1998–99 Buffalo Sabres season

NHLTeamSeason
Season=1998–99
Team=Buffalo Sabres
Conference=Eastern
ConferenceRank=7th
Division=Northeast
DivisionRank=4th
Record=37–28–17
HomeRecord=23–12–6
RoadRecord=14–16–11
GoalsFor=207
GoalsAgainst=175
GeneralManager=
Coach=Lindy Ruff
Captain=Michael Peca
AltCaptain=
Arena=HSBC Arena
Attendance=
GoalsLeader=Miroslav Satan (40)
AssistsLeader=Jason Woolley (33)
PointsLeader=Miroslav Satan (66)
PIMLeader=Rob Ray (261)
WinsLeader=Dominik Hasek (30)
GAALeader=Dominik Hasek (1.87)
ConferenceWin=Yes

During the Buffalo Sabres 1998–99 season, Miroslav Satan scored 40 goals. The Sabres would add centers Stu Barnes from the Pittsburgh Penguins and Joe Juneau from the Capitals. Michal Grosek had the best season of his career, and the team finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals, this time against the Dallas Stars.

Offseason

NHL Draft

* - player was traded during season; stats only include games played with Buffalo

Defencemen

"Note: GP= Games played; G= Goals; AST= Assists; PTS = Points; PIM = Points"

Eastern Conference Semi-finals

"No Goal!"

In the sixth game, Dallas Stars winger Brett Hull's triple-overtime goal — as Hull's skate was visibly in Hasek's crease — ended the series, and the Stars were awarded the Cup. In 1999, it was illegal to score a goal if an offensive player's skate entered the crease before the puck did. At the time, even "Dallas Morning News" hockey writer Keith Gave questioned the legality of the goal. NHL officials, however, maintained that Hull's two shots in the goal mouth constituted a single possession of the puck since the puck deflected off Hasek, and their ruling stood, citing that they "were going to change the rule the following year anyway." It is widely speculated that, by the time the Sabres mentioned the foul, the red carpet had already been unrolled at center ice, and the officials refused to acknowledge the non-call. ESPN's "Page2" staff has ranked the call as the fifth worst officiating call in sports history. [ESPN.com - Page2, [http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/worstcalls/010730.html Worst Calls In Sports History] ] Conversely, Al Strachan of the Toronto Sun wrote "There should have been no controversy whatsoever. When Hull first kicked the rebound on to his stick, he had neither foot in the crease. At the instant he kicked the puck, he became in control of it. It was only in the follow-through of that kick that his left foot moved into the crease." [About.com [http://proicehockey.about.com/od/history/f/no_goal.htm "No Goal" Explanation] ] Buffalo sports fans, who have suffered through some of the biggest misfortunes in sports history (such as "Wide Right" and "Music City Miracle"), refer to the game as "No Goal," a phrase still used in western New York to this day, even having bumper stickers saying the phrase. The rule was changed for the following season, allowing players to be inside the goaltender's crease as long as they do not interfere with the goalie.

Awards and records

* Prince of Wales Trophy
* Dominik Hasek, Nominee, Hart Trophy
* Dominik Hasek, Nominee, Lester B. Pearson Trophy
* Dominik Hasek, Vezina Trophy
*Dominik Hasek, NHL First Team All-Star [National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 237, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5]

NHL All-Star Game
*Dominik Hasek, World Team

References

* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0000331999.html Sabres on Hockey Database]