2000–01 Buffalo Sabres season

2000–01 Buffalo Sabres
Division2nd Northeast
Conference5th Eastern
2000–01 record46–30–5–1
Home record26–12–3–0
Road record20–18–2–1
Goals for218
Goals against184
Team information
General managerDarcy Regier
CoachLindy Ruff
CaptainVacant[a]
Alternate captainsDoug Gilmour
Rob Ray
Rotating
ArenaHSBC Arena
Average attendance17,839
Minor league affiliate(s)Rochester Americans
South Carolina Stingrays
B.C. Icemen
Team leaders
GoalsMiroslav Satan (29)
AssistsMiroslav Satan (33)
PointsMiroslav Satan (62)
Penalty minutesRob Ray (210)
Plus/minusCurtis Brown (+15)
WinsDominik Hasek (37)
Goals against averageDominik Hasek (2.11)

The 2000–01 Buffalo Sabres season was the 31st season for the team in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Sabres finished with a 46–30–5–1 record in the regular season, and won the Conference Quarterfinals (4–2) over the Philadelphia Flyers, but lost the Conference Semifinals (4–3) to the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was also the final time they made the playoffs before the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

Off-season

Regular season

The Sabres allowed the fewest goals (184), had the most shutouts (13), allowed the fewest power-play goals (40) and had the best penalty-kill percentage (88.02%).[1]

Final standings

Northeast Division[2]
No. CR GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts
1 2 Ottawa Senators 82 48 21 9 4 274 205 109
2 5 Buffalo Sabres 82 46 30 5 1 218 184 98
3 7 Toronto Maple Leafs 82 37 29 11 5 232 207 90
4 9 Boston Bruins 82 36 30 8 8 227 249 88
5 11 Montreal Canadiens 82 28 40 8 6 206 232 70

Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL=Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference[3]
R Div GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts
1 Z- New Jersey Devils AT 82 48 19 12 3 295 195 111
2 Y- Ottawa Senators NE 82 48 21 9 4 274 205 109
3 Y- Washington Capitals SE 82 41 27 10 4 233 211 96
4 X- Philadelphia Flyers AT 82 43 25 11 3 240 207 100
5 X- Buffalo Sabres NE 82 46 30 5 1 218 184 98
6 X- Pittsburgh Penguins AT 82 42 28 9 3 281 256 96
7 X- Toronto Maple Leafs NE 82 37 29 11 5 232 207 90
8 X- Carolina Hurricanes SE 82 38 32 9 3 212 225 88
8.5
9 Boston Bruins NE 82 36 30 8 8 227 249 88
10 New York Rangers AT 82 33 43 5 1 250 290 72
11 Montreal Canadiens NE 82 28 40 8 6 206 232 70
12 Florida Panthers SE 82 22 38 13 9 200 246 66
13 Atlanta Thrashers SE 82 23 45 12 2 211 289 60
14 Tampa Bay Lightning SE 82 24 47 6 5 201 280 59
15 New York Islanders AT 82 21 51 7 3 185 268 52

Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast

Z – Clinched Conference; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot


Playoffs

See also: 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs

(4) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (5) Buffalo Sabres

The Flyers were entering this year's playoffs still trying to forget the Eastern Conference finals the previous year. In 2000, they had a 3–1 series lead against the eventual Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils, but lost the next three. Head coach Craig Ramsay was fired in the middle of the season, with general manager Bobby Clarke explaining his decision was based on the fact his Flyers were not "tough enough". As Ramsay's replacement, Clarke hired former teammate Bill Barber. The Sabres season was not as complicated, as head coach Lindy Ruff led his Sabres to one of their best regular seasons in recent history. In the playoffs, the two teams had met three times in four years, with the most recent series ending in with a Flyers win. The Sabres would look for revenge in the city of brotherly love.

After Philadelphia was stopped by Dominik Hasek and the Sabres in the first two games, one of which was ended by a Jay McKee overtime goal, the Flyers came out in Game 3 determined to win a game before losing the first three, and they did by one goal, but they lost again to the Sabres in Game 4 in overtime after Curtis Brown beat goaltender Roman Cechmanek. The Flyers won in Game 5 by a two-goal margin, but were hammered by the Sabres in Game 6: they gave up a total of eight goals, five of which were surrendered by Cechmanek, who was replaced early by Brian Boucher, who himself conceded three goals. Hasek recorded another shutout in Game 6 as the Sabres progressed to the conference semifinals.

(5) Buffalo Sabres vs. (6) Pittsburgh Penguins

Entering the series, Buffalo held the best penalty killing (PK) squad which killed 88%, and Pittsburgh entered the series with the fifth best powerplay (PP) squad, which scored on 20% of its opportunities. However, the Buffalo PK and the Pittsburgh PP would underachieve during the series: Pittsburgh only scored 4 times on 27 opportunities (14%), so, consequently, Buffalo's PK percent dropped to 86. Buffalo also scored four power play goals, but on 33 chances (12%).

The Sabres and Penguins had evenly matched goaltending: Pittsburgh goaltenders saved 155 shots out of 172 (90.2%), and Buffalo's saved 166 shots out of 183 (90.8%). Both teams scored 17 goals during the series, and they also scored the same number of power play goals, four.

The Sabres just could not put the puck past Johan Hedberg in Game 1, with the Penguins needing only star center Mario Lemieux's first-period goal to finish off Buffalo and take an early series lead. Dominik Hasek gave up three goals, the other two of which came courtesy of centers Wayne Primeau and Jan Hrdina in the second half of the third period. Penguins winger Jaromir Jagr, who assisted on the Lemieux goal in the first period, injured his leg in the third period and would miss Game 2. Both teams were rather inept on the powerplay, wasting five conversion opportunities each.

In Game 2, the first period had no scoring, despite five different powerplays for the two teams. Then, about halfway through the second period, Penguins center Robert Lang scored a goal to give the Penguins a 1–0. Three minutes later, Sabres center Stu Barnes tied the game with the game's only powerplay goal. In the third period, Pittsburgh would score two more goals through defenceman Andrew Ference and an empty-netter by Alexei Kovalev.

For the second consecutive game, there were no goals scored in the first period of Game 3, despite a combined 17 shots on goal. The Penguins scored on the power play in the second period to take the lead, but Sabres center Curtis Brown would tie the game through an even-strength goal as the period would end at 1–1. Johan Hedberg had been solid in the net for the Penguins, but conceded 3 goals from just 11 shots in the third period. At about the halfway point in the third period, Sabres defenseman Jason Woolley scored the go-ahead goal, and three minutes later, Miroslav Satan would score another goal to give Buffalo a two-goal lead. Defenseman James Patrick finished off the game with an empty-net goal to send the Sabres to a 4–1 victory in Game 3.

Building off the road win in Game 3, Buffalo scored the first goal in Game 4 very early in the first period by center Jean-Pierre Dumont, but the Penguins would respond with a powerplay goal by center Martin Straka. Sabres center Curtis Brown scored a short-handed goal late in the first period to give Buffalo the edge heading into the locker rooms. The second period featured only one goal by Janne Laukkanen, set up by Jagr and Lemieux, and the game was tied up going into the third. Stu Barnes scored twice in the third period, and the Sabres went on to win the game by three, five goals to two. Both teams were effective on the powerplay, each scoring one goal on two chances. Coming off two straight home losses, Buffalo works hard on the road to swipe the two home games back, swinging the series back to Buffalo's advantage.

Penguins wingman Jaromir Jagr initiated the scoring in game five with a powerplay goal, the only goal in the first period. Pittsburgh would tack on another goal early on in the second period by winger Aleksey Morozov, but Sabres center Chris Gratton would respond with a powerplay goal, and the Penguins still had the lead until they gave up another short-handed goal to Curtis Brown. Curtis Brown's goal forced overtime, and Stu Barnes would score the game-winning goal to give Buffalo the series lead. The Sabres were down by two goals early but fought back and won the game by scoring three unanswered goals. Game five was the first overtime game in the string of three that would end the series.

Buffalo's right winger Maxim Afinogenov scored in the first half of the first period of game six to give the Sabres and early lead, a lead the team would need because Pittsburgh's Alexei Kovalev tied the game up early in the second period. Donald Audette would break up the tied game with an even-strength goal late in the second period. Pittsburgh would persevere and score the tying goal with less than a minute to go in the third period courtesy of Mario Lemieux, so this match headed to overtime. Martin Straka was the hero of the Penguins on that night, as he scored the game-winning goal about halfway through the overtime period. Both teams didn't score on any of the combined seven chances they saw, and the fabled game seven was due.

In game seven, the first period was an uneventful one, featuring no goals and few penalties, but the second period was a different story. Buffalo struck first as Jean-Pierre Dumont scored very early in the period, but that one-goal lead wouldn't last because Andrew Ference scored a powerplay goal to even things up at one goal apiece. Just about 30 seconds into the third period, Buffalo struck again as winger Steve Heinze scored a powerplay goal. Robert Lang would then score to tie the game up at two goals apiece. With a minute remaining in the third period and the Sabres applying pressure in the Penguins zone, Penguins defenceman Darius Kasparaitis grabbed the puck and threw it over the boards into the crowd. No penalty was called on the play and the game went to overtime.[4] Later, Kasparaitis would win the game and the series for the Penguins as he scored off of passes from Jagr and Lang. Pittsburgh went on to face the New Jersey Devils in the conference finals.

Schedule and results

Regular season

2000–01 regular season[5]
October: 5–3–1–1 (home: 4–0–1–0; road: 1–3–0–1)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
1 W October 5, 2000 4–2 Chicago Blackhawks (2000–01) 1–0–0–0 Recap
2 W October 7, 2000 5–3 Los Angeles Kings (2000–01) 2–0–0–0 Recap
3 L October 13, 2000 2–3 @ Edmonton Oilers (2000–01) 2–1–0–0 Recap
4 L October 14, 2000 0–4 @ Vancouver Canucks (2000–01) 2–2–0–0 Recap
5 L October 17, 2000 3–4 @ Montreal Canadiens (2000–01) 2–3–0–0 Recap
6 T October 20, 2000 2–2 OT Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2000–01) 2–3–1–0 Recap
7 OTL October 21, 2000 4–5 OT @ Detroit Red Wings (2000–01) 2–3–1–1 Recap
8 W October 25, 2000 4–1 Carolina Hurricanes (2000–01) 3–3–1–1 Recap
9 W October 27, 2000 2–1 Toronto Maple Leafs (2000–01) 4–3–1–1 Recap
10 W October 28, 2000 3–1 @ Chicago Blackhawks (2000–01) 5–3–1–1 Recap
November: 7–4–1–0 (home: 5–1–1–0; road: 2–3–0–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
11 W November 3, 2000 5–4 Montreal Canadiens (2000–01) 6–3–1–1 Recap
12 L November 4, 2000 0–3 @ Philadelphia Flyers (2000–01) 6–4–1–1 Recap
13 W November 9, 2000 3–0 New York Islanders (2000–01) 7–4–1–1 Recap
14 W November 11, 2000 4–0 @ New Jersey Devils (2000–01) 8–4–1–1 Recap
15 W November 13, 2000 3–2 OT Calgary Flames (2000–01) 9–4–1–1 Recap
16 T November 15, 2000 2–2 OT Dallas Stars (2000–01) 9–4–2–1 Recap
17 W November 17, 2000 3–1 Minnesota Wild (2000–01) 10–4–2–1 Recap
18 L November 18, 2000 1–4 @ St. Louis Blues (2000–01) 10–5–2–1 Recap
19 L November 22, 2000 1–3 Philadelphia Flyers (2000–01) 10–6–2–1 Recap
20 W November 24, 2000 3–2 New York Rangers (2000–01) 11–6–2–1 Recap
21 W November 25, 2000 5–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (2000–01) 12–6–2–1 Recap
22 L November 28, 2000 1–3 @ Ottawa Senators (2000–01) 12–7–2–1 Recap
December: 8–5–1–0 (home: 4–3–0–0; road: 4–2–1–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
23 L December 1, 2000 4–6 Pittsburgh Penguins (2000–01) 12–8–2–1 Recap
24 W December 2, 2000 3–2 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2000–01) 13–8–2–1 Recap
25 W December 5, 2000 3–2 @ Montreal Canadiens (2000–01) 14–8–2–1 Recap
26 W December 7, 2000 5–2 New Jersey Devils (2000–01) 15–8–2–1 Recap
27 L December 8, 2000 2–5 @ New York Rangers (2000–01) 15–9–2–1 Recap
28 W December 12, 2000 3–0 @ Boston Bruins (2000–01) 16–9–2–1 Recap
29 L December 15, 2000 3–5 @ Carolina Hurricanes (2000–01) 16–10–2–1 Recap
30 W December 16, 2000 3–2 Florida Panthers (2000–01) 17–10–2–1 Recap
31 T December 20, 2000 2–2 OT @ Washington Capitals (2000–01) 17–10–3–1 Recap
32 L December 21, 2000 1–3 Washington Capitals (2000–01) 17–11–3–1 Recap
33 W December 23, 2000 5–2 San Jose Sharks (2000–01) 18–11–3–1 Recap
34 L December 26, 2000 3–5 Pittsburgh Penguins (2000–01) 18–12–3–1 Recap
35 W December 29, 2000 2–0 Ottawa Senators (2000–01) 19–12–3–1 Recap
36 W December 30, 2000 2–0 @ New York Islanders (2000–01) 20–12–3–1 Recap
January: 5–7–2–0 (home: 2–3–1–0; road: 3–4–1–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
37 L January 1, 2001 3–4 Boston Bruins (2000–01) 20–13–3–1 Recap
38 T January 3, 2001 1–1 OT @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2000–01) 20–13–4–1 Recap
39 T January 5, 2001 3–3 OT Toronto Maple Leafs (2000–01) 20–13–5–1 Recap
40 W January 6, 2001 2–0 @ Nashville Predators (2000–01) 21–13–5–1 Recap
41 L January 9, 2001 1–2 @ San Jose Sharks (2000–01) 21–14–5–1 Recap
42 L January 11, 2001 2–3 @ Los Angeles Kings (2000–01) 21–15–5–1 Recap
43 W January 12, 2001 4–0 @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2000–01) 22–15–5–1 Recap
44 W January 16, 2001 3–1 Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–01) 23–15–5–1 Recap
45 W January 19, 2001 1–0 Florida Panthers (2000–01) 24–15–5–1 Recap
46 L January 20, 2001 0–2 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2000–01) 24–16–5–1 Recap
47 L January 23, 2001 1–2 Columbus Blue Jackets (2000–01) 24–17–5–1 Recap
48 L January 26, 2001 1–2 Boston Bruins (2000–01) 24–18–5–1 Recap
49 W January 27, 2001 2–1 @ New York Islanders (2000–01) 25–18–5–1 Recap
50 L January 31, 2001 2–5 @ Florida Panthers (2000–01) 25–19–5–1 Recap
February: 9–4–0–0 (home: 5–2–0–0; road: 4–2–0–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
51 L February 1, 2001 2–4 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–01) 25–20–5–1 Recap
52 W February 6, 2001 6–3 @ New York Rangers (2000–01) 26–20–5–1 Recap
53 W February 7, 2001 2–1 OT New York Islanders (2000–01) 27–20–5–1 Recap
54 W February 10, 2001 2–1 OT @ Ottawa Senators (2000–01) 28–20–5–1 Recap
55 L February 11, 2001 3–4 Montreal Canadiens (2000–01) 28–21–5–1 Recap
56 L February 13, 2001 4–5 @ Atlanta Thrashers (2000–01) 28–22–5–1 Recap
57 W February 15, 2001 3–1 Atlanta Thrashers (2000–01) 29–22–5–1 Recap
58 W February 17, 2001 5–1 New Jersey Devils (2000–01) 30–22–5–1 Recap
59 W February 19, 2001 2–0 Ottawa Senators (2000–01) 31–22–5–1 Recap
60 W February 22, 2001 1–0 @ New Jersey Devils (2000–01) 32–22–5–1 Recap
61 L February 23, 2001 3–7 Phoenix Coyotes (2000–01) 32–23–5–1 Recap
62 W February 25, 2001 5–4 Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–01) 33–23–5–1 Recap
63 W February 27, 2001 4–1 @ Ottawa Senators (2000–01) 34–23–5–1 Recap
March: 9–5–0–0 (home: 5–1–0–0; road: 4–4–0–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
64 L March 1, 2001 0–2 @ Philadelphia Flyers (2000–01) 34–24–5–1 Recap
65 W March 3, 2001 3–2 OT @ Colorado Avalanche (2000–01) 35–24–5–1 Recap
66 L March 4, 2001 1–4 @ Dallas Stars (2000–01) 35–25–5–1 Recap
67 W March 6, 2001 3–1 @ Boston Bruins (2000–01) 36–25–5–1 Recap
68 L March 9, 2001 0–4 Edmonton Oilers (2000–01) 36–26–5–1 Recap
69 W March 14, 2001 6–3 New York Rangers (2000–01) 37–26–5–1 Recap
70 W March 16, 2001 4–2 Vancouver Canucks (2000–01) 38–26–5–1 Recap
71 W March 17, 2001 3–2 @ Washington Capitals (2000–01) 39–26–5–1 Recap
72 W March 20, 2001 3–0 Toronto Maple Leafs (2000–01) 40–26–5–1 Recap
73 L March 21, 2001 0–1 @ Carolina Hurricanes (2000–01) 40–27–5–1 Recap
74 W March 24, 2001 3–1 Carolina Hurricanes (2000–01) 41–27–5–1 Recap
75 W March 26, 2001 4–0 @ Atlanta Thrashers (2000–01) 42–27–5–1 Recap
76 L March 27, 2001 1–4 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2000–01) 42–28–5–1 Recap
77 W March 30, 2001 4–0 Atlanta Thrashers (2000–01) 43–28–5–1 Recap
April: 3–2–0–0 (home: 1–2–0–0; road: 2–0–0–0)
Game Result Date Score Opponent Record Recap
78 W April 1, 2001 4–2 @ Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–01) 44–28–5–1 Recap
79 W April 2, 2001 5–3 @ Florida Panthers (2000–01) 45–28–5–1 Recap
80 L April 4, 2001 2–3 Boston Bruins (2000–01) 45–29–5–1 Recap
81 W April 6, 2001 2–1 Washington Capitals (2000–01) 46–29–5–1 Recap
82 L April 8, 2001 1–2 Philadelphia Flyers (2000–01) 46–30–5–1 Recap
Legend:

  Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)   Overtime loss (1 point)

Playoffs

2001 Stanley Cup playoffs[5]
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. (4) Philadelphia Flyers – Sabres win 4–2
Game Result Date Score Opponent Series Recap
1 W April 11, 2001 2–1 @ Philadelphia Flyers Sabres lead 1–0 Recap
2 W April 14, 2001 4–3 OT @ Philadelphia Flyers Sabres lead 2–0 Recap
3 L April 16, 2001 2–3 Philadelphia Flyers Sabres lead 2–1 Recap
4 W April 17, 2001 4–3 OT Philadelphia Flyers Sabres lead 3–1 Recap
5 L April 19, 2001 1–3 @ Philadelphia Flyers Sabres lead 3–2 Recap
6 W April 21, 2001 8–0 Philadelphia Flyers Sabres win 4–2 Recap
Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. (6) Pittsburgh Penguins – Penguins win 4–3
Game Result Date Score Opponent Series Recap
1 L April 26, 2001 0–3 Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins lead 1–0 Recap
2 L April 28, 2001 1–3 Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins lead 2–0 Recap
3 W April 30, 2001 4–1 @ Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins lead 2–1 Recap
4 W May 2, 2001 5–2 @ Pittsburgh Penguins Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 W May 5, 2001 3–2 OT Pittsburgh Penguins Sabres lead 3–2 Recap
6 L May 8, 2001 2–3 OT @ Pittsburgh Penguins Series tied 3–3 Recap
7 L May 10, 2001 2–3 OT Pittsburgh Penguins Penguins win 4–3 Recap
Legend:

  Win   Loss

Player statistics

Scoring

  • Position abbreviations: C = Center; D = Defense; G = Goaltender; LW = Left Wing; RW = Right Wing
  • † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only.
No. Player Pos Regular season Playoffs
GP G A Pts +/- PIM GP G A Pts +/- PIM
81[b] Miroslav Satan LW 82 29 33 62 5 36 13 3 10 13 4 8
17 Jean-Pierre Dumont RW 79 23 28 51 1 54 13 4 3 7 4 8
41 Stu Barnes C 75 19 24 43 −2 26 13 4 4 8 0 2
77 Chris Gratton C 82 19 21 40 0 102 13 6 4 10 0 14
93 Doug Gilmour C 71 7 31 38 3 70 13 2 4 6 −1 12
44 Alexei Zhitnik D 78 8 29 37 −3 75 13 1 6 7 −3 12
61 Maxim Afinogenov RW 78 14 22 36 1 40 11 2 3 5 1 4
52 Dave Andreychuk LW 74 20 13 33 0 32 13 1 2 3 0 4
37 Curtis Brown C 70 10 22 32 15 34 13 5 0 5 4 8
9 Erik Rasmussen LW 82 12 19 31 0 51 3 0 1 1 2 0
25 Vaclav Varada RW 75 10 21 31 −2 81 13 0 4 4 2 8
5 Jason Woolley D 67 5 18 23 0 46 8 1 5 6 1 2
45 Dmitri Kalinin D 79 4 18 22 −2 38 13 0 2 2 5 4
4 Rhett Warrener D 77 3 16 19 10 78 13 0 2 2 5 4
42 Richard Smehlik D 56 3 12 15 6 4 10 0 1 1 3 4
29 Vladimir Tsyplakov LW 36 7 7 14 2 10 9 1 0 1 1 4
3 James Patrick D 54 4 9 13 9 12 13 1 2 3 0 2
57 Steve Heinze† RW 14 5 7 12 6 8 13 3 4 7 0 10
55 Denis Hamel LW 41 8 3 11 −2 22 — — — — — —
74 Jay McKee D 74 1 10 11 9 76 8 1 0 1 3 6
32 Rob Ray RW 63 4 6 10 2 210 3 0 0 0 0 2
28 Donald Audette† RW 12 2 6 8 1 12 13 3 6 9 −1 4
26 Eric Boulton LW 35 1 2 3 −1 94 — — — — — —
39 Dominik Hasek G 67 0 3 3 22 13 0 0 0 14
16 Chris Taylor C 14 0 2 2 1 6 — — — — — —
43 Martin Biron G 18 0 0 0 0 — — — — — —
51 Brian Campbell D 8 0 0 0 −2 2 — — — — — —
35 Mika Noronen G 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — —
34 Peter Skudra†‡ G 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — —

Goaltending

  • † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Sabres only.
No. Player Regular season Playoffs
GP W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI GP W L SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
39 Dominik Hasek 67 37 24 4 1726 137 2.11 .921 11 3904 13 7 6 347 29 2.09 .916 1 833
43 Martin Biron 18 7 7 1 427 39 2.55 .909 2 918 — — — — — — — — —
35 Mika Noronen 2 2 0 0 39 5 2.78 .872 0 108 — — — — — — — — —
34 Peter Skudra†‡ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 1 — — — — — — — — —

Awards and records

Awards

Type Award/honor Recipient Ref
League
(annual) 		NHL First All-Star Team Dominik Hasek (Goaltender) [6]
Vezina Trophy Dominik Hasek [7]
William M. Jennings Trophy Dominik Hasek [8]
League
(in-season) 		NHL All-Star Game selection Dominik Hasek [9]

Milestones

Milestone Player Date Ref
First game Eric Boulton October 5, 2000 [10]
Mika Noronen
500th game played Dominik Hasek February 25, 2001 [11]

Transactions

The Sabres were involved in the following transactions from June 11, 2000, the day after the deciding game of the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals, through June 9, 2001, the day of the deciding game of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals.[12]

Trades

Date Details Ref
June 23, 2000 (2000-06-23) To Buffalo Sabres
  • Past considerations[c]
 To Columbus Blue Jackets
[13]
June 25, 2000 (2000-06-25) To Buffalo Sabres
  • 5th-round pick in 2001
 To Montreal Canadiens
  • 6th-round pick in 2000
 [12]
To Buffalo Sabres
  • 7th-round pick in 2000
 To Tampa Bay Lightning
  • 7th-round pick in 2001
  • 9th-round pick in 2001
 [12]
To Buffalo Sabres
  • 8th-round pick in 2000
 To Calgary Flames
  • 8th-round pick in 2001
 [12]
March 13, 2001 (2001-03-13) To Buffalo Sabres
To Atlanta Thrashers
[14]
To Buffalo Sabres
To Columbus Blue Jackets
  • 3rd-round pick in 2001
 [14]

Players acquired

Date Player Former team Term Via Ref
July 13, 2000 (2000-07-13) Dave Andreychuk Colorado Avalanche 1-year Free agency [15]
October 6, 2000 (2000-10-06) Peter Skudra Boston Bruins Waivers [16]

Players lost

Date Player New team Via[d] Ref
June 23, 2000 (2000-06-23) Dwayne Roloson Columbus Blue Jackets Expansion draft [18]
Geoff Sanderson Columbus Blue Jackets Expansion draft [18]
July 1, 2000 (2000-07-01) Craig Fisher[e] Contract expiration (VI) [17]
Mike Zanutto[f] Contract expiration (UFA) [17]
July 26, 2000 (2000-07-26) Domenic Pittis Edmonton Oilers Free agency (VI) [21]
August 9, 2000 (2000-08-09) Jason Cipolla Rochester Americans (AHL) Free agency (UFA) [22]
August 29, 2000 (2000-08-29) Mark Dutiaume B.C. Icemen (UHL) Free agency (UFA) [23]
September 8, 2000 (2000-09-08) Randy Cunneyworth Retirement (III) [24]
September 10, 2000 (2000-09-10) Paul Kruse San Jose Sharks Free agency (UFA) [25]
September 18, 2000 (2000-09-18) Scott Nichol Detroit Vipers (IHL) Free agency (VI) [26]
September 23, 2000 (2000-09-23) Daniel Bienvenue El Paso Buzzards (WPHL) Free agency (UFA) [27]
November 3, 2000 (2000-11-03) Dixon Ward Boston Bruins Free agency (III) [28]
November 14, 2000 (2000-11-14) Peter Skudra Boston Bruins Waivers [29]
May 12, 2001 (2001-05-12) Doug Gilmour Retirement[g] [31]

Signings

Date Player Term Contract type Ref
July 12, 2000 (2000-07-12) Rob Ray 1-year Re-signing [32]
July 20, 2000 (2000-07-20) Alexei Zhitnik 1-year Re-signing [33]
July 28, 2000 (2000-07-28) Chris Taylor 1-year Re-signing [34]
August 1, 2000 (2000-08-01) Jason Woolley 1-year Re-signing [35]
August 23, 2000 (2000-08-23) James Patrick 1-year Re-signing [36]
September 7, 2000 (2000-09-07) Vladimir Tsyplakov 1-year Re-signing [37]
Jason Woolley multi-year Extension [37]
September 8, 2000 (2000-09-08) Denis Hamel Re-signing [12]
Jason Holland Re-signing [38]
Erik Rasmussen Re-signing [38]
November 7, 2000 (2000-11-07) Martin Biron Re-signing [39]

Draft picks

Buffalo's draft picks at the 2000 NHL entry draft held at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta.[40]

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 15 Artyom Kryukov  Russia Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (Russia)
2 48 Gerard Dicaire  Canada Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
4 111 Ghyslain Rousseau  Canada Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
5 149 Denis Denisov  Russia CSKA Moscow Jr. (Russia)
7 213 Vasili Bizyayev  Russia CSKA Moscow Jr. (Russia)
7 220 Paul Gaustad  United States Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
8 258 Sean McMorrow  Canada Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
9 277 Ryan Courtney  Canada Windsor Spitfires (OHL)

Farm teams

Rochester Americans finished with a record of 46–22–9–3. They were swept out of the playoffs in the first round.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Michael Peca, the previous captain, sat out the entire season due to a contract dispute.
  2. ^ Satan wore number 18 through November 18.
  3. ^ Columbus agreed to select Dwayne Roloson and Geoff Sanderson in the Expansion Draft.[12]
  4. ^ In parentheses is the player's free agency group on July 1 if applicable.[17]
  5. ^ Fisher suffered a career-ending concussion during the 1999–2000 season.[19]
  6. ^ Zanutto, who did not play during the 1999–2000 season, did not play professionally in 2000–01.[20]
  7. ^ Gilmour would un-retire five months later to sign with the Montreal Canadiens on October 6, 2001.[30]

References

  • "Buffalo Sabres 2000-01 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  • "2000-01 Buffalo Sabres Roster, Stats, Injuries, Scores, Results, Shootouts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  1. ^ "2000-01 NHL Summary".
  2. ^ "2000-2001 Division Standings". NHL.com. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  3. ^ "2000–2001 Standings by Conference". National Hockey League. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  4. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Darius Kasparaitis throws puck in the stands late in 3rd period of a tied Game 7 Playoff Game". YouTube.
  5. ^ a b "2000-01 Buffalo Sabres Schedule". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "Postseason All-Star Teams". records.nhl.com. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  7. ^ "Vezina Trophy". records.nhl.com. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  8. ^ "William M. Jennings Trophy". records.nhl.com. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  9. ^ "2001 NHL All-Star Game Rosters". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  10. ^ "2000-01 NHL Debuts". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  11. ^ "Sabres 5, Lightning 4". AP NEWS. February 25, 2001. Retrieved April 19, 2023. Dominik Hasek, playing in his 500th NHL game
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Hockey Transactions Search Results". www.prosportstransactions.com. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "Columbus Blue Jackets - All-Time Transactions". Columbus Blue Jackets. Retrieved May 5, 2023. June 23, 2000 - Acquired D Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, RW Matt Davidson, a fifth round pick in the 2000 Entry Draft and a fifth round pick in the 2001 Draft from Buffalo for past considerations.
  14. ^ a b "Sabres acquire Donald Audette and Steve Heinze". Buffalo Sabres. March 13, 2001. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  15. ^ "ANDREYCHUCK RETURNS TO BUFFALO WITH ONE-YEAR DEAL". Buffalo Sabres. July 13, 2000. Archived from the original on September 4, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  16. ^ "Sabres sign backup goalie - UPI Archives". UPI. October 6, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c "2000 NHL Free Agents". tsn.ca. July 1, 2000. Archived from the original on August 15, 2000. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  18. ^ a b "NHL Expansion Draft List - UPI Archives". UPI. June 23, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  19. ^ Fitz-Gerald, Sean (December 4, 2015). "The coach and the concussion that won't go away". thestar.com. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  20. ^ Mike Zanutto career statistics at EliteProspects.com, retrieved May 5, 2023
  21. ^ "SPORTS TRANSACTIONS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 26+ - UPI Archives". UPI. August 2, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023. Edmonton Oilers -- Signed center Domenic Pittis to a two-year contract
  22. ^ "AMERKS SIGN CIPOLLA". Rochester Americans. August 9, 2000. Archived from the original on December 18, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  23. ^ "Headlines for August 30, 2000". OurSports Central. Retrieved May 5, 2023. Icemen re-sign Dutiaume, add NHL draftee to blue line corps - Press & Sun-Bulletin
  24. ^ "CUNNEYWORTH NAMED HEAD COACH OF AMERKS". Buffalo Sabres. September 8, 2000. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  25. ^ "SPORTS TRANSACTIONS FOR SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10+ - UPI Archives". UPI. September 10, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023. San Jose Sharks -- Signed unrestricted free agent left wing Paul Kruse
  26. ^ "SCOTT NICHOL". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on January 5, 2003. Retrieved May 5, 2023. 18-Sep-00: Assigned to Detroit (IHL).
  27. ^ "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. September 24, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023. EL PASO BUZZARDS--Signed F Daniel Bienvenue
  28. ^ "SPORTS TRANSACTIONS FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3+ - UPI Archives". UPI. November 4, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023. Boston Bruins -- Agreed to terms with center-right wing Dixon Ward on a one-year contract.
  29. ^ "Skudra claimed by Bruins - UPI Archives". UPI. November 14, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  30. ^ "HOCKEY; Montreal Gets Gilmour". The New York Times. October 7, 2001. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  31. ^ "Sabres Gilmour announces retirement - UPI Archives". UPI. May 12, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  32. ^ "Rob Ray Signed A One-Year Contract with the Sabres". Buffalo Sabres. July 12, 2000. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  33. ^ "SABRES SIGN ZHITNIK TO CONTRACT". Buffalo Sabres. July 20, 2000. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  34. ^ "SABRES SIGN CENTER CHRIS TAYLOR". Buffalo Sabres. July 28, 2000. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  35. ^ "SABRES SIGN WOOLLEY TO CONTRACT". Buffalo Sabres. August 1, 2000. Archived from the original on June 19, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  36. ^ "SABRES SIGN DEFENSEMAN JAMES PATRICK". Buffalo Sabres. August 23, 2000. Archived from the original on September 4, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  37. ^ a b "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. September 8, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023. BUFFALO SABRES--Signed F Vladimir Tsyplakov to a one-year contract and D Jason Woolley to a multiyear contract extension.
  38. ^ a b "TRANSACTIONS". The New York Times. September 9, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023. BUFFALO SABRES--Re-signed F Erik Rasmussen and D Jason Holland.
  39. ^ "Sabres re-sign Biron - UPI Archives". UPI. November 8, 2000. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  40. ^ "2000 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com". www.hockeydb.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.