–3 victory in game six, setting up a seventh and deciding game.
  Game 7 went to overtime, tied 3–3, and the extra period was dominated by fast offensive rushes as both teams sought to end the series.  Both goaltenders were forced to make spectacular saves, highlighted by Mike Vernon's glove save to stop Vancouver's Stan Smyl on a breakaway.  That save was a defining moment of Vernon's career, and has since been called "the save that won the Cup".  With less than a minute remaining in the first overtime period, Jim Peplinski fired a wide-angle shot towards the Vancouver goal that deflected off Joel Otto's skate and into the net, winning the game and series for the Flames.
  Calgary faced Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in the Smythe Division final. The Flames won the series in four straight, holding the highest scoring team in the league to 11 goals for the series. The Smythe final was most remembered for a controversial goal the Flames scored in the second game at Calgary.  Vernon was knocked down in his crease by the Kings' Bernie Nicholls, and believing the goaltender was injured, Flames' trainer Bearcat Murray jumped onto the ice to tend to the fallen player as the Flames rushed the puck into the Los Angeles zone.  Al MacInnis scored on the play as the Kings vehemently protested the goal should have been disallowed because Murray was on the ice.  The goal stood and ended up the winning goal in an 8–3 victory.
  The Chicago Blackhawks were the Flames' opponents in the Campbell Conference final.  The Flames won the series with relative ease, dropping only a 4–2 decision in the second game en route to a five-game series victory. Calgary won their second Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in franchise history as conference champions, and advanced to the Stanley Cup championship to face the Montreal Canadiens in a rematch of the 1986 final.
  The final opened in Calgary where the Flames emerged with a 3–2 win on the strength of two Al MacInnis goals before Montreal evened the series with a 4–2 victory in game two. The third game, in Montreal, went to overtime with the score tied 3–3.  Late in the second extra period, Calgary's Mark Hunter was penalized for boarding, allowing Montreal to win the game at 38:08 of overtime.  The penalty call was controversial, and members of the press spent the following days arguing the legitimacy of the call.
  The Flames entered the pivotal fourth game believing it was key to maintaining their chances of winning the title. Colin Patterson referred to it as being a "do-or-you're-gonna-die game". Calgary emerged with a 4–2 victory to even the series at two wins apiece heading back home for game five. The Flames rushed out to a 3–1 first period lead in the fifth game, and though Montreal scored in the second period to close within one goal, Vernon prevented Montreal from tying the game, and the Flames took a 3–2 series lead.
  For the sixth game, coach Terry Crisp added 36-year-old Lanny McDonald to the lineup after sitting him out the previous three games.  The veteran forward was the sentimental favourite to win the Cup, and Crisp wanted to give him the opportunity to win the title on the ice. The move paid dividends as after serving a penalty in the second period, McDonald stepped out of the penalty box and joined the rush where he took a pass from Joe Nieuwendyk and shot it over Montreal goaltender Patrick Roy to give the Flames a 2–1 lead. Doug Gilmour added two third period goals, including the eventual winner, as the Flames won the Stanley Cup by a 4–2 score.  In doing so, they became the only team to ever defeat th
caption: Al MacInnis was named the most valuable player of the playoffs after becoming the first defenceman to lead the post-season in scoring.
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