Calgary now faces elimination in Thursday's Game 5 against the Oilers. The Flames have never overcome a 3-1 series hole in franchise history.

"I thought we showed a lot of resolve or resilience," Flames coach Darryl Sutter said. "It was a winnable game for us for sure tonight, and we damn near did it. I like how we played. I know we're in a hole. But we hung around tonight. I thought we played a good game. It was close."

Still, the Flames might need a few more bounces to see this series extended. While Calgary's mood was upbeat after Tuesday's loss, it won't shrink the mountain ahead.