Schedule and 2005-06 Results
Regular Season Records: Ottawa 52-21-9=113pts, Buffalo 52-24-6=110pts
Game 1 on Friday, 05 May: Buffalo wins at Ottawa, 7-goals-6 (OT)
Game 2 on Monday, 08 May: Buffalo wins at Ottawa, 2-goals-1
Game 3 on Wednesday, 10 May: Ottawa loses at Buffalo, 3-goals-2 (OT)
Game 4 on Thursday, 11 May: Ottawa wins at Buffalo, 2-goals-1
Game 5 on Saturday, 13 May: Buffalo wins at Ottawa, 3-goals-2 (OT)

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: Ending a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series in which all five games were decided by a single goal, the Buffalo Sabres visited and defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-games-1 to win series 965. Series 965 thus becomes the fourth best-of-7 NHL playoff series and the fifth best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series in which Games 1-5 were decided by just one run/goal/point. With the series win, the Buffalo Sabres improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 13-21, while that for the Ottawa Senators falls to 5-9. The win order for the victorious Buffalo Sabres in series 965 was WWWLW: Series 965 thus becomes the 12th NHL Quarterfinals series, the 37th NHL series (all rounds), and the 64th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow this win order.

After Game 4: Staving off elimination on the road, the Ottawa Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 2-goals-1 to reduce the Sabres' lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 965 to 3-games-1. The Buffalo five-game winning streak thus ends. After four games of series 965, the 2006 Ottawa Senators are hoping to follow the precedent set by their provincial rival Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 NHL Finals, which in series 42 lost Games 1-3 and won Game 4 by one goal against the Detroit Red Wings, with Games 1-2 at home and Games 3-4 on the road. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Buffalo Sabres have a perfect series record of 5-0. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Ottawa Senators have a perfect series record of 0-2.

After Game 3: The Buffalo Sabres hosted and defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-goals-2 in overtime to take a 3-games-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 965. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Buffalo Sabres have a 4-0 series record and a 4-0 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 3-games-nil, the Ottawa Senators have a perfect 0-2 series record and a 0-2 Game 4 record. The win order and site order for the Buffalo Sabres in series 965 is WWW @ VVH. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, teams following the WWW @ VVH order have a 26-1 series record with a 26-series winning streak. In series 42, the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1942 NHL Finals in the first such series. The Buffalo Sabres now have a five-game winning streak.

After Game 2: The Buffalo Sabres visited and defeated the Ottawa Senators 2-goals-1 to take a 2-games-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 965. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Buffalo Sabres have an 8-1 series record with a six-series winning streak. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Ottawa Senators have a perfect 0-4 series record.

After Game 1: In a high-scoring game to begin the 2006 NHL Quarterfinals, the visiting Buffalo Sabres scored the tying goal with 11 seconds left in regulation and the winning goal just 29 seconds later (18 seconds into the first overtime) to defeat the Ottawa Senators 7-goals-6. Buffalo thus takes a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 965. When leading a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Buffalo Sabres have a series record of 11-8. When trailing a best-of-7 NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Ottawa Senators have a series record of 2-5 (but with a two-series winning streak). The thirteen total goals tie series 965 Game 1 with series 444 Game 1 (Minnesota North Stars and Chicago Blackhaws, 1985 NHL Quarterfinals) and series 447 Game 1 (Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks, 1985 NHL Semifinals) for the most total goals in the first game of a best-of-7 NHL playoff series. The visiting Buffalo Sabres scored the series 965 Game 1 tying goal with only 11 seconds left in regulation. In the history of best-of-7 NHL playoff series from 1939 through 2004, when a home team (such as Ottawa) led by one goal with 12 seconds left in regulation, its game record was a sterling 344-1 (.997); the sole home team loss in that situation occurred in series 704 Game 4, in which the Chicago Blackhawks tied the Flames in Calgary with 9 seconds left in regulation and won in overtime in their 1996 NHL Preliminary-round series.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2005-06 regular season, Ottawa finished three points ahead of Buffalo. From 1939 through the 2005-06 NHL Preliminary round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by three regular-season points, they have posted a 10-10 (.500) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 series 965 is the 34th best-of-7 playoff series for Buffalo, and the 14th for Ottawa. In best-of-7 playoff series, Buffalo has a 12-21 series record, a 4-9 Quarterfinals-round series record, and a 19-14 Game 1 record, while Ottawa has a 5-8 series record, a 1-2 Quarterfinals-round record, and a 6-7 Game 1 record. Series 965 is the third best-of-7 meeting between Buffalo and Ottawa; Buffalo won the previous two series.