George W. Bush Was in His First Presidential Term the Last Time the Flames Won in Ahaheim

Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the wine, or maybe they're just bad. Whatever the reason is, the Calgary Flames simply cannot win a hockey game in Anaheim. The area that calls Disneyland home has been anywhere but a magical place for the Flames.

Calgary lost its 24th consecutive regular-season game in Anaheim on Sunday, dropping a 4-1 contest to the Ducks at the Honda Center. The Flames' road winless streak against the Ducks dates back to 2004, which was the last time Calgary reached the Stanley Cup Final. The streak is officially 26 games long, including postseason play.

The most recent loss to the Ducks set a new benchmark for road futility in the NHL, as Calgary now holds the league record for most consecutive road losses against any single team, surpassing the old mark of 23 games held by Pittsburgh, which lost 23 straight in Philadelphia from 1980-87.

From the Flames' side, they are the worst road team against any single opponent, ever. For the Ducks, it is a record that represents dominance at home, winning the most consecutive games against any one opponent in NHL history. Perspective is everything.

This year has seen two of the longest and most notorious droughts in professional sports finally end. In June, the Cavaliers overcame the near-impossible and erased a 3-1 deficit against Golden State to capture the NBA championship, and Cleveland's first title in any major sport in 52 years. Last week, we witnessed the Chicago Cubs end their obscene 108-year title drought and defeat the Cleveland Indians in seven games to capture the World Series.

Unable to build momentum off the slump-busting vibes of 2016 that the Cavs and Cubs generated, the Flames are in the midst of a predicament seemingly so deep, yet so easily halted. All they have to do is win one game in Anaheim, just one. Not a championship, not a pennant, not a series. A single victory will end it all, but who knows if (or when) that's coming.

Jarome Iginla was captain and Miikka Kiprusoff was the team's goalie the last time Calgary won in Anaheim, which must seem like an eternity for Flames fans.

It was Jan. 19, 2004, and here are some other notable items to help put in perspective how long the winless streak has been.

• Flames rookie Matthew Tkachuk was seven years old.

• iPhone's didn't exist yet (Motorola Razr was the top phone).

• The Ducks were still wearing these beauties and Sergei Fedorov was on the team.

• No Doubt, Nickelback, and Outcast topped the billboard charts.

• The Atlanta Thrashers were still a team.

• And America's favourite president George W. Bush was in his first presidential term. He wouldn't get re-elected until later that year.