Looking back: More than 50 years of thrills, heartbreak for Sabres in first round of Stanley Cup Playoffs
As the Buffalo Sabres return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011, let's take a look back at the Sabres' storied history in the postseason's first round.
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As the Buffalo Sabres return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2011, let's take a look back at the Sabres' storied history in the postseason's first round.
Note: In 1975, the Sabres were among the teams that earned a bye to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They didn’t play in the preliminary round.
A splash photo from the Buffalo Evening News by photographer Robert L. Smith shows Rene Robert's game-winning goal
in Game 5 of the Buffalo Sabres' first round series against the Montreal Canadiens on April 10, 1973.
1973 – Montreal Canadiens defeat Sabres 4-2: The Sabres made their postseason debut in 1973, but lost in six games to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in a series that featured a thrilling 3-2 Sabres overtime victory in Game 5 in the Montreal Forum. Roger Crozier made 38 saves and Rene Robert tallied the game-winning goal to send the series back to Buffalo. The Canadiens used a four-goal first period and 42 saves by Ken Dryden to cut the Sabres’ season short in a 4-2 win at Memorial Auditorium two days later.
The Buffalo Evening News' sports page showing Don Luce's overtime winner against
The St. Louis Blues to send the Buffalo Sabres to the second round of the playoffs.
1976 – Sabres defeat St. Louis Blues 2-1: The Sabres had trouble solving Blues goaltender Ed Staniowski, who made 123 saves over the series’ three games. Buffalo dropped Game 1 of this series 5-2 in St. Louis, but eked out 3-2 and 2-1 overtime victories back home at the Aud to punch their ticket to a second-round matchup with the New York Islanders.
1977 – Sabres defeat Minnesota North Stars 2-0: Buffalo dispatched the North Stars handily in this opening round series, with future Sabres broadcast mainstay Jim Lorentz scoring four goals, including a hat trick in the 7-1 series clinching victory in Minnesota.
The Buffalo Evening News' sports page recaps the Buffalo Sabres' series clinching
victory over the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs in 1978.
1978 – Sabres defeat New York Rangers 2-1: The Sabres took down the majestic mane of Ron Dugay and his fellow Rangers, winning both series games at the Aud by scores of 4-1. The only hiccup came in a 4-3 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden.
The sports page of The Buffalo News after the Buffalo Sabres' elimination in overtime in a first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
1979 – Pittsburgh Penguins defeat Sabres 2-1: The Sabres lost both home games in the Aud to Pittsburgh by scores of 4-3, including the series clincher in overtime. The Sabres couldn’t hold on to a 3-2 lead in Game 3, surrendering the game-tying and game-winning goals to Penguins center George Ferguson.
1980 – Sabres defeat Vancouver Canucks 3-1: The Adams Division and Prince of Wales conference-leading Sabres outmatched the Canucks in this series. The tandem of Don Edwards and Bob Sauve held Vancouver to only two goals over the three Sabres victories. French Connection favorite Richard Martin scored four goals.
1981 – Sabres defeat Canucks 3-0: It was another first-round victory over Vancouver for Buffalo. This time, a sweep. Alan Haworth, Danny Gare, Lindy Ruff, and Tony McKegney tallied multiple goals to send the Sabres to what would be a high-scoring second-round matchup with Minnesota.
1982 – Boston Bruins defeat Sabres 3-1: In a harbinger of Sabres’ postseasons for the next 10 years, the Sabres didn’t put up much of a fight against the Bruins, who scored in bunches in 7-3 and 5-2 victories in Games 2 and 4, respectively, to send the Sabres home early.
The Buffalo News' sports page covering the Buffalo Sabres' first-round victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the 1983 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
1983 – Sabres defeat Canadiens 3-0: Sauve and the Sabres shut out the Habs 1-0 and 3-0 in the first two games at the Montreal Forum before clinching the series 4-2 on home ice to set up a playoff rematch with the Bruins.
1984 – Quebec Nordiques defeat Sabres 3-0: The Nordiques upset the Sabres in a sweep, chasing rookie-sensation goalie Tom Barrasso from the net after three second-period goals in a 3-2 Game 1 victory for Quebec in Buffalo. The Nordiques chased Sauve from the net in a 6-2 win in Game 2, before wrapping up the series with a 4-1 victory at the Quebec Coliseum in Game 3.
1985 – Nordiques defeat Sabres 3-2: Buffalo put up more of a fight against the Nordiques in this series, taking Games 3 and 4 by scores of 6-4 and 7-4. Young stars Dave Andreychuk and Phil Housley led the way for the Sabres with four and three goals, respectively, while former first-round pick Ric Seiling chipped in four goals of his own. However, Buffalo blew leads of 3-1 and 5-3 in the decisive Game 5, giving up three goals in the third period in a 6-5 loss to end their season.
1988 – Bruins defeat Sabres 4-2: Despite a point a game pace by rookie Pierre Turgeon, the Sabres could not keep up with Boston’s firepower, as 15 Bruins scored to send the Sabres home in six games. The series was not without its highlights for Buffalo, however. Center John Tucker scored four goals in a 6-2 victory over Boston in Game 3. He scored 2 in the next game – including the overtime winner − a 6-5 victory over the Bruins.
1989 – Bruins defeat Sabres 4-1: Buffalo kicked off this series with a 6-0 victory in Game 1 at the Boston Garden, but couldn’t keep up the momentum.
The Bruins won the next four games by a combined score of 16-8 to mark yet another first-round exit for the Sabres.
The Buffalo News' sports page in the aftermath of the Buffalo Sabres' loss to
The Montreal Canadiens in the 1990 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
1990 – Canadiens defeat Sabres 4-2: The Sabres couldn’t get the job done with home ice advantage. Top center Pierre Turgeon, coming off his best season so far (40 goals, 66 assists), and Andreychuk (40G, 42A) found the net only twice each as the
Sabres fell to the Canadiens in six games.
1991 – Canadiens defeat Sabres 4-2: The Habs outpaced the Sabres in a mostly high-scoring series, scoring 29 total goals over six games. Buffalo added 24 goals of their own, but fell 7-5, 5-4, 4-3 and 5-1 over their four losses in the series.
The elimination marked the end of Turgeon’s last full season in Buffalo before a trade sent him to the Islanders, and Pat LaFontaine to the Sabres.
1992 – Bruins defeat Sabres 4-3: The Sabres lost Alexander Mogilny to a leg injury in Game 2 of this series, and a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit fell short – despite eight goals and three assists from LaFontaine – when a Bruins goal by Dave Reid midway through the third period made the difference in
a 3-2 Game 7 loss for Buffalo.
Buffalo Sabres winger Brad May celebrates his legendary "May Day!" game-winning and playoff
series-winning goal against the Boston Bruins with Pat LaFontaine in 1993. Buffalo News file photo
1993 – Sabres defeat Bruins 4-0: Buffalo finally broke through the first round against their Adams Division foes, upsetting Boston in a 4-0 sweep. Fresh off his 76-goal season, Mogilny added another six against the Bruins, and the Sabres won three games in OT, none more memorable than the clincher, as a sprawling LaFontaine fed a streaking Brad May, who spun Ray Bourque out of his skates and beat a diving Andy Moog for the infamous "
May Day!" goal and send the Sabres to the second round.
Buffalo Sabres winger Dave Hannan floats a backhand shot past New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur in the fourth overtime
in Game 6 of the Sabres' first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series in 1994. The Sabres won the game 1-0, but lost the series. Buffalo News file photo
1994 – New Jersey Devils defeat Sabres 4-3: The Sabres fell in seven games to the Devils in a series most memorable for
Dave Hannan's goal in in the fourth overtime of a 1-0 Sabres victory in Game 6. Goalie Dominik Hasek made 70 saves in the shutout win, which sent the series back to New Jersey. The Sabres scored first in the first period of Game 7, but only mustered 18 shots on goal. Hasek made 44 saves on 46 shots, but two goals were enough for New Jersey to send the Sabres home.
1995 – Philadelphia Flyers defeat Sabres 4-1: In the last playoff series ever to be played at the Aud,
Buffalo fell in five games to the Flyers. It also marked the final hurrah for Mogilny in a Sabres uniform, as the star winger contributed three goals and two assists as
Buffalo struggled to solve Flyers goalie Ron Hextall, who would lead Philadelphia to the conference final.
1997 –
Sabres defeat Ottawa Senators 4-3: "The hardest working team in hockey" finally broke the streak of first-round exits for the Sabres. Buffalo bested Ottawa in a seven game series, despite the loss of Dominik Hasek to a knee injury in Game 3 (and a
scuffle between Hasek and
Buffalo News columnist Jim Kelley after Game 5).
Derek Plante kept the Sabres alive with the game-tying goal in the third period of Game 7 before his slapshot leaked through the glove of Sens goalie Ron Tugnutt in overtime to earn the Sabres a date with Philadelphia and the Legion of Doom.
1998 – Sabres defeat Flyers 4-1: Revenge was sweet for the Sabres as they avenged the previous season's second-round loss to the Flyers and
sent Eric Lindros and company home in five games. The Sabres battered the Flyers 6-1 and 4-1 at home, while earning a pair of 3-2 victories in Games 1 and 5 on the road in Philly. Winger Michal Grosek led Buffalo's goal scorers with four in the series, including the overtime winner in the decisive game.
The game and the series were over. The ceremonial handshake line was completed. All the brooms had been cleared off the ice and the media members were making their way from player to player in the victorious Sabres’ dressing room. Meanwhile, as always, Dominik Hasek was in the back room, remaining faithful to his post-game routine, putting in his
1999 – Sabres defeat Senators 4-0: Buffalo kicked off its run to the Stanley Cup Final with a four-game sweep of the Senators. Hasek dominated the crease, making at least 40 saves in three of the series four games (his lone effort under 40 was 31 saves in a Game 3 shutout).
2000 – Flyers defeat Sabres 4-1: The Sabres struggled against the top seeded Flyers,
mustering only 8 goals over the series' five games and were shut out after a measly 17 shots on goal on home ice in Game 3.
2001 – Sabres defeat Flyers 4-2: Buffalo had its revenge a season later, taking the first two games on the road in Philadelphia en route to a 4-2 series victory. After five tight games, the series clincher was a laugher.
Six different Sabres scored in an 8-0 rout of the Flyers in HSBC Arena, with winger J.P. Dumont tallying two goals in his first playoff series with Buffalo.
The Buffalo News' sports page after the Buffalo Sabres eliminated
The Philadelphia Flyers from the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs in six games.
2006 – Sabres defeat Flyers 4-2: The Sabres were red-hot in 2006. Co-captain Daniel Briere sent the crowd at then-HSBC Arena into a frenzy when his goal in the second OT gave the Sabres a 3-2 victory in Game 1. The Sabres themselves sent the Flyers into a frenzy in an 8-2 blowout in Game 2, after which coach Lindy Ruff accused the Flyers of trying to hurt his players, saying they "acted like idiots." Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock responded with,
"Tell Lindy to (expletive) off ... " as he stormed out of the postgame presser. The Flyers evened the series over the next two games in Philly, but goalie Ryan Miller shut them out 3-0 back home in Buffalo in Game 5.
The Sabres iced the series with a 7-1 win in Game 6 in Philadelphia.
2007 – Sabres defeat New York Islanders 4-1: After winning the Presidents' Trophy during the regular season, the
Sabres dispatched the Islanders in five games. In a sign of things to come for the rest of the playoffs, it was no walk in the park for the Sabres. The Islanders kept things close, and even stole a 3-2 victory from Buffalo in Game 2. The Sabres simply were a better team, beating the Islanders 3-2, 4-2 and 4-3 over the next three games to clinch the series.
2010 – Bruins defeat Sabres 4-2: The Sabres squandered leads (and home ice advantage) in the third periods of Games 2 and 4, bowing out of the playoffs early after a Northeast Division title and a 100-point season (the last for Buffalo in both categories until this year). Top scorers Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville were held to two goals apiece as the Sabres' offense was stymied by Bruins goalie Tukka Rask.
2011 – Flyers defeat Sabres 4-3: Riding momentum from the purchase of the team by Terry Pegula late in the season, the Sabres clinched their trip to the playoffs with a win over the Flyers in the last home game of the season, and followed that up with a 1-0 shutout win in Game 1 in Philly after 35 save effort by Ryan Miller. The Flyers won the next two games, but after another 1-0 shutout in Game 4 and a 4-3 OT win in Game 5, the Sabres were poised to win the series on Easter Sunday in Game 6. Until Ville Leino came calling. The Flyers winger swiped a pinballing puck in front of the net to send the series back to Philly, where the Flyers dispatched the Sabres 5-2 in Game 7.
