#sabreshistory

On April 7, 1974, Rick Martin entered the Buffalo Sabres' final game of the season needing just one goal to reach the 50-goal plateau. By the end of the night, he had scored three.

Martin's historic 50th goal came at 8:39 of the first period against St. Louis Blues goalie Wayne Stephenson, making him the first player in Buffalo Sabres franchise history to score 50 goals in a season.

He wasn't finished. Martin added his 51st goal early in the third period, a tally that would stand as the game winner in Buffalo's 5-2 victory. Then, with just 47 seconds left in regulation, he completed the hat trick and finished the season with 52 goals.

The feat was even more impressive considering Martin repeated the 52-goal mark the following season despite missing 12 games. His unforgettable season-ending performance remains one of the great individual milestones in Sabres history.

On December 22, 1974, Washington focused on stopping Buffalo’s French Connection and succeeded. But Don Luce made them pay.

Luce scored the only hat trick of his NHL career as the Sabres shut out the Capitals 4–0 at the Capital Centre. Two of his three goals came shorthanded in the second period, just 23 seconds apart, giving Buffalo all the offense it needed.

Gary Bromley earned the shutout, while Luce capped a career season that would see him reach 76 points and help the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Final.

We go into more detail about this game here: Don Luce Hat Trick

Rick Dudley kicked off a career season on October 26, 1974, scoring both goals in a 2–0 Buffalo Sabres shutout of the St. Louis Blues. With the Blues focused on the French Connection, Dudley, alongside Peter McNab and Brian Spencer, did all the damage, including a power-play game winner. The night also marked Gary Bromley’s first NHL shutout, and it foreshadowed Dudley’s 31-goal, 70-point campaign that earned him Hart Trophy consideration.