They had nine shots on goal in the second and were trailing 1-0 after forward Jason Robertson scored at 13:21. The Stars were playing their stifling defense to a T.
Another gear was required if the Flames were going to find a way in the third period.
"A lot of guys stepped up and talked in the room," Calgary forward Mikael Backlund said. "The message was clear: Put the period behind us and go out and play our game, play the way we can, believe. Just get back to our game and check for our chances. That's when we're at our best, and that's what we did in the third."
Indeed they did. The Flames rallied with three unanswered goals for a 3-1 win at Scotiabank Saddledome. It was the first time Calgary won a Stanley Cup Playoff game when trailing entering the third period since 2015, a 4-3 overtime victory against the Anaheim Ducks in the 2015 Western Conference Second Round after trailing 3-2.
The win Wednesday gave the Flames a 3-2 lead in this best-of-7 series. They head back to Dallas, where they'll have a chance to eliminate the Stars in Game 6 at American Airlines Center on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, TVAS, SN, BSSW).
RELATED: [Complete Flames vs. Stars series coverage]
Backlund scored the tying goal 6:49 into the third period and forward Andrew Mangiapane, off the assist from Backlund, scored the game-winner at 10:38. Forward Trevor Lewis scored an empty-net goal with 58 seconds remaining.
"We weren't close to our best [in the second]. I don't know why but yeah, they play a tight game," Backlund said. "It's been a tight series the whole five games. If we're not at our best, we're not going to create and play in the O-zone and be a better team. So, they're a really good team.
"That's just the thing, if we're not on our toes and playing the best way we can, it's going to be in their favor."
Backlund had a solid scoring chance off a slap shot 11 seconds into the third period. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger made the save, but the Flames controlled the pace of the game. After getting 16 shots on goal through the first two periods, Calgary outshot Dallas 16-5 in the third.
Seeking a spark, Flames coach Darryl Sutter changed up his forward lines. The most impactful change came on the second line, where Blake Coleman moved up to join Mangiapane and Backlund. On Backlund's goal, Coleman, who won the Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning the previous two seasons, brought the puck in the zone and got it to Mangiapane, who fed to Backlund in front.
"Blake was heavy into the game," Sutter said. "That just shows you those guys, the pedigree that have been there done that."
The Flames certainly weren't where they wanted to be at the start of the game, but they finished playing their style again. They have two chances to reach the second round for the first time since 2015, beginning with Game 6 on Friday. But they'll have to look similar to the way they did in the third period Wednesday.
"Building off that third period and just playing our game, play with confidence and not deviate from our system," Mangiapane said. "We're a good team when all four lines are going, all three pairs, and now we have to just keep wearing them down and playing our game."
