2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season
The 2002–03 Buffalo Sabres season was the 33rd season of operation for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970.[1] The 72 points accumulated in the regular season was the lowest total for the franchise since the 1986–87 season.
| 2002-03 Buffalo Sabres | |
|---|---|
| Division | 5th Northeast |
| Conference | 12th Eastern |
| 2002-03 record | 27–37–10–8 |
| Home record | 18–18–5–2 |
| Road record | 9–27–5–6 |
| Goals for | 190 |
| Goals against | 219 |
| Team information | |
| General manager | Darcy Regier |
| Coach | Lindy Ruff |
| Captain | Stu Barnes (Oct-Mar) Vacant (Mar-Apr) |
| Arena | HSBC Arena |
| Average attendance | 13,776 |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Miroslav Satan (26) |
| Assists | Miroslav Satan (49) |
| Points | Miroslav Satan (75) |
| Penalty minutes | Eric Boulton (178) |
| Plus/minus | Jochen Hecht and Curtis Brown (4) |
| Wins | Martin Biron (17) |
| Goals against average | Mika Noronen (2.42) |
Regular season
Final standings
| No. | CR | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ottawa Senators | 82 | 52 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 263 | 182 | 113 |
| 2 | 5 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 82 | 44 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 236 | 208 | 98 |
| 3 | 7 | Boston Bruins | 82 | 36 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 245 | 237 | 87 |
| 4 | 10 | Montreal Canadiens | 82 | 30 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 206 | 234 | 77 |
| 5 | 12 | Buffalo Sabres | 82 | 27 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 190 | 219 | 72 |
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.
| R | Div | GP | W | L | T | OTL | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P- Ottawa Senators | NE | 82 | 52 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 263 | 182 | 113 |
| 2 | Y- New Jersey Devils | AT | 82 | 46 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 216 | 166 | 108 |
| 3 | Y- Tampa Bay Lightning | SE | 82 | 36 | 25 | 16 | 5 | 219 | 210 | 93 |
| 4 | X- Philadelphia Flyers | AT | 82 | 45 | 20 | 13 | 4 | 211 | 166 | 107 |
| 5 | X- Toronto Maple Leafs | NE | 82 | 44 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 236 | 208 | 98 |
| 6 | X- Washington Capitals | SE | 82 | 39 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 224 | 220 | 92 |
| 7 | X- Boston Bruins | NE | 82 | 36 | 31 | 11 | 4 | 245 | 237 | 87 |
| 8 | X- New York Islanders | AT | 82 | 35 | 34 | 11 | 2 | 224 | 231 | 83 |
| 8.5 | ||||||||||
| 9 | New York Rangers | AT | 82 | 32 | 36 | 10 | 4 | 210 | 231 | 78 |
| 10 | Montreal Canadiens | NE | 82 | 30 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 206 | 234 | 77 |
| 11 | Atlanta Thrashers | SE | 82 | 31 | 39 | 7 | 5 | 226 | 284 | 74 |
| 12 | Buffalo Sabres | NE | 82 | 27 | 37 | 10 | 8 | 190 | 219 | 72 |
| 13 | Florida Panthers | SE | 82 | 24 | 36 | 13 | 9 | 176 | 237 | 70 |
| 14 | Pittsburgh Penguins | AT | 82 | 27 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 189 | 255 | 65 |
| 15 | Carolina Hurricanes | SE | 82 | 22 | 43 | 11 | 6 | 171 | 240 | 61 |
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast
P – Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot
Schedule and results
| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W | October 10, 2002 | 5–1 | New York Islanders (2002–03) | 1–0–0–0 |
| 2 | W | October 12, 2002 | 6–1 | @ Montreal Canadiens (2002–03) | 2–0–0–0 |
| 3 | L | October 13, 2002 | 0–3 | @ Chicago Blackhawks (2002–03) | 2–1–0–0 |
| 4 | T | October 17, 2002 | 4–4 OT | New York Rangers (2002–03) | 2–1–1–0 |
| 5 | L | October 19, 2002 | 2–3 | Phoenix Coyotes (2002–03) | 2–2–1–0 |
| 6 | W | October 22, 2002 | 2–1 | Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03) | 3–2–1–0 |
| 7 | L | October 25, 2002 | 1–2 | New Jersey Devils (2002–03) | 3–3–1–0 |
| 8 | L | October 26, 2002 | 2–5 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03) | 3–4–1–0 |
| 9 | T | October 29, 2002 | 1–1 OT | @ Vancouver Canucks (2002–03) | 3–4–2–0 |
| 10 | L | October 31, 2002 | 0–3 | @ Calgary Flames (2002–03) | 3–5–2–0 |
| 11 | T | November 1, 2002 | 1–1 OT | @ Edmonton Oilers (2002–03) | 3–5–3–0 |
| 12 | L | November 3, 2002 | 2–3 | @ Columbus Blue Jackets (2002–03) | 3–6–3–0 |
| 13 | L | November 7, 2002 | 0–2 | @ Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03) | 3–7–3–0 |
| 14 | L | November 9, 2002 | 4–6 | Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03) | 3–8–3–0 |
| 15 | L | November 12, 2002 | 3–4 | Boston Bruins (2002–03) | 3–9–3–0 |
| 16 | L | November 15, 2002 | 2–3 | Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03) | 3–10–3–0 |
| 17 | L | November 16, 2002 | 1–4 | @ Ottawa Senators (2002–03) | 3–11–3–0 |
| 18 | OTL | November 19, 2002 | 3–4 OT | @ New Jersey Devils (2002–03) | 3–11–3–1 |
| 19 | W | November 22, 2002 | 5–4 | Columbus Blue Jackets (2002–03) | 4–11–3–1 |
| 20 | L | November 23, 2002 | 1–4 | @ Boston Bruins (2002–03) | 4–12–3–1 |
| 21 | T | November 27, 2002 | 1–1 OT | Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03) | 4–12–4–1 |
| 22 | L | November 29, 2002 | 1–4 | Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03) | 4–13–4–1 |
| 23 | L | November 30, 2002 | 1–3 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03) | 4–14–4–1 |
| 24 | W | December 4, 2002 | 4–0 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2002–03) | 5–14–4–1 |
| 25 | W | December 6, 2002 | 4–1 | @ New York Rangers (2002–03) | 6–14–4–1 |
| 26 | W | December 7, 2002 | 4–3 | Washington Capitals (2002–03) | 7–14–4–1 |
| 27 | L | December 10, 2002 | 2–4 | Ottawa Senators (2002–03) | 7–15–4–1 |
| 28 | T | December 13, 2002 | 1–1 OT | Chicago Blackhawks (2002–03) | 7–15–5–1 |
| 29 | L | December 14, 2002 | 0–2 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03) | 7–16–5–1 |
| 30 | W | December 18, 2002 | 4–2 | Boston Bruins (2002–03) | 8–16–5–1 |
| 31 | L | December 20, 2002 | 0–3 | Florida Panthers (2002–03) | 8–17–5–1 |
| 32 | L | December 21, 2002 | 2–6 | @ Montreal Canadiens (2002–03) | 8–18–5–1 |
| 33 | L | December 23, 2002 | 2–5 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03) | 8–19–5–1 |
| 34 | L | December 26, 2002 | 2–3 | Ottawa Senators (2002–03) | 8–20–5–1 |
| 35 | L | December 28, 2002 | 3–4 | Minnesota Wild (2002–03) | 8–21–5–1 |
| 36 | L | December 30, 2002 | 3–4 | @ Washington Capitals (2002–03) | 8–22–5–1 |
| 37 | OTL | December 31, 2002 | 0–1 OT | New York Islanders (2002–03) | 8–22–5–2 |
| 38 | W | January 3, 2003 | 6–3 | Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03) | 9–22–5–2 |
| 39 | W | January 4, 2003 | 2–1 OT | @ Ottawa Senators (2002–03) | 10–22–5–2 |
| 40 | L | January 7, 2003 | 2–3 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03) | 10–23–5–2 |
| 41 | W | January 10, 2003 | 4–2 | Boston Bruins (2002–03) | 11–23–5–2 |
| 42 | W | January 11, 2003 | 3–2 | @ Montreal Canadiens (2002–03) | 12–23–5–2 |
| 43 | W | January 14, 2003 | 1–0 | @ Minnesota Wild (2002–03) | 13–23–5–2 |
| 44 | T | January 16, 2003 | 2–2 OT | @ San Jose Sharks (2002–03) | 13–23–6–2 |
| 45 | W | January 18, 2003 | 1–0 | @ Phoenix Coyotes (2002–03) | 14–23–6–2 |
| 46 | T | January 21, 2003 | 0–0 OT | Pittsburgh Penguins (2002–03) | 14–23–7–2 |
| 47 | W | January 24, 2003 | 4–0 | Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03) | 15–23–7–2 |
| 48 | OTL | January 25, 2003 | 3–4 OT | @ Ottawa Senators (2002–03) | 15–23–7–3 |
| 49 | L | January 27, 2003 | 1–5 | Nashville Predators (2002–03) | 15–24–7–3 |
| 50 | OTL | January 30, 2003 | 1–2 OT | @ St. Louis Blues (2002–03) | 15–24–7–4 |
| 51 | L | February 4, 2003 | 1–4 | @ New Jersey Devils (2002–03) | 15–25–7–4 |
| 52 | L | February 7, 2003 | 2–4 | Vancouver Canucks (2002–03) | 15–26–7–4 |
| 53 | L | February 8, 2003 | 1–3 | @ New York Islanders (2002–03) | 15–27–7–4 |
| 54 | L | February 11, 2003 | 2–3 | St. Louis Blues (2002–03) | 15–28–7–4 |
| 55 | L | February 13, 2003 | 2–4 | @ Detroit Red Wings (2002–03) | 15–29–7–4 |
| 56 | W | February 15, 2003 | 5–4 | New York Rangers (2002–03) | 16–29–7–4 |
| 57 | OTL | February 17, 2003 | 3–4 OT | @ Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03) | 16–29–7–5 |
| 58 | W | February 19, 2003 | 2–1 OT | Montreal Canadiens (2002–03) | 17–29–7–5 |
| 59 | L | February 21, 2003 | 1–4 | Los Angeles Kings (2002–03) | 17–30–7–5 |
| 60 | W | February 23, 2003 | 4–1 | @ Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03) | 18–30–7–5 |
| 61 | T | February 24, 2003 | 2–2 OT | @ Florida Panthers (2002–03) | 18–30–8–5 |
| 62 | L | February 26, 2003 | 2–3 | @ Washington Capitals (2002–03) | 18–31–8–5 |
| 63 | W | February 28, 2003 | 5–3 | Dallas Stars (2002–03) | 19–31–8–5 |
| 64 | OTL | March 1, 2003 | 1–2 OT | @ New York Islanders (2002–03) | 19–31–8–6 |
| 65 | L | March 4, 2003 | 1–2 | Washington Capitals (2002–03) | 19–32–8–6 |
| 66 | W | March 6, 2003 | 4–2 | Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03) | 20–32–8–6 |
| 67 | W | March 8, 2003 | 4–0 | @ Florida Panthers (2002–03) | 21–32–8–6 |
| 68 | T | March 9, 2003 | 1–1 OT | @ Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03) | 21–32–9–6 |
| 69 | OTL | March 12, 2003 | 2–3 OT | Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03) | 21–32–9–7 |
| 70 | L | March 14, 2003 | 2–4 | Tampa Bay Lightning (2002–03) | 21–33–9–7 |
| 71 | L | March 15, 2003 | 3–5 | @ Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03) | 21–34–9–7 |
| 72 | W | March 18, 2003 | 5–2 | Philadelphia Flyers (2002–03) | 22–34–9–7 |
| 73 | L | March 19, 2003 | 0–3 | @ New York Rangers (2002–03) | 22–35–9–7 |
| 74 | OTL | March 22, 2003 | 2–3 OT | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2002–03) | 22–35–9–8 |
| 75 | W | March 24, 2003 | 4–3 OT | Colorado Avalanche (2002–03) | 23–35–9–8 |
| 76 | W | March 26, 2003 | 2–1 | Florida Panthers (2002–03) | 24–35–9–8 |
| 77 | W | March 28, 2003 | 4–1 | Montreal Canadiens (2002–03) | 25–35–9–8 |
| 78 | W | March 29, 2003 | 3–1 | @ Carolina Hurricanes (2002–03) | 26–35–9–8 |
| 79 | L | March 31, 2003 | 0–3 | @ Dallas Stars (2002–03) | 26–36–9–8 |
| 80 | W | April 2, 2003 | 4–3 | Atlanta Thrashers (2002–03) | 27–36–9–8 |
| 81 | L | April 5, 2003 | 5–8 | @ Boston Bruins (2002–03) | 27–37–9–8 |
| 82 | T | April 6, 2003 | 2–2 OT | New Jersey Devils (2002–03) | 27–37–10–8 |
Playoffs
The Sabres failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Player statistics
Regular season
- Scoring
| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miroslav Satan | LW | 79 | 26 | 49 | 75 | 20 | -3 | 11 | 1 | 3 |
| Chris Gratton | C | 66 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 86 | -5 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Ales Kotalik | RW | 68 | 21 | 14 | 35 | 30 | -2 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Jean-Pierre Dumont | RW | 76 | 14 | 21 | 35 | 44 | -14 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Stu Barnes | C | 68 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 20 | -13 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Curtis Brown | C/LW | 74 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Taylor Pyatt | LW | 78 | 14 | 14 | 28 | 38 | -8 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jochen Hecht | LW | 49 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tim Connolly | C | 80 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 32 | -28 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Dmitri Kalinin | D | 65 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 57 | -7 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Alexei Zhitnik | D | 70 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 85 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Brian Campbell | D | 65 | 2 | 17 | 19 | 20 | -8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Adam Mair | C | 79 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 146 | -4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| James Patrick | D | 69 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 26 | -3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Henrik Tallinder | D | 46 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 28 | -3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Briere | C | 14 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Vaclav Varada | RW | 44 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 23 | -2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxim Afinogenov | RW | 35 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 21 | -12 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rhett Warrener | D | 50 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 63 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Boulton | LW | 58 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 178 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Botterill | LW | 17 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jay McKee | D | 59 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 49 | -16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rory Fitzpatrick | D | 36 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 16 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Taylor | C | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Woolley | D | 14 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 29 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denis Hamel | LW | 25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 17 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Norm Milley | RW | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Milan Bartovic | RW | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Biron | G | 54 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Gaustad | C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Radoslav Hecl | D | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doug Houda | D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doug Janik | D | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaroslav Kristek | RW | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sean McMorrow | LW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Miller | G | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mika Noronen | G | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rob Ray | RW | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
- Goaltending
| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T/OT | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Biron | 3170 | 54 | 17 | 28 | 6 | 135 | 2.56 | 4 | 1468 | 1333 | .908 |
| Ryan Miller | 912 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 40 | 2.63 | 1 | 410 | 370 | .902 |
| Mika Noronen | 891 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 36 | 2.42 | 1 | 411 | 375 | .912 |
| Team: | 4973 | 82 | 27 | 45 | 10 | 211 | 2.55 | 6 | 2289 | 2078 | .908 |
Note:
- Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
- Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;
Awards and records
Awards
| Regular Season | |||||||||
| Player | Award | Awarded | |||||||
| Miroslav Satan[5] | NHL Player of the Week | December 1–7, 2002 | |||||||
| Ales Kotalik | NHL Rookie of the Month | January 2003 | |||||||
Draft picks
Buffalo's draft picks at the 2002 NHL Entry Draft held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario.
| Round | # | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club Team (League) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Keith Ballard |  United States | University of Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 1 | 20 | Daniel Paille | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada | Guelph Storm (OHL) |
| 3 | 76 | Michael Tessier | Canada | Acadie-Bathurst Titan (QMJHL) |
| 3 | 82 | John Adams | United States | Boston College (Hockey East) |
| 4 | 108 | Jakub Hulva |  Czech Republic | HC Vitkovice Jr. (Czech Republic) |
| 4 | 121 | Marty Magers | United States | Omaha Lancers (USHL) |
| 6 | 178 | Maxim Shchevyev |  Russia | Elemash Elektrostal (Russia) |
| 7 | 208 | Radoslav Hecl |  Slovakia | Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) |
| 8 | 241 | Dennis Wideman | Canada | London Knights (OHL) |
| 9 | 271 | Martin Cizek | Czech Republic | Slavia Prague Jr. (Czech Republic) |
See also
References
- National Hockey League (2010). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2011. Triumph Books. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-60078-422-4.
- Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2009). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2010. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 163.
- "2002–2003 Standings by Conference". National Hockey League. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
- "2002-03 Buffalo Sabres Statistics - Hockey-Reference.com". hockey-reference.com. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- "Awards and Honors". Sabres.nhl.com. NHL.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
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