NHL PLAYOFF ROUNDUP : May’s Overtime Goal Gives Sabres a Sweep

Brad May’s goal at 4:48 of overtime gave the Buffalo Sabres a 6-5 victory over the Boston Bruins Saturday night at Buffalo and an improbable and unprecedented sweep of the heavily favored Bruins in an Adams Division semifinal playoff series.

The Bruins, who won 18 of their last 21 regular-season games, are the first NHL team to win 50 games during the regular season and be swept in the opening round of the playoffs.

Buffalo’s turnaround was just as dramatic. The Sabres lost their last seven regular-season games and had lost their previous five series against the Bruins.

The Sabres hadn’t won a seven-game series in 13 years.

But all that ended when May, without a goal in his last 30 games, connected after taking a pass from Pat LaFontaine, who was on his knees when he swept the puck along. May took it at the Boston blue line, evaded Ray Bourque to get in alone against goaltender Andy Moog and then beat him with a forehand after a nice fake.

“I had to come around sometime,” said May, a second-year pro who went the final 27 regular-season games and the first three playoff games without scoring. “The thing is, it’s a new season, so it was only three games.”

The Sabres completed the sweep the hard way, rallying from a 5-3 deficit and playing most of the game without goaltender Grant Fuhr, who left the game after the first period because of a bruised right shoulder.

N.Y. Islanders 4, Washington 3--Ray Ferraro scored an overtime goal for the second consecutive game, this time in the second extra period, as the Islanders rallied at Uniondale, N.Y., to take a 3-1 lead in the Patrick Division semifinal series.

All three of the Islanders’ victories have come in overtime, with Ferrero getting an assist on the winning goal in Game 2.

Ferrero scored this time at 5:40 of the second overtime, putting a shot through the legs of goaltender Rick Tabaracci.

The Islanders rallied from an early three-goal deficit, pulling even on Patrick Flatley’s goal at 14:14 of the third period.

Montreal 3, Quebec 2--Benoit Brunet’s goal 67 seconds into the third period broke a 2-2 tie, helping the Canadiens even the Adams Division semifinal series at 2-2.

Brunet lifted a rebound over goaltender Ron Hextall after Hextall stopped Gilbert Dionne’s close-range shot.

Vincent Damphousse and Gary Leeman also scored for Montreal.

Scott Young and Joe Sakic replied for Quebec.