The 1999 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1998–99 season, and the culmination of the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested by the Eastern Conference champion Buffalo Sabres and the Western Conference champion Dallas Stars. It was the 106th year of the Stanley Cup being contested.
The Sabres were led by captain Michael Peca, head coach Lindy Ruff and goaltender Dominik Hasek. The Stars were led by captain Derian Hatcher, head coach Ken Hitchcock and goaltender Ed Belfour. The Stars defeated the Sabres in six games to win their first Stanley Cup, becoming the eighth post-1967 expansion team to earn a championship, and the first team based in the Southern United States to win the Cup. This was the first Stanley Cup Final to not end in a sweep since 1994.
The series ended with a controversial triple-overtime goal in game six, when replays showed that Stars forward Brett Hull scored with his skate in the crease. Although the Sabres protested later, the league stated that the goal had been reviewed and was judged as a good goal, since Hull had maintained possession of the puck as it exited the crease just before he shot it.
Background
This was the third meeting between teams from Dallas and Buffalo for a major professional sports championship. This previously occurred in two Super Bowls in 1993 and 1994.
Buffalo Sabres Buffalo entered the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. They first swept the second seeded Ottawa Senators, then defeated the sixth seeded Boston Bruins in six games, and then defeated the fourth seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in five games to advance to the Finals. This was Buffalo's first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1975, in which they fell to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. The Sabres also became the second seventh seeded team to reach the Finals after the Vancouver Canucks did so in 1994.
Dallas Stars Dallas entered the playoffs as the Presidents' Trophy winner for the second consecutive season as they clinched the best record in the NHL once again. They swept the eighth seeded Edmonton Oilers, then defeated the fifth seeded St. Louis Blues in six games, and the second seeded Colorado Avalanche in seven games to advance to the Finals. The Stars became the second team from a Southern state to reach the Stanley Cup Final, joining the Florida Panthers, who accomplished the feat three years prior.
Game summaries
Game one
The opening game was in Dallas and it was the visiting Buffalo Sabres who struck first, winning 3–2 in overtime. Dallas led 1–0 on a power play goal by Brett Hull, but Stu Barnes and Wayne Primeau scored 5:04 apart in the third to give Buffalo a 2–1 lead. Jere Lehtinen tied the game in the final minute of the third period, but Jason Woolley scored at 15:30 of overtime to give the Sabres the series lead. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st DAL Brett Hull (6) – pp Mike Modano (12) and Jere Lehtinen (2) 10:17 1–0 DAL 2nd None 3rd BUF Stu Barnes (9) Joe Juneau (8) and Richard Smehlik (1) 08:33 1–1 BUF Wayne Primeau (3) – pp Alexei Zhitnik (10) and Richard Smehlik (2) 13:37 2–1 BUF DAL Jere Lehtinen (8) – pp Mike Modano (13) and Sergei Zubov (10) 19:11 2–2 OT BUF Jason Woolley (4) Curtis Brown (6) 15:30 3–2 BUF Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st DAL Sergei Zubov Roughing 06:36 2:00 BUF Miroslav Satan Boarding 08:18 2:00 BUF James Patrick High-sticking – double minor 12:46 4:00 BUF Dixon Ward Interference 19:11 2:00 2nd BUF Vaclav Varada Goaltender interference 04:53 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Interference 07:07 2:00 BUF Dixon Ward Roughing 09:34 2:00 DAL Craig Ludwig Hooking 12:21 2:00 DAL Richard Matvichuk Interference 16:33 2:00 3rd DAL Darryl Sydor Tripping – Obstruction 12:10 2:00 BUF Jay McKee Charging 14:17 2:00 OT BUF Alexei Zhitnik Hooking 06:41 2:00 BUF Geoff Sanderson Boarding 09:06 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 OT Total 5 4 10 5 24 11 13 6 7 37
Game two
With three seconds left in the first period, Dallas center Mike Modano tripped Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek, and a number of scrums broke out as time expired. Dallas winger Joe Nieuwendyk fought Buffalo center Brian Holzinger in the circle to the right of Hasek. These were the first fighting majors in three years in the final round, and it was also Nieuwendyk's first fighting major in five years in either the playoffs or regular season.
After the scoreless opening period, the teams traded goals in the middle frame. Craig Ludwig's first goal in 102 playoff games gave Dallas its first lead of the game in the third period, but Alexei Zhitnik tied it 71 seconds later. Brett Hull scored on a slap shot, a one-timer on a pass from Tony Hrkac, from the top of the circle to Hasek's left with 2:50 remaining in the game, but Buffalo had an excellent chance to tie the game with Derian Hatcher being assessed a high-sticking minor 19 seconds later. During the power play, Buffalo pulled Hasek for a 6-on-4 attacking advantage, but the Stars were able to kill the penalty, and Hatcher scored an empty-netter just three seconds after emerging from the penalty box. The empty net goal sealed the win for Dallas, and evened the series at one game apiece. Mike Modano left the game with approximately ten minutes to play after suffering a broken wrist.
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1stNone2nd BUF Michael Peca (8) – pp Jason Woolley (11) and Miroslav Satan (5) 07:27 1–0 BUF DAL Jamie Langenbrunner (10) Richard Matvichuk (4) and Joe Nieuwendyk (10) 18:26 1–1 3rd DAL Craig Ludwig (1) Brian Skrudland (2) 04:25 2–1 DAL BUF Alexei Zhitnik (4) – pp Unassisted 05:36 2–2 DAL Brett Hull (7) Tony Hrkac (2) and Shawn Chambers (2) 17:10 3–2 DAL DAL Derian Hatcher (1) – en Sergei Zubov (2) and Mike Keane (2) 19:34 4–2 DAL Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st DAL Brian Skrudland Charging 12:25 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Boarding 15:31 2:00 BUF Richard Smehlik Roughing 20:00 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Cross-checking 20:00 2:00 BUF Brian Holzinger Fighting – major 20:00 5:00 DAL Mike Modano Tripping 20:00 2:00 DAL Joe Nieuwendyk Fighting – major 20:00 5:00 DAL Derian Hatcher Roughing 20:00 2:00 2nd DAL Darryl Sydor Hooking 05:41 2:00 BUF Jason Woolley Interference 09:19 2:00 BUF Vaclav Varada Tripping – Obstruction 13:14 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Tripping 20:00 2:00 3rd DAL Darryl Sydor High-sticking 04:50 2:00 BUF Vaclav Varada High-sticking 10:32 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Hooking 11:48 2:00 DAL Derian Hatcher High-sticking 17:31 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 7 10 4 21 5 7 19 31
Game three
The series shifted to Buffalo for games three and four. It was the visiting Dallas Stars turn to win one on the road, winning 2–1. With Modano hampered by his wrist injury, and Hull leaving the game with a groin injury, Joe Nieuwendyk's two goals, including his sixth game-winner of the playoffs, led Dallas to the win.
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1stNone2nd BUF Stu Barnes (6) Richard Smehlik (3) and Brian Holzinger (5) 07:51 1–0 BUF DAL Joe Nieuwendyk (10) Dave Reid (3) and Jamie Langenbrunner (6) 15:33 1–1 3rd DAL Joe Nieuwendyk (11) Jamie Langenbrunner (7) and Dave Reid (4) 09:35 2–1 DAL Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st BUF Erik Rasmussen Roughing 07:45 2:00 DAL Shawn Chambers Roughing 07:45 2:00 DAL Craig Ludwig Interference 07:45 2:00 DAL Richard Matvichuk Roughing 09:43 2:00 DAL Brian Skrudland Slashing 18:13 2:00 DAL Derian Hatcher Roughing 18:46 2:00 2nd BUF Alexei Zhitnik Interference 03:38 2:00 DAL Mike Modano Tripping 09:54 2:00 DAL Mike Modano Slashing 12:21 2:00 BUF Brian Holzinger High-sticking 19:09 2:00 DAL Mike Modano Interference 19:23 2:00 3rd DAL Tony Hrkac Tripping 17:38 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 8 13 8 29 3 6 3 12
Game four
Facing a two games to one deficit in the series, the Sabres came through with a 2–1 victory on Dixon Ward's game-winning goal in the second period. Scoring summary Period Team Goal Assist(s) Time Score 1st BUF Geoff Sanderson (4) Unassisted 08:09 1–0 BUF DAL Jere Lehtinen (9) – pp Mike Modano (14) and Derian Hatcher (6) 10:14 1–1 2nd BUF Dixon Ward (7) Unassisted 08:09 2–1 BUF 3rd None Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st DAL Richard Matvichuk Roughing 03:48 2:00 BUF Wayne Primeau Roughing 09:32 2:00 BUF Jason Woolley Holding 19:05 2:00 2nd DAL Pat Verbeek Interference 00:21 2:00 DAL Craig Ludwig Interference 11:07 2:00 DAL Brian Skrudland Roughing 14:49 2:00 BUF Brian Holzinger Boarding 16:44 2:00 BUF Dominik Hasek Roughing 20:00 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Roughing 20:00 2:00 DAL Pat Verbeek Roughing 20:00 2:00 DAL Derian Hatcher Roughing 20:00 2:00 3rd DAL Joe Nieuwendyk Hooking 01:06 2:00 BUF Dixon Ward Roughing – double minor 20:00 4:00 BUF Rhett Warrener Roughing 20:00 2:00 DAL Dave Reid Roughing 20:00 2:00 DAL Jamie Langenbrunner Roughing 20:00 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 9 9 13 31 7 9 2 18
Game five
With the series tied at two games apiece and returning to Dallas, Ed Belfour made 23 saves to shut out the Sabres, and move Dallas within one win of the Stanley Cup.
Scoring summaryPeriodTeamGoalAssist(s)TimeScore1stNone2nd DAL Darryl Sydor (3) – pp Mike Modano (11) and Sergei Zubov (12) 02:23 1–0 DAL3rd DAL Pat Verbeek (3) Richard Matvichuk (5) and Mike Modano (16) 15:21 2–0 DAL Penalty summary Period Team Player Penalty Time PIM 1st DAL Craig Ludwig Tripping – Obstruction 02:08 2:00 2nd BUF Curtis Brown Interference 01:42 2:00 BUF Jason Woolley Holding – Obstruction 03:31 2:00 DAL Jamie Langenbrunner Roughing 07:44 2:00 3rd BUF Wayne Primeau Roughing 08:21 2:00 DAL Darryl Sydor Roughing 08:21 2:00 BUF Rhett Warrener Slashing 16:31 2:00 BUF Alexei Zhitnik Elbowing 17:27 2:00 DAL Joe Nieuwendyk Roughing 17:27 2:00 DAL Brian Skrudland Tripping – Obstruction 19:29 2:00 BUF Rhett Warrener Roughing 20:00 2:00 DAL Derian Hatcher Roughing 20:00 2:00 Shots by period Team 1 2 3 Total 9 5 9 23 8 7 6 21
Game six
The series shifted back to Marine Midland Arena for Game 6, where the Dallas Stars would seek their first Stanley Cup, while the Buffalo Sabres would fight for a win to extend the series to a seventh and final game.
Dallas, which allowed the first goal in the earlier two games played at Marine Midland Arena, took a 1–0 lead on one of its few scoring chances in the first period when Lehtinen scored his tenth goal of the playoffs at 8:09. The Sabres tied the game with their first goal since the third period of game four when Barnes' wrist shot eluded Belfour with 1:39 to play in the second period.
The game remained tied at one through the third period and the first two overtime periods, despite several chances by both teams to score. At 14:51 of the third overtime period, Brett Hull scored to end the series and win Dallas their first Stanley Cup. Joe Nieuwendyk was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
It was the longest Cup-winning game in Finals history, and the second-longest Finals game overall, after game one of the 1990 Stanley Cup Final, which ended at 15:13 of the third overtime.
This was the last championship for a Dallas-based major professional sports team until 2011, when the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in that year's NBA Final.
The Stars did make a return trip to the Final the next season, but lost in six games to the Eastern Conference Champion, the New Jersey Devils.
To date, this is the last trip to the Stanley Cup Final for the Sabres.