{"id":652801,"date":"2026-05-19T17:54:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/652801\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T17:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T17:54:12","slug":"sabres-left-with-heartbreak-and-hope-as-nhls-final-four-playoff-teams-are-set","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/652801\/","title":{"rendered":"Sabres left with heartbreak and hope as NHL\u2019s final four playoff teams are set"},"content":{"rendered":"

Red Light newsletter\u00a0\ud83c\udfd2\u00a0| This is\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0hockey\u00a0newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive Red Light directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Good morning to everyone except anyone who picks a player from each team before overtime. You\u2019re only allowed to pick one, according to me, a guy whose kids say he hates fun and whimsy for some reason.<\/p>\n

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\n Buffalo captain Rasmus Dahlin. (Joe Hrycych \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

While You Were Sleeping Sobbing<\/p>\n

No? Just me sobbing? That\u2019s fine, I can take it. Don\u2019t cry because it\u2019s over \u2014 smile because it happened. And then cry because the Canadiens ended it.<\/p>\n

Heartbreak in Buffalo<\/p>\n

The single greatest bandwagon story in recent history is over. The Sabres\u2019 first playoff run since 2011 ended in the second round at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens.<\/p>\n

Just to twist the knife a little further, this one needed overtime. And the winning goal had just a bit of an odor to it:<\/p>\n

That\u2019s Alex Newhook becoming the first player in Canadiens history to sink a sudden-death Game 7 winner on the road. And that\u2019s Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen whiffing on it, although it may have been tipped. Still, that\u2019s a tough image to etch into the memory banks as the last of a memorable season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We also got some controversy in the third, when an apparent Sabres goal was waved off due to a whistle. At first, this felt like one of those \u201cintent to blow\u201d scenarios, which are always a mess. But after a few replays, it seems clear that Jakub Dobe\u0161 had the puck covered, and it was the right call. Still, we\u2019ll see if this one has any staying power over the next few days and beyond.<\/p>\n

The Habs march on to Carolina, where they\u2019ll try to become the first team in this year\u2019s postseason to hang an \u201cL\u201d on the Hurricanes. The Sabres head home, left to wonder how much of this season\u2019s magic they can recapture in the years to come. One of the first steps will be figuring out what to do with Alex Tuch, who heads into the summer as one of the top unrestricted free agents on the board<\/a> but failed to record so much as a point in this series.<\/p>\n

The one word to describe it from Buffalo\u2019s end? Pain. Lots of it<\/a>. And it\u2019ll linger for quite some time.
\n\ud83d\udca1 Trivia Time<\/p>\n

After last night\u2019s loss, the Sabres have still won just one Game 7 in the 56-year history of the franchise. That one came way back in the Ted Nolan era, when the Sabres beat the Ottawa Senators in an overtime thriller in 1997 on Derek Plante\u2019s clapper that shredded Ron Tugnutt\u2019s glove.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s question: Can you name the Sabres goalie who won that classic?<\/p>\n

Hint 1: No, it wasn\u2019t Dominik Ha\u0161ek. That would be too obvious, and I have too much respect for you readers to serve up something that easy. Ha\u0161ek suffered a knee sprain earlier in the series, so his backup was in net that night.<\/p>\n

Hint 2: This goalie was a journeyman who played for six different teams between 1995 and 2005, though he made 40 starts in a season only once. He was once traded for Teemu Selanne, kind of. He also had two goalie fights in his career.<\/p>\n

Hint 3: Honestly, he had a pretty fantastic name for a goalie.<\/p>\n

Answer at the end of this email.<\/p>\n

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\n (Ethan Miller \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u23ed\ufe0f NextFinal four<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re down to four teams left. We\u2019re about a month away from crowning a champion. But before we get there, we have a pair of conference finals to play.<\/p>\n

First things first: There are no games tonight. So go ahead and take a deep breath.<\/p>\n

The Western Conference final starts tomorrow night<\/a> in Colorado. The Eastern Conference follows on Thursday in Carolina. If you\u2019re in the U.S., the West is the ESPN series and the East is on TNT.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the good news: Once we get started, both series are sticking with the traditional every-second-night schedule. No weird gaps, no arena conflicts, no extra days off where we all just kind of stare at each other while the momentum drains away. Just the perfect rhythm for playoff hockey: game, one day off to yell at each other about that game, then a new game. Perfection.<\/p>\n

Diving a little deeper into each series:<\/p>\n

Golden Knights vs. Avalanche<\/p>\n

The Avalanche are clear favorites, but Vegas has a shot. The Mark Stone factor<\/a> looms large.
\nHow might the Knights try to slow the speedy Avalanche down? Jesse Granger lays it out<\/a>.
\nThese powerhouse Avs seem simply inevitable<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Canadiens vs. Hurricanes<\/p>\n

The Hurricanes have been perfect so far, but they\u2019ll still need to find another level<\/a>.
\nWhy this year\u2019s edition of Playoff Freddie Andersen has been different<\/a>.
\nWhy could this finally be the Hurricanes\u2019 year? James Mirtle gets into it<\/a>.
\nIt took just four years for the Canadiens to rebuild to this point. Arpon Basu and Pierre LeBrun examine the Habs\u2019 model rebuild<\/a>.
\nAnd just for fun, feel free to look back at our coverage of the pair of offer sheets these teams exchanged a few years ago, sparking a rivalry that will pick up again now: The Habs unsuccessfully targeting Sebastian Aho<\/a>, and the Hurricanes having better luck with Jesperi Kotkaniemi<\/a>.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Gabbie Hughes and Peyton Hemp celebrate Hemp\u2019s third-period goal on Monday night. (Troy Parla \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Walter Cup Finals \ud83d\udd25Charge extend PWHL Finals<\/p>\n

We know that the Walter Cup will end up in Canada for the first time in PWHL history with the Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire duking it out. But last night in the nation\u2019s capital, Ottawa decided it wouldn\u2019t happen<\/a> quite yet.<\/p>\n

The Charge came back from down 1-0 late in the third, scoring a pair to take Game 3 in regulation in front of almost 17,000 at the Canadian Tire Centre. Rebecca Leslie scored the winner with less than a minute left, though we needed a lengthy review to confirm the goal. (The situation room was looking for a missed stoppage on a glove pass but couldn\u2019t find conclusive evidence to overrule the goal.)<\/p>\n

\u2705 GAME-WINNING GOAL
\u2705 RECORD-BREAKING CROWD
\u2705 HOMETOWN HERO https:\/\/t.co\/u0vOPNJ0jO<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Wgsdy5t1GA<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PWHL (@thepwhlofficial) May 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The home team has held serve for all three games of the final so far, with the Montreal Victoire taking each of the first two in overtime. Game 4 goes tomorrow night<\/a> in Ottawa, with a potential winner-take-all Game 5 penciled in for Saturday afternoon in Montreal.<\/p>\n

Last night wrapped a busy day for the PWHL, which also officially confirmed an expansion team in San Jose for next season. San Jose will join Detroit, Hamilton and Las Vegas as the league grows to 12 teams<\/a>.
\nCoast to Coast<\/p>\n

\u2705 The Stanley Cup contender checklist series continues, with some less-than-optimistic looks at the Winnipeg Jets<\/a> and Seattle Kraken<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfd2 Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman combine for a mock draft<\/a> that covers the first two rounds of next month\u2019s draft.<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd45 In Edmonton, the task for GM Stan Bowman this summer is straightforward: Do the impossible<\/a>. The first step would be to avoid any really weird decisions around whom to interview for the coaching vacancy, and whoops too late<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc51 Henrik Lundqvist reveals the three best leaders he played with. Two of them have been in the news<\/a> lately.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f On the Monday edition of \u201cThe Athletic Hockey Show,\u201d the guys discuss which goalie left in the playoffs is the most trustworthy in net, the Golden Knights forfeiting a second-round draft pick after \u201cflagrant violations\u201d of NHL media regulations, Mitch Marner\u2019s Conn Smythe case and coaching options for the Oilers and Leafs. Listen or watch here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n (Derek Leung \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

No Dumb Questions<\/p>\n

We believe that in hockey, as in life, there are no dumb questions. So if you have something you\u2019ve always wondered about the sport, ask away by emailing us at redlight@theathletic.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Just for kicks<\/p>\n

Why is it OK to kick an assist, but not a goal? \u2014 Syd<\/p>\n

Ah, the dreaded NHL kicking rule<\/a>. By some miracle, we haven\u2019t really had a good old-fashioned kicking controversy in the playoffs this year, though we came close on Montreal\u2019s first goal last night. When it happens, we know it will be ugly because kicking debates always are.<\/p>\n

But for once, there\u2019s some good news: This one is actually a bit simpler than most fans think.<\/p>\n

First things first. As Syd suggests, it\u2019s perfectly legal to kick the puck pretty much anywhere on the ice, as long as it doesn\u2019t go into the net.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to win a faceoff, or clear the zone, or pass the puck to a teammate, or pretty much anything else you might want to do on a rink, go ahead and kick it. The only exception: Kicking the puck directly into the net. For any other scenario you can think of, consult this handy guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Simple enough. But why? If kicking the puck is legal everywhere else, why not just allow it for goals too? After all, these guys are on skates. If they can figure out a way to bend it like Beckham on ice, shouldn\u2019t we allow it? The no-kicking rule for goals seems arbitrary, bordering on nonsensical.<\/p>\n

Some fans will tell you that there\u2019s a safety issue here, and that\u2019s part of it. Skate blades are sharp, and they\u2019re dangerous when they start swinging around. That danger is relatively minimal most of the time, but when we get close to the crease and there\u2019s a good chance there\u2019s a goalie down there reaching for the puck, a kicking motion could do some real damage. The league doesn\u2019t want to encourage that, for good reason.<\/p>\n

But the bigger answer is even simpler: You\u2019re not allowed to score by intentionally directing the puck into the net with anything other than your stick. You can\u2019t use your glove, as we saw in Game 5 of the Wild-Avalanche series when Minnesota had a goal waved off. You can\u2019t use your head, as we memorably learned from Andrew Shaw a decade ago<\/a>. Accidental deflections are fine, and we see them all the time, including off skates. But as far as intentionally directing the puck into the net, it\u2019s sticks only.<\/p>\n

When you think of it that way, the rule against kicked-in goals isn\u2019t all that confusing at all \u2014 it\u2019s actually a case of the league\u2019s rules being consistent across all scenarios. Moving the puck around the rink is one thing. But getting it over the goal line is a special case, and it\u2019s treated that way. You\u2019ll have to get your kicks somewhere else.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n Steve Shields in 1997. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Trivia Answer<\/p>\n

The appropriately named goalie we were looking for was Steve Shields.<\/p>\n

He made 25 saves that night, including three in overtime. He kept the starter\u2019s job through the start of the next series, during which he fought Garth Snow<\/a> in a rare playoff goalie fight.<\/p>\n

He also tangled with Sean Burke the following season and was part of the trade that sent Selanne to San Jose in 2001.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb Love Red Light? Check out The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n