Sabres Classics: Drury's goal caps wild Game 1 vs. Ottawa

If you've followed the 2005-06 run on "Sabres Classics," you know that the Buffalo Sabres' regular-season series with the Ottawa Senators was a mixed bag.

The Senators won the first three contests by a combined score of 21-5. The Sabres took three of the last five matchups, two of which went beyond regulation.

Ottawa finished first in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of Buffalo. Yet some who were on that Sabres team remember being heavy underdogs entering the second-round playoff series.

"They were way favored to win that series," J-P Dumont said.

Added Daniel Briere: "I honestly didn't think we had much of a chance."

You wouldn't know it following Game 1.

One of the most memorable series in Sabres history began with one of the franchise's wildest games, a 7-6 overtime victory in which the Sabres erased five deficits. You can watch it Monday at 8 p.m. on MSG

The game began with Mike Grier scoring to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead just 35 seconds into the first period. It ended 18 seconds into overtime, when Grier fed Chris Drury for the overtime winner. (It was the fourth and final overtime goal of Drury's playoff career, tied for fifth in NHL history.)

The two teams combined for three goals in the last 1:37 of regulation, beginning when Derek Roy scored his second of the contest shorthanded to tie the game, 5-5. Bryan Smolinski scored his second goal of the night with the Senators still on the power play to regain the lead, 6-5, 24 seconds later.

Tim Connolly scored to send the game to overtime with 11 seconds left to play. Yes, it was his second of the game, too.

"We weren't going to give up," Connolly told the Associated Press afterward. "We came back a few times during the hockey game and we've been able to come back all year long and we're never going to give up until the game's over, and I think that's a credit to this hockey team."

Roy led both teams with a game-high five points (2+3). Connolly (2+1) and Grier (1+2) tallied three points each.