Fringe Fantasy Sports

The 1998-1999 Stanley Cup final was very controversial. So much so that the Buffalo Sabers fans have nicknamed a particular moment the “No Goal” incident. Let’s revisit it.

The Stars had a roster stacked with not one, but 6 futur hall of famers. Those names were Ed Belfour (2011), Guy Carbonneau (2019), Brett Hull (2009), Mike Modano (2014), Joe Nieuwendyk (2011), and Sergei Zubov (2019)! 

First game game saw both teams meet on Dallas ice. Dallas scored first due to a powerful goal by Brett Hull. However, Stu Barnes and Wayne Primeau scored 5:04 minutes apart in the third to give Buffalo a 2-1 lead. Jere Lehtinen scored in the last minute of the third making it 2-2. At 15:30 minutes of overtime, Jason Woolley scored. The Sabers came out of the first bout successfully making it 1-0 for Buffalo winning 3-2 in overtime.

In the second game, no goal was scored in the first period. However, with three seconds left in the period, Modano tripped Buffalo’s legendary goaltender Dominik Hasek. This led to a number of fights on ice. Nieuwendyk fought Saber’s player Brian Holzinger which resulted in him receiving his first fighting major in 5 years. The periods saw both teams exchanging goals. Craig Ludwig scored his first in 102 playoff games, followed by Alexei Zhitnilk who tied it in 71 seconds. Brett Hull scored with a beautiful slap shot. Darian Hatcher sealed the game for Dallas with an empty netter after coming out of the penalty box tying the series. The most notable event of this game however was the sudden exit of Modano towards the last 10 minutes of the game. He had broken his wrist.

The third game also saw critical injuries. Modano was hampered by his wrist and Brett Hull had to leave because of a groin injury. However, Nieuwendyk managed to squeeze by 2 goals making Dallas win and take the series lead over Buffalo.

The fourth game went to Buffalo and the fifth to Dallas with Belfour making a notable 23 save shutout.

The sixth game saw Dallas one game away from winning the Stanley Cup! The game went to third overtime. Dallas won with a controversial goal from Brett Hull. A play by play of the last goal goes as follows : Jere Lehtinen took a shot from the left circle. That shot was blocked by Hasek. Beth Hull was not in the crease for this first shot. Once the initial shot rebounded, the puck slid next to Hull’s left skate. He used his skate to kick the puck towards his stick which was just outside the crease. His left skate just entered the crease as the second shot ended the series and won the Stanley Cup for Dallas. 

The reason why this is so controversial is because the recently changed NHL rules stated that : “Unless the puck is in the goal crease area, a player of the attacking side may not stand in the goal crease. If a player has entered the crease prior to the puck, and subsequently the puck should enter the net while such conditions prevail, the apparent goal shall not be allowed.” This means that upon review, there should be no goal. 

The NHL issued a statement after the game stating : “A puck that rebounds off the goalie, the goal post or an opposing player is not deemed to be a change of possession, and therefore Hull would be deemed to be in possession or control of the puck, allowed to shoot and score a goal even though the one foot would be in the crease in advance of the puck.” They followed with : “Hull had possession and control of the puck. The rebound off the goalie does not change anything. It is his puck then to shoot and score albeit a foot may or may not be in the crease prior to.”

This explanation wasn’t satisfactory for many Sabers fans. This controversial call is often referred to as the “No goal” incident in the Buffalo Sabers mythology. This incident is particularly important considering that ever since 1998-1999, Buffalo has never returned to the Stanley Cup finals.