Game Six

I think I wrote last year about stumbling on Game Six from the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals between the Sabres and Flyers on television. CBC shows long highlights of games that clinch Cups late Sunday nights.

Last week, CBC was at it again. Game Six, Buffalo vs. Dallas.

I believe they had a two-hour gap for highlights, and since the game went into the sixth period there was no way to get everything in. Besides, I missed the first half-hour, which in this case was the first two periods.

But a few things jumped out at me from a Buffalo perspective:

* Michael Peca sure was hitting everything that moved that night.

* Tie score, less than a minute to go in regulation time, and a faceoff in the Sabres' end. Who did Lindy Ruff send out? Wayne Primeau, Eric Rasmussen and Randy Cunneyworth, which was the fourth line. He either had a lot of faith in that group, or thought that Primeau was his best chance to win the faceoff.

* Alexei Zhitnik and Richard Smehlik must have slept for a week after that game.

* The Sabres just didn't have much offensive push in the last few periods; there weren't many players who could create much against Dallas -- especially as the game went on and on.

* The Stars had the Sabres running around for close to a minute leading up to the game-winning goal. You could see bad things happening from a Buffalo perspective. And Brett Hull (who was wearing number 22; I forgot that) did a good job of dodging Brian Holzinger in front of the net. But still...

* As the rules were written at the time, I don't think it was a goal.

There's probably a book to be written on that game and how everyone reacted. At least the title is done.

"No goal."