NHL team season
The 1987–88 Calgary Flames season was the eighth National Hockey League season in Calgary and the 16th season in the NHL for the Flames franchise. The Flames finished atop the Smythe Division standings for the first time in team history, en route to winning their first ever Presidents' Trophy as the top club in the NHL.[ 1]
The Flames spent almost the entire month of February playing away games as the 1988 Winter Olympics were being held in Calgary at that time.
In the playoffs, the Flames easily defeated the Los Angeles Kings four games to one, setting a franchise record that still stands by scoring 30 goals in a five-game series.[ 2] The Flames season was ended by their provincial archrivals , again as the Edmonton Oilers swept Calgary out of the Smythe Division Finals en route to their fourth Stanley Cup in five years.
The Flames set numerous franchise records this season, including most wins (48), most home wins (26), most road wins (22), and most points (105), all of which that were tied or broken in 1988–89 . The Flames 397 goals remains a franchise record,[ 3] and one of the highest totals in league history. The Flames also finished first in scoring during the regular season.[ 4] Furthermore, the Flames led the league in short-handed goals scored (23) and power-play percentage (28.46%).[ 5]
Freshman sniper Joe Nieuwendyk became the second rookie in NHL history to score 50 goals, as his 51 fell just two shy of Mike Bossy 's record of 53 set in 1977–78 . Nieuwendyk captured the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie-of-the-Year for his effort.[ 6]
Lanny McDonald became the first player to win the King Clancy Memorial Trophy , awarded to players who best exemplify leadership qualities and make notable humanitarian contributions to their community.[ 7] In addition, Brad McCrimmon won the Emery Edge Award for leading the league in Plus/Minus at +48.[ 8]
The Flames sent five players to the 1988 All-Star Game : Al MacInnis , Gary Suter , Brad McCrimmon, Joe Nieuwendyk and Mike Vernon . Nieuwendyk was also named to the NHL All-Rookie team.[ 9]
Regular season
Season standings
[ 10] Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Record vs. opponents
Smythe Division record vs. opponents
Vs. Campbell Conference
Vs. Smythe Division
Vs. Norris Division
Vs. Wales Conference
Vs. Adams Division
Vs. Patrick Division
1987–88 NHL records
Team
NJD
NYI
NYR
PHI
PIT
WSH
Total
Calgary
2–1
1–2
2–1
3–0
0–2–1
2–1
10–7–1
Edmonton
1–2
1–2
2–1
2–1
3–0
1–2
10–8–0
Los Angeles
1–1–1
0–3
3–0
0–3
0–1–2
1–2
5–10–3
Vancouver
3–0
0–3
1–2
1–2
2–1
0–3
7–11–0
Winnipeg
2–0–1
1–2
0–2–1
0–3
2–1
2–1
7–9–2
Schedule and results
1987–88 Schedule
October: 5–5–1 (home: 1–3–0; road: 4–2–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
1
October 8
Detroit
1 – 5
Calgary
1–0–0
2
2
October 10
Winnipeg
5 – 1
Calgary
1–1–0
2
3
October 12
Calgary
2 – 3
Winnipeg
1–2–0
2
4
October 14
Calgary
5 – 4
Edmonton
2–2–0
4
5
October 16
Edmonton
5 – 2
Calgary
2–3–0
4
6
October 18
Boston
6 – 5
Calgary
OT
2–4–0
4
7
October 20
Calgary
4 – 5
NY Islanders
2–5–0
4
8
October 21
Calgary
5 – 4
NY Rangers
3–5–0
6
9
October 24
Calgary
7 – 5
Quebec
4–5–0
8
10
October 26
Calgary
5 – 3
Montreal
5–5–0
10
11
October 30
Calgary
3 – 3
Vancouver
OT
5–5–1
11
November: 9–3–2 (home: 6–2–2; road: 3–1–0)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
12
November 3
NY Rangers
3 – 5
Calgary
6–5–1
13
13
November 5
Edmonton
4 – 4
Calgary
OT
6–5–2
14
14
November 8
Buffalo
6 – 3
Calgary
6–6–2
14
15
November 10
Calgary
3 – 4
Winnipeg
6–7–2
14
16
November 11
Calgary
4 – 3
Minnesota
7–7–2
16
17
November 13
Los Angeles
7 – 10
Calgary
8–7–2
18
18
November 15
Vancouver
4 – 8
Calgary
9–7–2
20
19
November 17
Boston
6 – 3
Calgary
9–8–2
20
20
November 19
Quebec
1 – 9
Calgary
10–8–2
22
21
November 21
Pittsburgh
4 – 4
Calgary
OT
10–8–3
23
22
November 23
New Jersey
2 – 9
Calgary
11–8–3
25
23
November 25
Calgary
4 – 2
Vancouver
12–8–3
27
24
November 28
Calgary
8 – 4
Los Angeles
13–8–3
29
25
November 30
Chicago
0 – 4
Calgary
14–8–3
31
December: 9–3–1 (home: 5–2–1; road: 4–1–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
26
December 3
Toronto
3 – 5
Calgary
15–8–3
33
27
December 5
Minnesota
4 – 4
Calgary
OT
15–8–4
34
28
December 8
Calgary
5 – 4
Washington
16–8–4
36
29
December 9
Calgary
2 – 5
Pittsburgh
16–9–4
36
30
December 11
Calgary
5 – 1
New Jersey
17–9–4
38
31
December 13
Calgary
7 – 1
Buffalo
18–9–4
40
32
December 16
Winnipeg
4 – 5
Calgary
19–9–4
42
33
December 19
Calgary
4 – 1
Los Angeles
20–9–4
44
34
December 20
Los Angeles
6 – 3
Calgary
20–10–4
44
35
December 22
Hartford
5 – 6
Calgary
OT
21–10–4
46
36
December 26
Edmonton
5 – 4
Calgary
21–11–4
46
37
December 28
Montreal
3 – 9
Calgary
22–11–4
48
38
December 31
Philadelphia
4 – 5
Calgary
23–11–4
50
January: 9–3–2 (home: 6–1–0; road: 3–2–2)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
39
January 2
Calgary
3 – 5
St. Louis
23–12–4
50
40
January 3
Calgary
5 – 3
Chicago
24–12–4
52
41
January 6
Winnipeg
1 – 6
Calgary
25–12–4
54
42
January 8
NY Islanders
4 – 7
Calgary
26–12–4
56
43
January 10
Washington
2 – 8
Calgary
27–12–4
58
44
January 13
Calgary
3 – 5
Edmonton
27–13–4
58
45
January 15
Calgary
4 – 4
Vancouver
OT
27–13–5
59
46
January 19
Vancouver
5 – 7
Calgary
28–13–5
61
47
January 21
Los Angeles
5 – 4
Calgary
OT
28–14–5
61
48
January 23
Calgary
4 – 4
Detroit
OT
28–14–6
62
49
January 25
Calgary
11 – 3
Toronto
29–14–6
64
50
January 27
Hartford
1 – 5
Calgary
30–14–6
66
51
January 29
Calgary
5 – 4
Edmonton
31–14–6
68
52
January 30
Vancouver
3 – 4
Calgary
32–14–6
70
February: 5–6–1 (home: 0–1–0; road: 5–5–1)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
53
February 1
New Jersey
5 – 4
Calgary
32–15–6
70
54
February 3
Calgary
0 – 9
Winnipeg
32–16–6
70
55
February 5
Calgary
1 – 5
Detroit
32–17–6
70
56
February 7
Calgary
5 – 2
Los Angeles
33–17–6
72
57
February 12
Calgary
3 – 2
Philadelphia
34–17–6
74
58
February 14
Calgary
4 – 5
Washington
OT
34–18–6
74
59
February 16
Calgary
3 – 9
NY Islanders
34–19–6
74
60
February 17
Calgary
3 – 5
NY Rangers
34–20–6
74
61
February 20
Calgary
6 – 3
St. Louis
35–20–6
76
62
February 21
Calgary
3 – 3
Chicago
OT
35–20–7
77
63
February 26
Calgary
5 – 3
Vancouver
36–20–7
79
64
February 28
Calgary
3 – 2
Edmonton
37–20–7
81
March: 10–2–2 (home: 7–1–0; road: 3–1–2)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
65
March 3
Philadelphia
3 – 6
Calgary
38–20–7
83
66
March 5
Edmonton
4 – 7
Calgary
39–20–7
85
67
March 7
Pittsburgh
5 – 4
Calgary
39–21–7
85
68
March 9
Calgary
6 – 6
Winnipeg
OT
39–21–8
86
69
March 10
Winnipeg
3 – 5
Calgary
40–21–8
88
70
March 12
Buffalo
4 – 10
Calgary
41–21–8
90
71
March 15
Calgary
8 – 6
Hartford
42–21–8
92
72
March 17
Calgary
7 – 5
Boston
43–21–8
94
73
March 19
Calgary
5 – 4
Quebec
OT
44–21–8
96
74
March 21
Calgary
3 – 3
Montreal
OT
44–21–9
97
75
March 24
Toronto
1 – 7
Calgary
45–21–9
99
76
March 26
Vancouver
1 – 6
Calgary
46–21–9
101
77
March 28
St. Louis
2 – 7
Calgary
47–21–9
103
78
March 30
Calgary
7 – 9
Los Angeles
47–22–9
103
April: 1–1–0 (home: 1–1–0; road: 0–0–0)
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Record
Points
79
April 1
Los Angeles
6 – 3
Calgary
47–23–9
103
80
April 3
Minnesota
1 – 4
Calgary
48–23–9
105
Playoffs
1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Smythe Division Semifinal – Flames win 4–1
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Series
1
April 6
Los Angeles
2 – 9
Calgary
Calgary leads 1–0
2
April 7
Los Angeles
4 – 6
Calgary
Calgary leads 2–0
3
April 9
Calgary
2 – 5
Los Angeles
Calgary leads 2–1
4
April 10
Calgary
7 – 3
Los Angeles
Calgary leads 3–1
5
April 12
Los Angeles
4 – 6
Calgary
Calgary wins 4–1
Smythe Division Final – Oilers win 4–0
#
Date
Visitor
Score
Home
OT
Series
1
April 19
Edmonton
3 – 1
Calgary
Edmonton leads 1–0
2
April 21
Edmonton
5 – 4
Calgary
OT
Edmonton leads 2–0
3
April 23
Calgary
2 – 4
Edmonton
Edmonton leads 3–0
4
April 25
Calgary
4 – 6
Edmonton
Edmonton wins 4–0
Player statistics
Skaters
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
† Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Calgary. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
‡ Traded mid-season.
Goaltenders
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Regular season
Playoffs
Player
#
GP
TOI
W
L
T
GA
SO
GAA
GP
TOI
W
L
GA
SO
GAA
Mike Vernon
30
64
3565
39
16
7
210
1
3.53
9
515
4
4
34
0
3.96
Rick Wamsley †
31
2
73
1
0
0
5
0
4.11
1
33
0
1
2
0
3.64
Doug Dadswell
36
25
1221
8
7
2
89
0
4.37
–
–
–
–
–
–
-
† Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Calgary. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
Transactions
The Flames were involved in the following transactions during the 1988–89 season.
Trades
Free agents
Draft picks
Calgary's picks at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft , held in Detroit , Michigan .[ 12]
See also
References
Player stats: 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 124.
Game log: 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 139.
Team standings: 1987–88 NHL standings @hockeydb.com
Trades : Individual player pages at hockeydb.com
^ 1987–88 season, 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 124.
^ Playoff Records, 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 224.
^ Year-by-year Results, 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 106.
^ "1987-88 NHL Summary" .
^ "1987-88 NHL Summary" .
^ Joe Nieuwendyk profile , legendsofhockey.net , accessed August 20, 2007.
^ King Clancy Memorial Trophy at nhl.com, accessed August 20, 2007.
^ Award Winners, 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 23.
^ All-Star Selections, 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide , p. 22.
^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012 . Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225 .
^ "All-Time NHL Results" . NHL.com . Retrieved August 25, 2023 .
^ Calgary Flames draft history , hockeydb.com, accessed August 19, 2007.
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