List of Buffalo Sabres seasons
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] Founded in 1970 as an expansion franchise, the Sabres played their homes games at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium from their inaugural season to 1996, and currently play in the KeyBank Center. The 2023–24 NHL season marked the 54th year of operation for the franchise. As of the end of the 2023–24 season, the Sabres have won 1,918 regular season games, accumulated six division championships and one conference championship, tied for the league lead in points once, appeared in the playoffs 29 times, and won zero Stanley Cup titles in two appearances.[2]
The Sabres started play in 1970, and made their first Stanley Cup appearance in 1975, losing the finals in 6 games against the Philadelphia Flyers. Over the next 10 seasons, the Sabres made a postseason appearance, advancing as far as the semifinals in the 1979–80 season, where they lost the series to the New York Islanders in 5 games. During the ten-year postseason appearance streak, the Sabres won the Prince of Wales Conference twice and the Adams Division three times. For the first time since the 1973–74 season, the Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs, missing the point cutoff by 4 points. The Sabres returned two years later in the 1987–88 season, beginning an eight-year postseason appearance streak. Despite the postseason appearance streak, the Sabres only made it past the first round once in the 1992–93 season, where they were subsequently eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in a sweep. The Sabres missed the playoffs in 1996, finishing in 11th of the Eastern Conference with 73 points,[3] 15 points behind the last team that qualified in the Eastern Conference, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sabres returned to the postseason the following year, starting their most successful postseason appearance streak, lasting for five years. Compared to the previous eight-year postseason appearance streak, the Sabres managed to advance past the first round in every season minus the 1999–2000 season. The 1999 playoff run would be the last appearance in the Stanley Cup finals for the Sabres as of the 2023–24 season. The Sabres had won the conference by beating the Senators, the Bruins, and the Maple Leafs. The Sabres would face the Dallas Stars in the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals, a series that they would lose in six, albeit in dubious fashion. The series ended with a controversial triple-overtime goal in game six where replays showed that Stars forward Brett Hull scored with his skate in the crease. Despite the Sabres protesting the goal, the league stated that the goal had been reviewed and was judged as a good goal.[4]
Following the 2000–01 season, the Sabres went on a three-year postseason appearance drought. After returning from the 2004–05 lockout, the Sabres had made it back to the postseason, making it to the conference finals against Carolina Hurricanes which was lost in seven. The 2006–07 season saw the Sabres put on their best performance in franchise history, with a franchise-high 53 wins to win the division and the Presidents' Trophy at 113 points.[5] With their regular season success, they advanced to the conference finals for the second year in a row, where they would lose to the Senators in five. The Sabres would not make the playoffs for another two seasons. The Sabres would win the Northeast division in the 2009–10 season and move onto the playoffs, being eliminated in the first round by the Bruins in 6. The same fate would happen next year, where they would make the playoffs and get eliminated in the first round, this time by the Philadelphia Flyers in 7. Since the 2010–11 season, the Sabres have not made a playoff appearance, setting the all-time record for longest postseason appearance drought in NHL history at 13 years and tying with the New York Jets for the longest active postseason drought across the major four professional sports leagues across North America.[6] The Sabres have also not won a single postseason series since the 2006–07 season, tying for 5th in all-time postseason series win droughts. The playoff drought has been accredited to multiple reasons, including failures of rebuilds, a lack of depth in rosters, and injuries to key players over multiple seasons.[7]
Table keys
[edit]Color/symbol | Explanation |
---|---|
† | Stanley Cup champions |
‡ | Conference champions |
↑ | Division champions |
# | Led league in points |
Term or abbreviation | Definition |
---|---|
Finish | Final position in division or league standings |
GP | Number of games played |
W | Number of wins |
L | Number of losses |
T | Number of ties (ending after the 2004–05 season) |
OT | Number of losses in overtime (since the 1999–2000 season) |
Pts | Number of points |
GF | Goals for (goals scored by the Sabres) |
GA | Goals against (goals scored by the Sabres' opponents) |
— | Does not apply |
Year by year
[edit]NHL season | Sabres season | Conference | Division | Regular season[8][9] | Postseason | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Finish | GP | W | L | T | OT | Pts | GF | GA | GP | W | L | GF | GA | Playoffs Result | |||||
1970–71 | 1970–71 | — | East | 5th | 78 | 24 | 39 | 15 | — | 63 | 217 | 291 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
1971–72 | 1971–72 | — | East | 6th | 78 | 16 | 43 | 19 | — | 51 | 203 | 289 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
1972–73 | 1972–73 | — | East | 4th | 78 | 37 | 27 | 14 | — | 88 | 257 | 219 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 21 | Lost quarterfinals to Montreal Canadiens, 2–4 | |
1973–74 | 1973–74 | — | East | 5th | 78 | 32 | 34 | 12 | — | 76 | 242 | 250 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
1974–75 | 1974–75 | Wales‡[a] | Adams↑ | 1st | 80 | 49 | 16 | 15 | — | 113 | 354 | 240 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 53 | 58 | Won quarterfinals vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 4–1 Won semifinals vs. Montreal Canadiens, 4–2 Lost Stanley Cup Finals to Philadelphia Flyers, 2–4 | |
1975–76 | 1975–76 | Wales | Adams | 2nd | 80 | 46 | 21 | 13 | — | 105 | 339 | 240 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 25 | 29 | Won preliminary round vs. St. Louis Blues, 2–1 Lost quarterfinals to New York Islanders, 2–4 | |
1976–77 | 1976–77 | Wales | Adams | 2nd | 80 | 48 | 24 | 8 | — | 104 | 301 | 220 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 19 | Won preliminary round vs. Minnesota North Stars, 2–0 Lost quarterfinals to New York Islanders, 0–4 | |
1977–78 | 1977–78 | Wales | Adams | 2nd | 80 | 44 | 19 | 17 | — | 105 | 288 | 215 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 22 | Won preliminary round vs. New York Rangers, 2–1 Lost quarterfinals to Philadelphia Flyers, 1–4 | |
1978–79 | 1978–79 | Wales | Adams | 2nd | 80 | 36 | 28 | 16 | — | 88 | 280 | 263 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 9 | Lost preliminary round to Pittsburgh Penguins, 1–2 | |
1979–80 | 1979–80 | Wales‡ | Adams↑ | 1st | 80 | 47 | 17 | 16 | — | 110 | 318 | 201 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 48 | 36 | Won preliminary round vs. Vancouver Canucks, 3–1 Won quarterfinals vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 4–0 Lost semifinals to New York Islanders, 1–4 | |
1980–81 | 1980–81 | Wales | Adams↑ | 1st | 80 | 39 | 20 | 21 | — | 99 | 327 | 250 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 30 | Won preliminary round vs. Vancouver Canucks, 3–0 Lost quarterfinals to Minnesota North Stars, 1–4 | |
1981–82 | 1981–82 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 39 | 26 | 15 | — | 93 | 307 | 273 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 17 | Lost division semifinals to Boston Bruins, 1–3 | |
1982–83 | 1982–83 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 38 | 29 | 13 | — | 89 | 318 | 285 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 31 | 35 | Won division semifinals vs. Montreal Canadiens, 3–0 Lost division finals to Boston Bruins, 3–4 | |
1983–84 | 1983–84 | Wales | Adams | 2nd | 80 | 48 | 25 | 7 | — | 103 | 315 | 257 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 13 | Lost division semifinals to Quebec Nordiques, 0–3 | |
1984–85 | 1984–85 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 38 | 28 | 14 | — | 90 | 290 | 237 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 22 | Lost division semifinals to Quebec Nordiques, 2–3 | |
1985–86 | 1985–86 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | — | 80 | 296 | 291 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
1986–87 | 1986–87 | Wales | Adams | 5th | 80 | 28 | 44 | 8 | — | 64 | 280 | 308 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
1987–88 | 1987–88 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 37 | 32 | 11 | — | 85 | 283 | 305 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 22 | 28 | Lost division semifinals to Boston Bruins, 2–4 | |
1988–89 | 1988–89 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 38 | 35 | 7 | — | 83 | 291 | 299 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 14 | 16 | Lost division semifinals to Boston Bruins, 1–4 | |
1989–90 | 1989–90 | Wales | Adams | 2nd | 80 | 45 | 27 | 8 | — | 98 | 286 | 248 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 17 | Lost division semifinals to Montreal Canadiens, 2–4 | |
1990–91 | 1990–91 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 31 | 30 | 19 | — | 81 | 292 | 278 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 24 | 29 | Lost division semifinals to Montreal Canadiens, 2–4 | |
1991–92 | 1991–92 | Wales | Adams | 3rd | 80 | 31 | 37 | 12 | — | 74 | 289 | 299 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 24 | 19 | Lost division semifinals to Boston Bruins, 3–4 | |
1992–93 | 1992–93 | Wales | Adams | 4th | 84 | 38 | 36 | 10 | — | 86 | 335 | 297 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 31 | 28 | Won division semifinals vs. Boston Bruins, 4–0 Lost division finals to Montreal Canadiens, 0–4 | |
1993–94 | 1993–94 | Eastern[b] | Northeast | 4th | 84 | 43 | 32 | 9 | — | 95 | 282 | 218 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 14 | Lost conference quarterfinals to New Jersey Devils, 3–4 | |
1994–95[c] | 1994–95 | Eastern | Northeast | 4th | 48 | 22 | 19 | 7 | — | 51 | 130 | 119 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 18 | Lost conference quarterfinals to Philadelphia Flyers, 1–4 | |
1995–96 | 1995–96 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 82 | 33 | 42 | 7 | — | 73 | 247 | 262 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
1996–97 | 1996–97 | Eastern | Northeast↑ | 1st | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | — | 92 | 237 | 208 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 27 | 34 | Won conference quarterfinals vs. Ottawa Senators, 4–3 Lost conference semifinals to Philadelphia Flyers, 1–4 | |
1997–98 | 1997–98 | Eastern | Northeast | 3rd | 82 | 36 | 29 | 17 | — | 89 | 211 | 187 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 46 | 32 | Won conference quarterfinals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 4–1 Won conference semifinals vs. Montreal Canadiens, 4–0 Lost conference finals to Washington Capitals, 2–4 | |
1998–99 | 1998–99 | Eastern‡ | Northeast | 4th | 82 | 37 | 28 | 17 | — | 91 | 207 | 175 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 59 | 49 | Won conference quarterfinals vs. Ottawa Senators, 4–0 Won conference semifinals vs. Boston Bruins, 4–2 Won conference finals vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 4–1 Lost Stanley Cup Finals to Dallas Stars, 2–4 | |
1999–2000 | 1999–2000 | Eastern | Northeast | 3rd | 82 | 35 | 32 | 11 | 4[d] | 85 | 213 | 204 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 14 | Lost conference quarterfinals to Philadelphia Flyers, 1–4 | |
2000–01 | 2000–01 | Eastern | Northeast | 2nd | 82 | 46 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 98 | 218 | 184 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 38 | 30 | Won conference quarterfinals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 4–2 Lost conference semifinals to Pittsburgh Penguins, 3–4 | |
2001–02 | 2001–02 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 82 | 35 | 35 | 11 | 1 | 82 | 213 | 200 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2002–03 | 2002–03 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 82 | 27 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 72 | 190 | 219 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2003–04 | 2003–04 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 82 | 37 | 34 | 7 | 4 | 85 | 220 | 221 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2004–05[e] | 2004–05 | Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout | |||||||||||||||||
2005–06 | 2005–06 | Eastern | Northeast | 2nd | 82 | 52 | 24 | —[f] | 6 | 110 | 281 | 239 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 60 | 49 | Won conference quarterfinals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, 4–2 Won conference semifinals vs. Ottawa Senators, 4–1 Lost conference finals to Carolina Hurricanes, 3–4 | |
2006–07 | 2006–07 | Eastern | Northeast↑ | 1st | 82 | 53 | 22 | — | 7 | 113# | 308 | 242 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 44 | 39 | Won conference quarterfinals vs. New York Islanders, 4–1 Won conference semifinals vs. New York Rangers, 4–2 Lost conference finals to Ottawa Senators, 1–4 | |
2007–08 | 2007–08 | Eastern | Northeast | 4th | 82 | 39 | 31 | — | 12 | 90 | 255 | 242 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2008–09 | 2008–09 | Eastern | Northeast | 3rd | 82 | 41 | 32 | — | 9 | 91 | 250 | 234 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2009–10 | 2009–10 | Eastern | Northeast↑ | 1st | 82 | 45 | 27 | — | 10 | 100 | 235 | 207 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 16 | Lost conference quarterfinals to Boston Bruins, 2–4 | |
2010–11 | 2010–11 | Eastern | Northeast | 3rd | 82 | 43 | 29 | — | 10 | 96 | 245 | 229 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 22 | Lost conference quarterfinals to Philadelphia Flyers, 3–4 | |
2011–12 | 2011–12 | Eastern | Northeast | 3rd | 82 | 39 | 32 | — | 11 | 89 | 218 | 230 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2012–13[g] | 2012–13 | Eastern | Northeast | 5th | 48 | 21 | 21 | — | 6 | 48 | 125 | 143 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2013–14 | 2013–14 | Eastern | Atlantic[h] | 8th | 82 | 21 | 51 | — | 10 | 52 | 157 | 248 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2014–15 | 2014–15 | Eastern | Atlantic | 8th | 82 | 23 | 51 | — | 8 | 54 | 161 | 274 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2015–16 | 2015–16 | Eastern | Atlantic | 7th | 82 | 35 | 36 | — | 11 | 81 | 201 | 222 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2016–17 | 2016–17 | Eastern | Atlantic | 8th | 82 | 33 | 37 | — | 12 | 78 | 201 | 237 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2017–18 | 2017–18 | Eastern | Atlantic | 8th | 82 | 25 | 45 | — | 12 | 62 | 199 | 280 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2018–19 | 2018–19 | Eastern | Atlantic | 6th | 82 | 33 | 39 | — | 10 | 76 | 226 | 271 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2019–20[i] | 2019–20 | Eastern | Atlantic | 6th | 69 | 30 | 31 | — | 8 | 68 | 195 | 217 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2020–21[j] | 2020–21 | — | East | 8th | 56 | 15 | 34 | — | 7 | 37 | 138 | 199 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2021–22 | 2021–22 | Eastern | Atlantic | 5th | 82 | 32 | 39 | — | 11 | 75 | 232 | 290 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2022–23 | 2022–23 | Eastern | Atlantic | 5th | 82 | 42 | 33 | — | 7 | 91 | 296 | 300 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
2023–24 | 2023–24 | Eastern | Atlantic | 6th | 82 | 39 | 37 | — | 6 | 84 | 246 | 244 | — | — | — | — | — | Did not qualify | |
Totals[k] | 4,191 | 1,918 | 1,673 | 409 | 191 | 4,436 | 13,245 | 12,800 | 256 | 124 | 132 | 763 | 765 | 29 playoff appearances |
Notes
[edit]- ^ The NHL realigned prior to the 1974–75 season. The Sabres were placed in the Prince of Wales Conference's Adams Division.[10]
- ^ The NHL realigned into Eastern and Western conferences prior to the 1993–94 season. Buffalo was placed in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference.[11]
- ^ The season was shortened to 48 games because of the 1994–95 NHL lockout.[12]
- ^ Beginning with the 1999–2000 season, teams received one point for losing a regular season game in overtime.[13]
- ^ The season was cancelled because of the 2004–05 NHL lockout.[14]
- ^ Prior to the 2005–06 season, the NHL instituted a penalty shootout for regular season games that remained tied after a five-minute overtime period, which prevented ties.[15]
- ^ The season was shortened to 48 games because of the 2012–13 NHL lockout.[16]
- ^ The NHL realigned prior to the 2013–14 season. The Sabres were placed in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.[17]
- ^ The regular season was suspended on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and officially concluded on May 26, 2020, with the announcement of a 24-team expanded playoff to be held in the summer.[18][19] The Sabres played 69 of their scheduled 82 games, and with a .493 win percentage in a strong Eastern Conference, were disqualified from the 2020 playoffs qualifying round.
- ^ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 NHL season was shortened to 56 games.[20]
- ^ Totals as of the completion of the 2023–24 season.
References
[edit]- ^ "Rosters, Arena Information, and Aerial Maps". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
- ^ "Team Index". Hockey Reference. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ "1995-96 NHL Standings". Hockey Reference. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Murphy, Bryan (May 23, 2024). "Last time Stars won the Stanley Cup: Revisiting the 1999 championship with Joe Nieuwendyk, Brett Hull". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Ryndak, Chris (March 25, 2020). "Sabres Classics: Sabres start 2006-07 season with 10 wins in a row". Buffalo Sabres. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Fairburn, Matthew (April 10, 2024). "Sabres miss playoffs for 13th straight season, tie longest active drought in pro sports". The Athletic. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Strozyk, Jacob D. (October 30, 2024). "Buffalo Sabres' Decade of Disappointment". The Hockey Writers. Archived from the original on May 26, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ "Buffalo Sabres History". Hockey Reference. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "Buffalo Sabres Statistics and History". HockeyDB. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ McFarlane, Brian (1992). Stanley Cup Fever: 100 Years of Hockey Greatness. Stoddart. p. 174. ISBN 0-7737-5554-3.
- ^ Lapointe, Joe (April 1, 1993). "Hockey; N.H.L. Redraws Map In Realignment Plan". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Swift, E. M. (January 23, 1995). "Drop Those Pucks!". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Lapointe, Joe (September 30, 1999). "Hockey: Preview '99–'00; Overtime Is Now Five Minutes in Hockey Heaven". The New York Times. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "Lockout over salary cap shuts down NHL". ESPN. Associated Press. February 16, 2005. Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ "Shootouts are fan-friendly". The Washington Times. October 19, 2005. Archived from the original on May 17, 2009. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- ^ Podell, Ira (January 12, 2013). "NHL lockout ends, training camps set to open". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
- ^ "NHL slate, division names revealed". ESPN. July 20, 2013. Archived from the original on October 20, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
- ^ Young, Jabari (March 12, 2020). "NHL suspends season due to coronavirus". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 12, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Gulitti, Tom (July 13, 2020). "NHL plans to return with 24 teams competing for Stanley Cup". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Knoll, Andrew (December 20, 2020). "N.H.L. and Players' Union Reach Framework for 2020–21 Season". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.