‘What will linger for Sabres fans is the sense that this series was never contested on a level playing field. Center Tim Connolly, a would-be force on the power play, never played in this series due to a concussion. Numminen’s ability to move the puck – he was third on the team in power-play assists with 20 – no doubt could have helped the team’s sputtering special teams. It was still an amazing effort. Getting this series to seven games and keeping Thursday’s decider close until the final seconds speaks volumes about the character of this team.’