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head coach: Lindy Ruff

roster: C - Mike Peca, Derek Plante, Brian Holzinger, Wayne Primeau, Eric Rasmussen. LW - Geoff Sanderson, Miroslav Satan, Michal Grosek, Paul Kruse, Denis Hamel. RW - Donald Audette, Matthew Barnaby, Dixon Ward, Rob Ray, Vaclav Varada. D - Alexei Zhitnik, Darryl Shannon, Jay McKee, Mike Wilson, Bob Boughner, Richard Smehlik, Jason Woolley, Jason Holland, Rumun Ndur, Jean Luc Grand-Pierre. G - Dominik Hasek, Steve Shields, Martin Biron.

standings:

Eastern Conference - Northeast Division
Team         GP   W   L   T   PTS   GF   GA    
y-Pittsburgh 82  40  24  18    98  228  188 
x-Boston     82  39  30  13    91  221  194  
x-Buffalo    82  36  29  17    89  211  187  
x-Montreal   82  37  32  13    87  235  208  
x-Ottawa     82  34  33  15    83  193  200  
Carolina     82  33  41   8    74  200  219   

y - Clinched division
x - Clinched playoff spot

team news:

by Michael Dell, Editor-in-Chief

The Buffalo Sabres had kind of a unique plan for success in 1997- 98. Even though the club was coming off a remarkable 1996-97 season that saw it claim its first division title in 16 years, Buffalo management decided that success was the devil. The Sabres brass spit in prosperity's face, tackled it to the ground, and wrote "mucus" on its forehead.

The changes came fast and furious. GM John Muckler, hailed by many as a genius for his front office wheeling despite a limited budget, was unceremoniously fired. NHL Coach of the Year Ted Nolan, the man most responsible for Buffalo's turnaround and an incredibly popular coach with fans and players alike, was then told that his services behind the bench would no longer be needed. The final bullet in the foot came when the club dumped Pat LaFontaine on his ear, freeing him to sign with the New York Rangers.

Needless to say, these moves were not greeted with applause. Fans were outraged. Hell, even players were outraged. Matthew Barnaby, one of Nolan's most vocal supporters, blamed Dominik Hasek for the coach's dismissal. Many speculated that it was a personal rift with the star goaltender that punched Nolan's ticket out of town. This sentiment was not lost on Barnaby. The scrappy winger even threatened to run Hasek on the first day of training camp. Aw, that can't be good for team morale.

Inheriting all these problems was ex-Sabre player Lindy Ruff. The former assistant with the Florida Panthers was getting his first crack at being a head coach in the NHL under these less than favorable circumstances. Despite the tempest swirling around him, Ruff accepted the burden without complaint and tried to make the best of a bad situation.

Adding to the distractions was a contract holdout involving Mike Peca. While the Selke nominee sat, the Sabres struggled. Buffalo went 3-6-2 in its first 11 games. Even when Peca returned things didn't immediately improve. On December 31 the club was a meager 14-18-6 and out of the playoff picture. This despite the spectacular efforts of Hasek, who recorded six shutouts in the month of December.

Dominik Hasek by Meredith Martini

Yet miraculously, the dawning of a new year brought with it a new lease on life for the Sabres. Whether it was the presence of Ruff or just a renewed confidence spawned by Hasek's improved play, Buffalo went on a rampage from January 1st on, finishing 22-11-1 over the season's final 34 games. Hasek was the catalyst, leading the league for the fifth consecutive season in save percentage with a personal best mark of .932 and topping the charts with a career high 13 shutouts. These numbers made his remarkable 2.09 goals-against average seem rather ordinary in comparison.

It's a good thing that Hasek had such an excellent season, because the Sabres weren't going to win many games with their offense. Buffalo finished 17th overall in scoring with 211 goals. And there wasn't a Sabre in shouting distance of the league's leading scorers. Miroslav Satan was the team's high point man with 22 goals and 46 points in 79 games. How can 46 points lead a team? That's just sad. Donald Audette was the top goal-scorer with 24.

While none of the Sabre forwards were winning accolades, Alexei Zhitnik was gaining plenty of attention for his work along the blue line. The Russian defender blossomed into a legitimate Norris Trophy candidate, playing a consistent hard-hitting, intelligent brand of hockey for the first time in his career. Zhitnik always had the talent to be a major force, he just never seemed to deliver on a regular basis. That all changed this season. He was the cornerstone of the a shallow Sabre defense, logging enormous amounts of ice time with regular partner Richard Smehlik. Zhitnik ended the season with 15 goals, 45 points, 102 penalty minutes, and a +19.

Despite the strong stretch run, the Sabres could finish no higher than sixth in the Eastern Conference. That set the stage for a first-round meeting with the mighty Philadelphia Flyers. Luckily, the Flyers were ripe for the picking. Eric Lindros was still groggy from his late season run-in with Pittsburgh's Darius Kasparaitis, Janne Niinimaa was no longer in town, and GM Bobby Clarke never really solved his club's weakness in net. Combine Philly's woes with Buffalo's hot play and the series was a mismatch. The Sabres rolled a sleepwalking Flyer squad in just five games, closing out the series with a Michal Grosek overtime goal in Game Five.

The surprising thing about the win over the Flyers was that Hasek wasn't his usual dominating self. That pattern continued in the first two games of the second round against the Montreal Canadiens, but then Hasek picked up his play and carried the Sabres to a convincing sweep of the Habs. Barnaby even notched his first career hat trick in the series to aid the cause. Barnaby and Hasek working together... it almost brings a tear to the eye. C'mon, everybody join hands. I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony...

Buffalo found itself in the conference finals for the first time since 1979-80. Opposing the Sabres were the surprising Washington Capitals and goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Hasek had the hype, but Kolzig had been the best goaltender in the playoffs. The trend continued. Save for a brilliant Game Five performance by Hasek to single-handedly keep Buffalo's hopes alive, Kolzig outplayed the Dominator and backstopped the Caps to a six-game triumph.

Some of the defeat's sting was relieved at the NHL Awards Ceremony when Hasek won both the Hart and Vezina Trophies for the second consecutive year. In doing so he becomes the first goaltender to ever win back-to-back MVP honors.

While Sabre fans would have enjoyed an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, it's hard to be disappointed with the club's overall performance considering how the season started. Not many people would have picked the Sabres for a conference finalist back in October. The road chosen was a bit rocky, but it's hard to argue with the results.

TEAM MVP: Dominik Hasek blah blah blah. Hasek blah blah. Blah blah Hasek blah.

Vaclav Varada by Tricia McMillan

SURPRISE: Rookie Vaclav Varada was called up late in the season and proved to be quite the sparkplug. After tearing up the AHL, Varada was expected to have a decent scoring touch, but few thought he'd be so strong defensively. Varada stepped right in and solidified the checking line with Peca and Dixon Ward without missing a beat. He also proved to be a fierce competitor, playing an aggressive, hard-nosed style that fit in perfectly with the recent Sabre image.

DISAPPOINTMENT: Matthew Barnaby and Michal Grosek both had weak regular seasons, with Barnaby scoring just five goals and Grosek 10, but each made up for it with inspired playoff performances. Derek Plante, on the other hand, was awful from start to finish. Plante led the Sabres in scoring last season with 27 goals and 53 points. This year he slipped to just 13 goals and 34 points. He was even worse in the playoffs, collecting just three assists in 11 games. This lack of production opened the door for Curtis Brown to take Plante's spot in the lineup on more than one occasion. Expect to see more of the same next year.

Geoff Sanderson also deserves some mention as a disappointment. In fact, Sanderson pulled off the rare feat of being a disappointment with three different teams... sort of the hat trick of ineptness. He started the year in Carolina before being traded to Vancouver and eventually winding up with the Sabres. He was brutal at all three stops. He just never found his niche in Buffalo. He was all over the lineup, playing with Brian Holzinger and Audette one minute and then skating on a fourth unit the next. It's hard to believe that only a few years ago he was a 40-goal guy and the pride of the Hartford franchise. He still has the speed and shot to be a weapon, it just seems that his confidence is wrecked.

OFF-SEASON CHANGES: Buffalo's already weak blue line took another hit at the expansion draft when it lost tough guy Bob Boughner to the Nashville Predators. Boughner teamed up with Jason Woolley to form the Sabres' third pair of defensemen. His spot will likely be filled by Jay McKee next season.

Rob Ray is a free agent and may not be back. It's hard to imagine the Sabres without Ray. And with Brad May and Boughner already gone, if Ray splits the Sabres will hardly resemble the squad that fought its way to the top in 1996-97.

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