Buffalo Sabres: 3 most agonizing losses since 1999
By Sion Fawkes
2006 Eastern Conference Finals
Matthew Morris of The Hockey Writers called this one the Buffalo Sabres most heartbreaking loss – ever. While Morris acknowledged the 1999 Stanley Cup Final more than once, the Sabres had a bit of a Cinderella run in 2005-06.
Following the 2004-05 NHL Lockout, no one had a high opinion of the Sabres. But, just about everyone forgot that despite the NHL lockout, the AHL still had a season to play, and play it did to the advantage of Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek, and Jason Pominville, all of whom would become key contributors during the latter half of the decade. We also cannot forget about Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad.
Though young and inexperienced at the NHL level, Ryan Miller and company had already built chemistry while most of the league’s other 29 teams were basically starting from scratch. Add seasoned vets Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, and the Sabres shocked the NHL universe to a 110-point finish, good for fourth in the East. Here are three promising stats from that season:
- 25 road wins
- Five, five-plus game winning streaks
- An eight-game winning streak in March
2006 Stanley Cup Playoff Run
You look at what the Buffalo Sabres accomplished that season and you may think, “not bad for a team expected to finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in 2005-06.” But what good is the regular season if you can’t perform in the playoffs?
Well, the Sabres had an answer for that too, knocking off the Philadelphia Flyers and top-seeded Ottawa Senators – the latter they eliminated in just five games.
Then came the tilt with the Carolina Hurricanes. And it was a back-and-forth, classic heavyweight fight type of series. With the Hurricanes up three games to two, momentum shifted to the Sabres following a 2-1 win in overtime on their home ice.
Despite a plethora of injuries, including four defensemen, the Sabres entered the third period with a two-goal lead. Then, they fell apart, and watched Carolina tie the game at the 1:34 mark, take the lead at 11:22, and finally, seal the deal at 19:08.
It was a ride of the ages, and a story for the ages. But the Buffalo Sabres came just one period shy of seeing their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final. But, they would return with a vengeance the following season.