Just recovering from the start was a big step.
"They thought they were going to run us out of the rink, and they didn't," Stars coach Rick Bowness said. "We put up a good fight."
In a lot of ways, it was the perfect confirmation for Calgary that it had done the right things in trying to turn around its franchise. The Flames in March of 2021 hired coach Darryl Sutter and committed to his brand of detailed defense. They signed Markstrom as a free agent. And they added veteran presence in the form of Blake Coleman and Tyler Toffoli. That helped forge a 111-point season and a Pacific Division championship.
It also helped make this look like a team with calmness and purpose in Game 1.
Bottom line, the Flames earned the win. Calgary dominated play early, getting an 11-0 advantage in shots on goal to start the game and executing perfectly on a first-period power play. Elias Lindholm cranked a one-timer that trickled over the glove of Oettinger, and that would be the only goal in the game.
"They came out flying, the building was electric, and it was an awesome atmosphere to be in," said forward Michael Raffl. "They took it to us, especially in the first 10 minutes."