Getting to the top spot and clinching first seed was a season-long affair for the Flames: from October until the end of March. They wrapped up their regular season series with the Avalanche back in early January, sweeping them 3-0 and providing them with some of their most memorable of their 50 wins this year.
Game 5, Oct. 13: 3-2 overtime win
Batting just .500 and at the end of one of their first road trips of the year, the Flames could have stood to have a statement win, of sorts. They still needed to prove they weren’t the team that underwhelmed on every single expectation from the previous season; that their active offseason had brought positive, meaningful change.