STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS : Sabres Beat Devils in Fourth Overtime, 1-0

It was a hockey game with almost no end.

The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils played through three regulation periods and three 20-minute overtime periods Wednesday night without scoring.

The Sabres won, 1-0, when Dave Hannan scored 5:43 into the fourth overtime. It was nearly 2 a.m. EDT in Buffalo when the game ended.

On the winning play, Jason Dawe shot from the right circle. The puck was blocked by the skate of the Devils’ Valeri Zelepukin and Hannan picked up the rebound and backhanded it over a sprawling Martin Brodeur.

The victory, the Sabres’ first in overtime this season, saved Buffalo from elimination and forced a deciding game Friday night at East Rutherford, N.J.

Buffalo has never won a Game 7 in the 24-year history of the franchise, twice losing to Boston in its only tries.

Buffalo goaltender Dominik Hasek had stopped 66 shots through 120 minutes of hockey, while New Jersey’s Brodeur had stopped 49.

The game was not close to the NHL record for longest overtime game. On March 25, 1936, the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Maroons played into six overtimes.

Detroit won, 1-0, with Mud Bruneteau scoring at 16:30 of the sixth overtime. That game lasted 176 minutes 30 seconds, including 116:30 of overtime play.

Washington 6, Pittsburgh 3--Don Beaupre had 26 saves, improving to 4-0 in the playoff, as the Capitals beat the Penguins at Landover, Md., to win the first-round series in six games.

Washington never trailed after taking a 3-0 lead in the opening 10 minutes. The seventh-seeded Capitals will next face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinal, which begins Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

The Capitals had twice previously blown 3-1 series leads in the playoffs, including two years ago against the Penguins. Second-seeded Pittsburgh hoped history would repeat itself after winning Game 5, but there would be no comeback this time.

Beaupre was spectacular throughout the series, but he received plenty of help from the Washington defense. Pittsburgh superstar Mario Lemieux had only four goals in the six games, and the Penguins’ power play went one for six Wednesday night to finish two for 27 in the series.

It was the second consecutive early exit for Pittsburgh, which was eliminated in the second round last season after winning two consecutive Stanley Cups.

The game could signify the end for Lemeieux, who missed 58 games this season with back trouble. He has been hinting at retirement, and said he will ponder his future in the coming months.

“Obviously, my health is not the best thing I’ve got going for me,” he said. “I have to stop and take a look at that and think about my future. It’s been difficult the last couple of years.”

In addition to battling back problems, Lemieux has been fighting Hodgkins disease.

Boston 3, Montreal 2--Al Iafrate scored the game-winning goal at Montreal at 7:21 of the third period to tie the series at 3-3.

Iafrate’s point shot was blocked, but the loose puck was lying in the crease. He beat John LeClair to it, moved to the right and fooled goaltender Patrick Roy with a low screened shot between the feet.

The deciding game will be played Friday night at Boston Garden.