As you handle your elation—or indifference—about the new CBA, the Buffalo Sabres look forward to turning the ship around from a disappointing 2011-12 season.
The Sabres had a relatively quiet offseason prior to the lockout, signing depth players like John Scott, Kevin Porter, and Nick Tarnasky, and trading Derek Roy to the Dallas Stars for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy.
Yet there has been a lot going on in the AHL and junior ranks while the NHLers have endured the work stoppage.
So what will the 2013 Sabres look like.
For a team that’s never won a Stanley Cup, the Buffalo Sabres still have a long list of playoff dramas. Those runs have seen this team captivate a city like few others in professional sports.
So who has the most memorable playoff goals in franchise history?
As with any list, there will be some candidates left out that certainly have legitimate reasons for being included.
1996-97 saw the Sabres capture their first division title in 16 years and began their era as “the hardest-working team in hockey.” Derek Plante culminated their first-round series with the Ottawa Senators that year by clinching Game 7 in OT with a slapshot that just dribbled by Sens goalie Ron Tugnutt.
When Buffalo returned from the last lockout in 2005-06, Chris Drury ended a wild, seesaw battle in Game 1 of its second-round series, again versus heavily favored Ottawa. The OT winner finished an incredible 7-6 shootout.
In the following slides, we’re going to look at five postseason goals that should be ingrained in every Sabres fans’ mind, young or old.
