Calgary, Alberta ? Calgary is revving up to enjoy one of the most unlikely Stanley Cup championships in NHL history, one some Flames fans probably thought they’d never see but now might be just hours away.

There is talk 100,000 will jam 17th Ave., known as the Red Mile in the Flames’ honor, to celebrate a Cup-clinching victory tonight in Game 6 against Tampa Bay. Newspaper headlines declare Jarome Iginla is virtually certain to be the playoffs MVP once Calgary wins its first Cup since 1989, completing an improbable run for the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

So why is Lightning coach John Tortorella talking as if Game 7 on Monday not only is a possibility, but a certainty?

And why was Flames coach Darryl Sutter, overly cautious throughout the playoffs about speaking a single word that could turn up on an opponent’s bulletin board, even more restrained than usual Friday?

Maybe it’s because Tortorella and Sutter both know recent history suggests that a Cup-deciding victory in Game 6 is anything but assured.

Three of the last five teams with a chance to win the Cup in Game 6 couldn’t do so — the 2003 and 2001 Devils and the 1994 Rangers. The 2000 Devils and 1999 Stars pulled it off, but Dallas needed a third overtime in Buffalo and a disputed goal by Brett Hull and the Devils required a two-overtime game in Dallas. The 2001 Devils not only lost Game 6 at home to Colorado, they lost Game 7 and the series, too.

“It just tells you that every game is sort of an entity unto itself,” a weary Sutter said, only a few hours removed from an all-night flight following Thursday’s 3-2 overtime victory in Game 5.

What Tortorella is telling his players is the series isn’t over. Asked if he expects to go back home for Game 7, he said, “Yes, we will.”

He even revealed the team’s travel plans, saying it will stay in Calgary after Game 6 to rest up before flying home Sunday.

“Then we’ll go on to Game 7,” he said.

Tortorella’s tactic is low-risk, since the Flames seemingly own nearly every advantage as they close in on becoming Canada’s first Stanley Cup champion since Montreal in 1993. The excitement in Calgary is inescapable, the Flames’ all-in-red fans are certain to be at their tumultuous best and the momentum is theirs.

But Tortorella must have liked this sign: An optional skate Friday afternoon attracted every player, a rarity so late in the two-month playoff grind.

“We’re fine. We feel good … the pressure’s not on us right now, it’s on Calgary’s team,” Tortorella said. “They’ve got all of Canada here waiting for them to win, the Cup’s in the building … they’re making all the calls to get their relatives in. I’m anxious to see how they respond.”