The Buffalo Sabres are still looking for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and have come close a couple of times. There may not be a closer time than the 1998-99 season when the Sabres would get all the way to the Stanley Cup Final to play the Dallas Stars.
It was a back and forth series between the two teams as the Sabres took Game 1 with a 3-2 overtime win before the Stars would win the next two. In Game 4, the Sabres were able to tie the series up with a 2-1 win before the Sabres were shutout in Game 5.
They were returning to Buffalo down 3-2 but with how the series had played out, there was a good chance they could push it to a Game 7. The Stars jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a goal by Jere Lehtinen in the first period but the Sabres answered in the second with Stu Barnes scoring a goal.
That would be the final goal in regulation as it would be tied at one after the third period, and then after the first overtime, and again after the second overtime.
Brett Hull with the controversial goal to destroy the Buffalo Sabres' Stanley Cup dreams
In the third overtime, the Dallas Stars would finally get the game-winning goal when Brett Hull was able to beat Dominik Hasek. However, the goal itself had plenty of controversy that is still debated to this day.
At the time of the goal, the NHL had a rule that a player couldn't score a goal if he was in the crease. In the video, it is clear that he is in the crease but supposedly going into the playoffs the NHL changed their interpretation of the rule as it would only be waved off if the shooter interfered with the goalie.
Even if that was the interpretation of the rule, it is clear that Hull kicked the puck with his left foot, which should have caused the goal to be waved off. In the video, the first thing Hull said was "When the puck got shot and was lying at my feet, I kicked it up to myself."
There was enough on that play for it to logically be overturned but that wasn't the case and the Buffalo Sabres haven't been back to the Stanley Cup since.