The Buffalo Sabres are deep into their rebuilding phase and hold the longest playoff drought in the league, missing the postseason every year since 2011. Despite this, fans across generations have many memorable moments to cherish while they await the team’s return to competitive play.
Established in 1970, the Sabres are among the few teams that have never won the Stanley Cup. Despite this, they’ve had several rosters with the potential to claim the ultimate prize. Which seasons stand out as the top 10 in Sabres history?
1) President’s Trophy winning 2006-07 squad
Arguably the most talented team in their history, the 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres soared through the regular season after changing their uniform colors from red and black to blue and gold. Despite mixed reactions to the infamous “Buffa-slug” logo, their performance on the ice was exceptional, as they set an NHL record by winning their first 10 games of the campaign en route to winning the President’s Trophy as the League’s top squad in the regular season for the 1st time in their history.
The Sabres breezed past the New York Islanders in Round 1 with a quick five-game series victory, then defeated the New York Rangers in six games in Round 2. One of the most thrilling moments in Sabres playoff history occurred in Game 5 of that series, when Chris Drury scored the game-tying goal in the final moments of regulation, followed by Maxim Afinogenov’s overtime winner.
Unfortunately, the Sabres fell short against the Ottawa Senators, who advanced to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final after winning the series in five games. The decisive goal came from captain Daniel Alfredsson in overtime of Game 5 at HSBC Arena.
2) 1974-75 Conference Champions
The 1974-75 Sabres, making their first-ever trip to the Stanley Cup Final in just their second playoff appearance, were led by the “French Connection” line: Hall of Fame center Gilbert Perreault flanked by Rick Martin and René Robert. They finished first overall in the new Adams Division and tied for the best record in the NHL.
Unfortunately, their run ended at the hands of the Broad Street Bullies, the Philadelphia Flyers, who defeated them in six games in the 1975 Stanley Cup Final.
3) 2005-06 post-lockout offensive juggernauts
The Sabres missed the playoffs in the 2003-04 season, and the following year was canceled due to the lockout. When the NHL resumed in 2005-06, the Sabres, led by Chris Drury, Danny Briere, Ryan Miller, Brian Campbell, and Maxim Afinogenov, started slowly but finished with 52 wins and their first 100-point season in 25 years.
Although they lost a heartbreaker in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Lindy Ruff won the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s best coach, setting up high hopes for the next season.
4) 1998-99 Stanley Cup Finalists
With the additions of Stu Barnes and Joe Juneau, the Sabres bounced back from the previous season’s Eastern Conference Final loss to reach the Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars.
Their playoff run ended in a highly controversial moment: Brett Hull’s overtime-winning goal in Game 6, which should have been disallowed due to his skate being in the crease, according to the rules at the time. To this day, “No goal!” remains a rallying cry of Sabres fans everywhere.
5) 1979-80 Prince of Wales Trophy winners
Continuing their regular-season success, the Sabres surged through the Prince of Wales Conference, fueled by Danny Gare’s 56 goals and a stellar 2.36 goals-against average from goaltender Bob Sauve. Sauve, sharing the Vezina Trophy with teammate Don Edwards, was recognized as the League’s best goaltender.
After postseason victories over Vancouver and Chicago, the Sabres were ousted by the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders in Round 3.
6) 1976-77 3rd in Prince of Wales Conference
The Sabres managed 48 wins in a competitive Adams Division, finishing just two points behind the Boston Bruins for first place while also finishing third in the Prince of Wales Conference. 95 points from Gilbert Perreault (including 39 goals) paced the Buffalo offence, while Gerry Desjardins led the way in the net with 31 victories.
7) 1977-78 105 point season
The Sabres maintained their strong regular-season performance, finishing with a record of 44–19–17 for a total of 105 points. The legendary French Connection line continued to dominate, with Gilbert Perreault leading the team with 41 goals and 48 assists. Goaltender Don Edwards also had a standout season, winning 38 games.
8) 2009-10: Return to the playoffs
The Sabres lost several key players from their recent playoff runs, including Chris Drury, Danny Briere, and Brian Campbell. Despite these departures, they returned to the postseason after a three-year absence, thanks to stellar goaltending from Ryan Miller and strong performances from rookie defenseman Tyler Myers, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie.
9) 1997 Division champions
With stellar goaltending from Dominik Hasek, who won the first of back-to-back Hart and Vezina Trophies, the Sabres captured their first division championship in 16 years with a 40–30–12 record. The season also saw a uniform redesign, introducing a black and red color scheme and a new Buffalo-head logo.
10) Defensively stingy 2000-01 squad
In Dominik Hasek’s final season with the Sabres, Buffalo frustrated opponents by allowing the fewest goals and power-play goals while recording the most shutouts. Miroslav Satan led the way with 62 points, while Hasek produced another impressive goals-against average of only 2.11 while winning 37 games.
A Round 1 postseason victory over the Philadelphia Flyers set up a clash with Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Although the Sabres extended the series to the limit, defenseman Darius Kasparaitis’ overtime goal dashed their hopes of reaching the Eastern Conference Final.
