This Day in Sabres History :: April 24

[PASabreFan]

April 24, 1983

Brad Park scores a strange goal off a faceoff early in overtime as the Bruins beat the Sabres 3-2 in a deciding Game 7 at Boston Garden. The defenseman's initial shot is tipped by Craig Ramsay and changes direction, but Bob Sauve makes the save. In doing so, though, Sauve falls to the ice. Andre Savard tries to jam the puck under the goaltender, but instead it slides all the way back to Park at the point. With Sauve down and out, Park flips the puck into the top of the net to end the Adams Division final. Ric Seiling had staked the Sabres to a 2-0 lead, but it didn't hold up. Revenge will take a decade, but it will be served ice cold.

 

April 24, 1993

Brad May scores at 4:48 of overtime to give the Sabres a 6-5 win and a four-game sweep of the Bruins. After May takes a pass from the down-and-out Pat LaFontaine, zips past one Bruin, pulls the puck around Raymond Bourque on his backhand, fakes a forehand shot to bring Andy Moog out of his net and freeze him, goes around the goaltender and deposits the puck into the empty net, Memorial Auditorium explodes. It's been 10 years since the Sabres have won a playoff series, 13 since they have won a seven-game series, and the fans make up for lost time. The remarkable game sees Dominik Hasek enter the game after the first period for an injured Grant Fuhr and sees the Sabres come back from a 5-2 deficit to force overtime on goals by Donald Audette in the second period and Alexander Mogilny and Yuri Khmylev in quick succession in the third. Rick Jeanneret's "May Day" call is one for the ages and makes a legend of not only May, but himself. But perhaps the greatest moment comes shortly before the winning goal when May kisses his stick for luck. It is possible that only a Stanley Cup championship can supplant this moment as the greatest in Buffalo Sabres history.