Well maybe it's time we start to understand why. Dominik Hasek stacks his pads in the third period and maybe saves the Sabres' season. He's the ultimate competitor who steps up when the Sabres need him most. Dominik Hasek would be 4-4 if not for Mats Sundin's goal in Game 4 of the 1999 Eastern Conference finals at the Marena. With the Sabres up 5-0 with 13 minutes left in the third period, Hasek chose not to aggressively challenge Sundin.
T alk about payback.
Buffalo's win in Game 3 was only its fourth in the igloo-shaped arena perched on a hill in downtown Pittsburgh since Sabre defenseman Uwe Krupp's overtime goal there in March 1990 knocked the Penguins out of the playoff race. The Sabres' ice grip on Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals makes its way down the hallway after the second period, shuffles into the lockerroom for a breather and skates right back out for the third without missing a beat. When momentum carries over from one period to the next like that, it's sheer hockey magic. With the series on the line and the Sabres starving for goals, Miroslav Satan waved his magic wand with a dominating effort. That does not bode well for any Sabres' fan.