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Buffalo Sabres Playoff Memories: Derek Plante’s OT Winner

By Melissa Kania

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The date is April 29, 1997 — a great day in Buffalo Sabres history, and one of the biggest goals Derek Plante ever scored in his NHL career.

Do you remember it?

Fans flocked to the then-named Marine Midland Arena in downtown Buffalo for a critical game seven against the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The Sabres were coming off a 3-0 victory over the Senators at Corel Centre two days prior, which allowed them to tie the series and force a game seven.

It was the first playoff series between Ottawa and Buffalo.

After 60 minutes of play, the teams were tied at 2. Ottawa goals came from Shawn McEachern and Wade Redden, while Buffalo’s goals came from Donald Audette and Plante.

It was a matchup of Ron Tugnutt vs. Steve Shields in the cage, as Dominik Hasek was down with a knee injury that had kept him out since Game 3 of the series.

Is there anything more exciting than playoff overtime? How about playoff overtime IN GAME SEVEN? What a nail-biter.

It took 5 minutes and 24 seconds of overtime for the Buffalo Sabres to end things, with the infamous goal by Plante. Here’s the video:

What a classic goal. In my head, even without seeing the video, I can hear Rick Jeanneret’s call of the goal. Eighteen years later, it still gives me chills.

Funnily enough, I can remember that game as clear as day. I was six years old, and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at Marine Midland Arena that fateful day. I’ll never forget it – Mom scrounged up our last dollars to take the family, the atmosphere in the arena was INSANE, and to this day, it’s one of the best games I’ve ever been to.

I’ll never forget the look on Tugnutt’s face — how he turned around, saw the puck rolling into the net, and knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. My six-year-old little heart broke for him at the time. (Seriously, I remember feeling bad for him.)

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    • But that sadness was quickly overcome by sheer joy and elation that not only had the Sabres won, it meant they were moving on to the second round to face the Philadelphia Flyers.

    The New York Times article from the day after the game noted that it was the first time in NHL history that the same player scored both the tying goal in the third period AND the overtime winner in a Game 7.

    The Game 7 victory also marked the Sabres’ first playoff series win since 1993.

    The Sabres would go on to be eliminated by the Flyers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but it was undoubtedly a huge victory for the team to capture that game seven win and take the series.

    And where, you might ask, is our dear old friend Plante now?

    After leaving Buffalo, he played for a number of teams, including the Dallas Stars – where he won a Stanley Cup; the Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. He also spent time in the IHL and AHL before playing overseas with the Munich Barons, Mannheim Eagles, Zurich and Langenthal.

    Plante hung up the skates in 2008 and has since joined the University of Minnesota-Duluth as an assistant coach.

    So, Buffalo Sabres fans — what are your favorite playoff memories?

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