Editing Buffalo Sabres (section)

===Adams/Northeast Division rivalries (1981–1996)===
In [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82]], the NHL realigned its conferences and adopted an intra-divisional playoff format for the first two rounds.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/10/03/NHL-Revises-Format-For-1981-82-Season/3599370929600/|title=NHL Revises Format For 1981-82 Season|last=Tully|first=Mike|work=United Press International|date=October 3, 1981|accessdate=March 20, 2025}}</ref> It was the beginning of an era in which the Sabres would finish in the middle of the Adams Division standings with regularity, and then face the near-certainty of having to get past either the [[Boston Bruins]] or Canadiens to make it to the conference finals. Aside from first-round victories over Montreal in [[1983 Stanley Cup playoffs|1983]] and Boston in [[1993 Stanley Cup playoffs|1993]],<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/04/18/the-blankety-blank-sabres|title=The blankety-blank Sabres|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=April 18, 1983|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref><ref name="1993G4">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/25/sports/hockey-overtime-pays-as-buffalo-sweeps-bruins.html|title=HOCKEY; Overtime Pays as Buffalo Sweeps Bruins|via=The Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 25, 1993|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> the era saw the Sabres lose to division rivals Boston, the [[Quebec Nordiques]] and Montreal in the Adams Division semifinals (first round) a combined eight times, and miss the playoffs altogether in 1985–86 and 1986–87—only third and fourth times out of the playoffs in franchise history.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.thehockeynews.com/issue/647723/915218?t=Buffalo%20Sabres|title=Wounded Buffalo Promises Better Defense|last=Bowman|first=Scotty|magazine=The Hockey News|date=August 1, 1986|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> Perrault reached the 500-goal mark in the 1985–86 season and retired after playing 20 games in 1986–87, 17 years after joining the Sabres as their first draft pick.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1986/11/25/Just-20-games-after-returning-from-a-12-week-retirement/5215533278800/|title=Just 20 games after returning from a 12-week retirement,...|last=Usiak|first=Dick|work=United Press International|date=November 25, 1986|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref>

The Sabres drafted [[Pierre Turgeon]] with the first pick in the [[1987 NHL entry draft]], and he quickly made an impact with the team.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/06/13/Pierre-Turgeon-an-explosive-French-Canadian-center-Saturday-became/6157550555200/|title=Pierre Turgeon, an explosive French Canadian center, Saturday became...|last=Harris|first=Lisa|work=United Press International|date=June 13, 1987|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> During his rookie season in 1987–88, he helped the Sabres reach the [[1988 Stanley Cup playoffs|playoffs]] for the first time in three years. He was joined in 1989 by [[Alexander Mogilny]], who with the help of Sabres officials became the first Soviet player to defect to the NHL.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-05-sp-2209-story.html|title=Soviet Hockey's Mogilny Defects|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=May 5, 1989|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> In the 1989–90 season, the Sabres would improve to finish with 98 points—third-best in the NHL, but the playoff futility continued with a first-round loss to Montreal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1990-buffalo-sabres-vs-montreal-canadiens-adams-division-semi-finals.html|title=1990 NHL Adams Division Semi-Finals|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|website=Hockey-reference.com|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> The Sabres traded Turgeon to the New York Islanders in 1991 as part of a blockbuster seven-player trade that brought [[Pat LaFontaine]] to Buffalo.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/10/25/Islanders-trade-LaFontaine-Sutter-in-separate-deals/5436688363200/|title=Islanders trade LaFontaine, Sutter in separate deals|work=United Press International|date=October 25, 1991|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref>

In 1992–93, goaltender [[Dominik Hašek|Dominik Hasek]] joined the team in a trade from the [[Chicago Blackhawks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wgrz.com/article/sports/august-7-1992-the-best-trade-in-sabres-history/71-f5b8d61c-8f01-4473-8622-413eaf1b9769|title=August 7, 1992: The Best Trade in Sabres History|last=Benigni|first=Adam|publisher=WGRZ-TV|date=August 7, 2019|website=WGRZ.com|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> In the [[1993 Stanley Cup playoffs|1993 playoffs]], the Sabres upset the Bruins in a four-game sweep in the Adams Division semifinals, their first playoff series victory in ten years.<ref name="1993G4"/> [[Brad May]]'s series-winning goal in overtime of game four in Buffalo was made famous by Rick Jeanneret's "May Day!" call.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4788140/2023/08/18/sabres-rick-jeanneret-legacy/|title=Former Sabre Brad May reflects on Rick Jeanneret's legacy: 'He knows he was loved'|last=Fairburn|first=Matthew|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 18, 2023|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> However, the eventual Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens swept the Sabres in the division final, with the Sabres losing all four games by a 4–3 score (the last three games in overtime).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.thehockeynews.com/issue/647731/916923?t=BUFFALO%20SABRES|title=Buffalo Sabres|magazine=The Hockey News|date=August 1, 1993|accessdate=March 21, 2025|volume=47|issue=42}}</ref>

With the NHL adopting a conference playoff format for the [[1993–94 NHL season|1993–94 season]], the Sabres faced the [[New Jersey Devils]] in the Eastern Conference playoffs' first round. Despite Hasek winning a 1–0 quadruple overtime goaltending duel with the Devils' [[Martin Brodeur]] in game six,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1994/04/28/sabres-win-in-4-ots-1-0-force-game-7-vs-devils/ab288e75-090c-4cb5-ba16-32f524f0e989/|title=Sabres Win in 4 OTs, 1-0, Force Game 7 Vs. Devils|newspaper=The Washington Post|via=The Associated Press|date=April 28, 1994|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> Buffalo would lose the series in seven games.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/game/_/gameId/140429011/sabres-devils|title=Devils 2-1 Sabres (Apr 29, 1994) - Final Score|publisher=ESPN Enterprises, Inc.|website=ESPN.com|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> Another first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in the lockout-shortened [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95 season]] was followed by a fifth-place finish in the Northeast Division in 1995–96,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/15/sports/1995-nhl-playoffs-fast-start-by-flyers-ousts-sabres.html|title=1995 N.H.L. PLAYOFFS; Fast Start By Flyers Ousts Sabres|newspaper=The New York Times|via=The Associated Press|date=May 15, 1995|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. It was the first season under head coach [[Ted Nolan]] and the last for the Sabres at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. During his coaching tenure, Buffalo was referred to as the "hardest-working team in hockey".<ref name=BuffNews>{{Cite journal |last=Bailey |first=Budd |title=Ruff front-runner to coach Sabres |journal=The Buffalo News |date=July 18, 1997 |page=1B}}</ref> This season also featured the debut of "walk-on" veteran [[Randy Burridge]], who earned a spot on the roster after he attended training camp on a try-out basis. He scored 25 goals that season and was second in team scoring to Pat LaFontaine.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/this-birthday-in-buffalo-sports-history-randy-burridge/article_c0f6843f-378e-5554-a8d4-2749b6200ace.html|title=This Birthday in Buffalo Sports History: Randy Burridge|last=Bailey|first=Budd|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=January 7, 2013|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> Burridge also earned the Tim Horton Award for being the unsung hero and was voted team [[most valuable player]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://buffalonews.com/article_bdbfb2b5-e9ec-5832-9932-64a9fa3a9d3f.html|title=Burridge Receives Horton, Imlach Awards During Pregame Ceremonies|last=Bailey|first=Budd|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=April 15, 1996|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref>

The final game in Memorial Auditorium was played on April 14, 1996, a 4–1 victory over the [[Hartford Whalers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wivb.com/sports/buffalo-sabres/its-been-26-years-since-the-sabres-last-game-at-the-aud/|title=It's been 26 years since the Sabres' last game at 'The Aud'|last=Anstey|first=Evan|publisher=Nexstar Media Inc.|date=April 14, 2022|website=WIVB.com|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref> Sabres principal owner Seymour Knox died a month later, on May 22, 1996.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://buffalonews.com/news/seymour-h-knox-iii-is-dead-at-70/article_affce0af-3460-5c6c-84de-4bf335e62d70.html|title=Seymour H. Knox III is Dead at 70|last=Brady|first=Karen|newspaper=The Buffalo News|date=May 22, 1996|accessdate=March 21, 2025}}</ref>