Sabres' futility reaches 14 straight years missing Stanley Cup Playoffs; Senators in for first time since 2017
'We know where we're at,' Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. 'I'm disappointed where we're at and we can't do anything with that, but we can work on our game and we're going to continue to work on our game until it's over.'
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Ruff is in his second stint as coach of the Sabres. He was hired in May when he replaced Don Granato. Ruff was the last person to coach Buffalo to the playoffs in 2011 before he was fired in 2013.
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The Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-0, on Tuesday night to keep a shred of hope alive, but the Canadiens' 4-1 win at home against the Red Wings left them 11 points behind with five games remaining.
'It's mixed emotions, for sure,' Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. 'I mean, [ticked] that we started to play good now. It's too late. But also, it's good we can see that we can play good hockey, and we can beat any team in this league.'
The Sabres were able to stave off elimination until their 77th game thanks to winning 10 of their last 13 games including five straight. However, a staggering 13-game losing streak in November and December in which they went 0-10-3 doomed the season.
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Nous n'avons pas terminé! On passe aux séries de la coupe Stanley!
— X - Ottawa Senators (@Senators)
That Montreal victory not only strengthened its position in the playoff picture, building an eight-point cushion over Detroit, the Rangers, and the Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference's second wild-card spot, it helped the Senators clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2017.
Ottawa lost earlier Tuesday, 5-2, to the Blue Jackets in Columbus. The Senators lead Montreal by three points for the first wild card in the Eastern Conference, and host the Canadiens on Friday to open a season-ending four-game homestand.
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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The Pacers are in the NBA Finals. The Fever have Caitlin Clark. In Indy, basketball is booming
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rick Carlisle used the line after the Indiana Pacers won the Eastern Conference title earlier this month, the one that is the official motto for the state's basketball Hall of Fame and surely has been uttered for generations. 'In 49 other states, it's just basketball,' said Carlisle, the Pacers' head coach. 'But this is Indiana.' It's true: Basketball never loses importance here. But these days, the state — and Indianapolis especially — probably feels like the center of the basketball universe. Indiana is the state that lays claim to Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson. It boasts the most recent team to finish an NCAA Division I men's season undefeated in Bob Knight's 1975-76 Indiana squad. It inspired the movie 'Hoosiers,' cheered Reggie Miller for the entirety of his Hall of Fame career and now has the talk of the women's game in Caitlin Clark for the WNBA's Fever — a team that might be playing for titles in Indianapolis before too long. Oh, and the Pacers are back in the NBA Finals, too. The NBA's title round returns to Indianapolis on Wednesday night for the first time in 25 years. Game 3, Oklahoma City at Indiana, series tied at a game apiece. In 49 other states, they'll be watching. In Indiana, they'll be seeing. 'I think you're making a valid point about the Fever and Caitlin being here,' Carlisle said, when asked about the parallel between Indianapolis' two teams enjoying simultaneous success. 'Both teams are teams that are working their way up and getting better. The level of interest is high. We've always had great fans here.' He would know. He's in his third stint as a resident of the Hoosier State. He was an assistant coach, then became Pacers head coach, then left for Dallas, then came back to coach the Pacers again. He's seen good times. He's seen bad times. He's now seeing crazed times. There are 'Yes, 'Cers' signs all over the city. The Pacers' chances are the talk of the bar at the famed St. Elmo Steak House, and yes, they're big Fever fans there as well. The Fever and Pacers are both owned by Herb Simon, the 90-year-old Hall of Famer who bought the NBA team more than 40 years ago. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Simon deserves much of the credit for what's happening in Indy these days. 'As David Stern used to say, 'We're going to keep him at it until he gets it right.' And here we are,' Silver said of Simon, referring to his predecessor as NBA commissioner. "He's the longest standing owner, governor in NBA history. And I'm just so happy for him, to see the success. The cherry on top of the whipped cream is we have a WNBA All-Star game coming there this summer. And how appropriate that what is viewed as the heartland of basketball, the state of Indiana, is seeing all this success around the game.' It's Pacersmania and Caitlinmania, all at once, which means there are all sorts of things for Indy fans to be loving right now. There's a chance that Clark — who has been out with a quadriceps injury — could return to the Fever lineup on Saturday against the defending champion New York Liberty. That means it could be Pacers in a finals game Wednesday, Pacers in a finals game Friday, Clark's return against the WNBA champs on Saturday, all in one building. Clark was courtside when the Pacers beat New York to clinch the East title, and her celebration — a loud scream — went viral. She has breathed new life into the WNBA; about 16,000 people went to Fever home and away games last season, while the average for all other games not involving the Fever was about 8,500. This season's ratings have plummeted while she's been out with the leg injury; by Nielsen's numbers, nationally televised WNBA viewership is down 55% since she got hurt. 'Caitlin is amazing,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, a close friend of Clark, said earlier this season. 'For me, getting to actually spend time around her, be around her, get to know her personally, she's just an amazing person and amazing player. ... I think the Fever in general, they're like rock stars. They're a big part of the growth behind that league.' A big part of Indianapolis' basketball renaissance, too. People here never forget about the game. And on Sundays in football season, the predominantly gold Pacers and Fever jerseys get traded for the blue and white of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The rest of the time, in good or bad, it seems basketball is always the go-to for fandom among Hoosiers. After all, in 49 other states, it's just basketball. But this is Indiana. 'Honestly, I can't wait to see how rocking and loud this place is,' Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith said when asked what he thinks Game 3 will feel like. 'It's going to be a special, special moment for sure.' ___
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
The Pacers are in the NBA Finals. The Fever have Caitlin Clark. In Indy, basketball is booming
Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rick Carlisle used the line after the Indiana Pacers won the Eastern Conference title earlier this month, the one that is the official motto for the state's basketball Hall of Fame and surely has been uttered for generations. 'In 49 other states, it's just basketball,' said Carlisle, the Pacers' head coach. 'But this is Indiana.' It's true: Basketball never loses importance here. But these days, the state — and Indianapolis especially — probably feels like the center of the basketball universe. Indiana is the state that lays claim to Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson. It boasts the most recent team to finish an NCAA Division I men's season undefeated in Bob Knight's 1975-76 Indiana squad. It inspired the movie 'Hoosiers,' cheered Reggie Miller for the entirety of his Hall of Fame career and now has the talk of the women's game in Caitlin Clark for the WNBA's Fever — a team that might be playing for titles in Indianapolis before too long. Oh, and the Pacers are back in the NBA Finals, too. The NBA's title round returns to Indianapolis on Wednesday night for the first time in 25 years. Game 3, Oklahoma City at Indiana, series tied at a game apiece. In 49 other states, they'll be watching. In Indiana, they'll be seeing. 'I think you're making a valid point about the Fever and Caitlin being here,' Carlisle said, when asked about the parallel between Indianapolis' two teams enjoying simultaneous success. 'Both teams are teams that are working their way up and getting better. The level of interest is high. We've always had great fans here.' He would know. He's in his third stint as a resident of the Hoosier State. He was an assistant coach, then became Pacers head coach, then left for Dallas, then came back to coach the Pacers again. He's seen good times. He's seen bad times. He's now seeing crazed times. There are 'Yes, 'Cers' signs all over the city. The Pacers' chances are the talk of the bar at the famed St. Elmo Steak House, and yes, they're big Fever fans there as well. The Fever and Pacers are both owned by Herb Simon, the 90-year-old Hall of Famer who bought the NBA team more than 40 years ago. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Simon deserves much of the credit for what's happening in Indy these days. 'As David Stern used to say, 'We're going to keep him at it until he gets it right.' And here we are,' Silver said of Simon, referring to his predecessor as NBA commissioner. "He's the longest standing owner, governor in NBA history. And I'm just so happy for him, to see the success. The cherry on top of the whipped cream is we have a WNBA All-Star game coming there this summer. And how appropriate that what is viewed as the heartland of basketball, the state of Indiana, is seeing all this success around the game.' It's Pacersmania and Caitlinmania, all at once, which means there are all sorts of things for Indy fans to be loving right now. There's a chance that Clark — who has been out with a quadriceps injury — could return to the Fever lineup on Saturday against the defending champion New York Liberty. That means it could be Pacers in a finals game Wednesday, Pacers in a finals game Friday, Clark's return against the WNBA champs on Saturday, all in one building. Clark was courtside when the Pacers beat New York to clinch the East title, and her celebration — a loud scream — went viral. She has breathed new life into the WNBA; about 16,000 people went to Fever home and away games last season, while the average for all other games not involving the Fever was about 8,500. This season's ratings have plummeted while she's been out with the leg injury; by Nielsen's numbers, nationally televised WNBA viewership is down 55% since she got hurt. 'Caitlin is amazing,' Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, a close friend of Clark, said earlier this season. 'For me, getting to actually spend time around her, be around her, get to know her personally, she's just an amazing person and amazing player. ... I think the Fever in general, they're like rock stars. They're a big part of the growth behind that league.' A big part of Indianapolis' basketball renaissance, too. People here never forget about the game. And on Sundays in football season, the predominantly gold Pacers and Fever jerseys get traded for the blue and white of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts. The rest of the time, in good or bad, it seems basketball is always the go-to for fandom among Hoosiers. After all, in 49 other states, it's just basketball. But this is Indiana. 'Honestly, I can't wait to see how rocking and loud this place is,' Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith said when asked what he thinks Game 3 will feel like. 'It's going to be a special, special moment for sure.' ___ AP NBA: recommended
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
How to Watch Houston Dynamo vs. CF Montréal: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time
How to Watch Houston Dynamo vs. CF Montréal: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time | 6/14/2025 MLS' 21st-place team, Houston Dynamo, hosts 29th-place CF Montréal on Saturday at 8:30 PM ET. Watch on TSN. Last time out, Houston suffered a 3-1 defeat at home to Sporting Kansas City, taking 20 shots and outshooting Sporting Kansas City by 13. Montreal lost to New England Revolution 3-0 at home in its last game on May 31, even though they outshot New England Revolution 11 to seven. How to watch Houston Dynamo vs. CF Montréal When: Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 8:30 PM ET Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 8:30 PM ET Where: Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas Live Stream: TSN Houston key players Griffin Dorsey has two goals (on 15 shots, 1.5 per game) and three assists for Houston. With two goals and three assists, Jack Mcglynn is another key player for Houston. Ezequiel Ponce has four goals and one assist. Amine Bassi has two goals (on six shots, 0.4 per game) and two assists. Montreal key players Prince-Osei Owusu is a key contributor for Montreal, with four goals and two assists. Giacomo Vrioni has scored three goals this season. Dante Sealy has added two goals and one assist. Luca Petrasso has one goal and two assists. Houston vs. Montreal match breakdown
