1973β74 Buffalo Sabres | |
---|---|
Division | 5th East |
1973β74 record | 32β34β12 |
Home record | 23β10β6 |
Road record | 9β24β6 |
Goals for | 242 |
Goals against | 250 |
Team information | |
General manager | Punch Imlach |
Coach | Joe Crozier |
Captain | Gerry Meehan |
Alternate captains |
Don Luce Gilbert Perreault Jim Schoenfeld |
Arena | Buffalo Memorial Auditorium |
Average attendance | 15,668 |
Team leaders | |
Goals | Rick Martin (52) |
Assists | Rene Robert (44) |
Points | Rick Martin (86) |
Penalty minutes | Larry Carriere (103) |
Wins | Dave Dryden (23) |
Goals against average | Dave Dryden (2.97) |
The 1973β74 Buffalo Sabres season was the Sabres' fourth season in the National Hockey League.
Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 | Morris Titanic | Left wing | ![]() |
Sudbury Wolves (OHA) |
2 | 28 | Jean Landry | Defense | ![]() |
Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
3 | 44 | Andre Deschamps | Left wing | ![]() |
Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
4 | 60 | Yvon Dupuis | Right wing | ![]() |
Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) |
5 | 76 | Bob Smulders | Right wing | ![]() |
Peterborough Petes (OHA) |
6 | 92 | Neil Korzack | Left wing | ![]() |
Peterborough Petes (OHA) |
7 | 108 | Bob Young | Defense | ![]() |
University of Denver (NCAA) |
8 | 124 | Tim O'Connell | Right wing | ![]() |
University of Vermont (NCAA) |
Early on the morning of February 21, 1974, while driving on the Queen Elizabeth Way from Toronto to Buffalo in his white De Tomaso Pantera sports car, (a gift from Sabres' GM George "Punch" Imlach), Horton was involved in what is now an infamous accident. He was negotiating a curve on the QEW where it crosses over Twelve Mile Creek in St. Catharines when he lost control and hit a cement culvert. The impact flipped the vehicle and Horton was thrown. He was not wearing a seat belt. Horton was reported dead on arrival at the local hospital, aged only 44. A police officer pursuing Horton's vehicle said that he had been travelling at over 160 km/h (100 mph).
There were reports Horton had consumed a considerable amount of vodka, and was rumoured to have been taking pain killers due to a jaw injury suffered in practice the day before. An autopsy report released in 2005 showed Horton had a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit. The blood test also showed signs of amobarbital, which was possibly a residue from the Dexamyl pills that were found on Horton's body. The autopsy showed no indication Horton was taking painkillers as previously thought.
GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | DIFF | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Boston Bruins | 78 | 52 | 17 | 9 | 349 | 221 | +128 | 113 |
2 | Montreal Canadiens | 78 | 45 | 24 | 9 | 293 | 240 | +53 | 99 |
3 | New York Rangers | 78 | 40 | 24 | 14 | 300 | 251 | +49 | 94 |
4 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 78 | 35 | 27 | 16 | 274 | 230 | +44 | 86 |
5 | Buffalo Sabres | 78 | 32 | 34 | 12 | 242 | 250 | β8 | 76 |
6 | Detroit Red Wings | 78 | 29 | 39 | 10 | 255 | 319 | β64 | 68 |
7 | Vancouver Canucks | 78 | 24 | 43 | 11 | 224 | 296 | β72 | 59 |
8 | New York Islanders | 78 | 19 | 41 | 18 | 182 | 247 | β65 | 56 |
Vs. East Division
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Vs. West Division
|
Regular season results | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
1 | L | October 10, 1973 | 4β7 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs ( 1973β74) | 0β1β0 |
2 | W | October 13, 1973 | 4β3 | @ Minnesota North Stars ( 1973β74) | 1β1β0 |
3 | L | October 14, 1973 | 1β3 | Vancouver Canucks ( 1973β74) | 1β2β0 |
4 | W | October 18, 1973 | 6β2 | Los Angeles Kings ( 1973β74) | 2β2β0 |
5 | W | October 20, 1973 | 2β1 | @ New York Islanders ( 1973β74) | 3β2β0 |
6 | W | October 21, 1973 | 4β3 | Toronto Maple Leafs ( 1973β74) | 4β2β0 |
7 | W | October 24, 1973 | 3β1 | Chicago Black Hawks ( 1973β74) | 5β2β0 |
8 | L | October 25, 1973 | 4β9 | @ Boston Bruins ( 1973β74) | 5β3β0 |
9 | W | October 28, 1973 | 5β2 | New York Islanders ( 1973β74) | 6β3β0 |
10 | W | October 31, 1973 | 3β2 | California Golden Seals ( 1973β74) | 7β3β0 |
11 | T | November 4, 1973 | 1β1 | Montreal Canadiens ( 1973β74) | 7β3β1 |
12 | L | November 6, 1973 | 2β3 | @ Vancouver Canucks ( 1973β74) | 7β4β1 |
13 | L | November 9, 1973 | 3β6 | @ California Golden Seals ( 1973β74) | 7β5β1 |
14 | W | November 10, 1973 | 5β3 | @ Los Angeles Kings ( 1973β74) | 8β5β1 |
15 | W | November 14, 1973 | 3β1 | @ Atlanta Flames ( 1973β74) | 9β5β1 |
16 | L | November 17, 1973 | 5β8 | @ Montreal Canadiens ( 1973β74) | 9β6β1 |
17 | L | November 18, 1973 | 0β2 | California Golden Seals ( 1973β74) | 9β7β1 |
18 | L | November 21, 1973 | 2β3 | @ Atlanta Flames ( 1973β74) | 9β8β1 |
19 | L | November 22, 1973 | 6β7 | New York Rangers ( 1973β74) | 9β9β1 |
20 | L | November 25, 1973 | 3β4 | Atlanta Flames ( 1973β74) | 9β10β1 |
21 | W | November 29, 1973 | 2β1 | Los Angeles Kings ( 1973β74) | 10β10β1 |
22 | W | December 1, 1973 | 4β1 | @ Detroit Red Wings ( 1973β74) | 11β10β1 |
23 | W | December 2, 1973 | 6β1 | Detroit Red Wings ( 1973β74) | 12β10β1 |
24 | W | December 6, 1973 | 8β4 | New York Rangers ( 1973β74) | 13β10β1 |
25 | L | December 8, 1973 | 2β5 | @ Boston Bruins ( 1973β74) | 13β11β1 |
26 | W | December 9, 1973 | 5β2 | Toronto Maple Leafs ( 1973β74) | 14β11β1 |
27 | T | December 12, 1973 | 1β1 | @ New York Rangers ( 1973β74) | 14β11β2 |
28 | L | December 15, 1973 | 3β4 | @ Minnesota North Stars ( 1973β74) | 14β12β2 |
29 | L | December 16, 1973 | 2β5 | St. Louis Blues ( 1973β74) | 14β13β2 |
30 | T | December 19, 1973 | 2β2 | @ Chicago Black Hawks ( 1973β74) | 14β13β3 |
31 | T | December 20, 1973 | 2β2 | Montreal Canadiens ( 1973β74) | 14β13β4 |
32 | L | December 22, 1973 | 1β7 | @ Montreal Canadiens ( 1973β74) | 14β14β4 |
33 | W | December 23, 1973 | 3β2 | Pittsburgh Penguins ( 1973β74) | 15β14β4 |
34 | W | December 27, 1973 | 3β1 | Detroit Red Wings ( 1973β74) | 16β14β4 |
35 | L | December 30, 1973 | 4β5 | Philadelphia Flyers ( 1973β74) | 16β15β4 |
36 | W | December 31, 1973 | 6β5 | @ Detroit Red Wings ( 1973β74) | 17β15β4 |
37 | W | January 3, 1974 | 6β1 | Pittsburgh Penguins ( 1973β74) | 18β15β4 |
38 | L | January 5, 1974 | 2β5 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins ( 1973β74) | 18β16β4 |
39 | W | January 6, 1974 | 6β3 | Vancouver Canucks ( 1973β74) | 19β16β4 |
40 | L | January 9, 1974 | 0β3 | @ Atlanta Flames ( 1973β74) | 19β17β4 |
41 | W | January 10, 1974 | 7β2 | New York Rangers ( 1973β74) | 20β17β4 |
42 | L | January 12, 1974 | 2β5 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins ( 1973β74) | 20β18β4 |
43 | W | January 13, 1974 | 1β0 | St. Louis Blues ( 1973β74) | 21β18β4 |
44 | L | January 17, 1974 | 2β7 | @ Philadelphia Flyers ( 1973β74) | 21β19β4 |
45 | T | January 19, 1974 | 2β2 | @ New York Islanders ( 1973β74) | 21β19β5 |
46 | W | January 20, 1974 | 6β4 | California Golden Seals ( 1973β74) | 22β19β5 |
47 | L | January 24, 1974 | 1β4 | Montreal Canadiens ( 1973β74) | 22β20β5 |
48 | L | January 27, 1974 | 2β3 | Vancouver Canucks ( 1973β74) | 22β21β5 |
49 | L | January 31, 1974 | 3β4 | @ Philadelphia Flyers ( 1973β74) | 22β22β5 |
50 | L | February 2, 1974 | 1β6 | @ St. Louis Blues ( 1973β74) | 22β23β5 |
51 | T | February 3, 1974 | 3β3 | Toronto Maple Leafs ( 1973β74) | 22β23β6 |
52 | L | February 6, 1974 | 1β5 | @ Los Angeles Kings ( 1973β74) | 22β24β6 |
53 | W | February 8, 1974 | 7β2 | @ California Golden Seals ( 1973β74) | 23β24β6 |
54 | L | February 10, 1974 | 2β5 | @ Vancouver Canucks ( 1973β74) | 23β25β6 |
55 | W | February 14, 1974 | 4β2 | Los Angeles Kings ( 1973β74) | 24β25β6 |
56 | W | February 17, 1974 | 2β1 | Detroit Red Wings ( 1973β74) | 25β25β6 |
57 | L | February 20, 1974 | 2β4 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs ( 1973β74) | 25β26β6 |
58 | T | February 21, 1974 | 4β4 | Atlanta Flames ( 1973β74) | 25β26β7 |
59 | W | February 24, 1974 | 3β2 | Boston Bruins ( 1973β74) | 26β26β7 |
60 | T | February 28, 1974 | 2β2 | Chicago Black Hawks ( 1973β74) | 26β26β8 |
61 | L | March 2, 1974 | 2β4 | @ Philadelphia Flyers ( 1973β74) | 26β27β8 |
62 | W | March 3, 1974 | 4β3 | New York Islanders ( 1973β74) | 27β27β8 |
63 | T | March 6, 1974 | 4β4 | @ Minnesota North Stars ( 1973β74) | 27β27β9 |
64 | W | March 8, 1974 | 4β2 | @ Vancouver Canucks ( 1973β74) | 28β27β9 |
65 | L | March 10, 1974 | 3β4 | Philadelphia Flyers ( 1973β74) | 28β28β9 |
66 | L | March 12, 1974 | 0β4 | @ Boston Bruins ( 1973β74) | 28β29β9 |
67 | L | March 14, 1974 | 3β4 | Boston Bruins ( 1973β74) | 28β30β9 |
68 | T | March 16, 1974 | 2β2 | @ St. Louis Blues ( 1973β74) | 28β30β10 |
69 | W | March 17, 1974 | 5β2 | Minnesota North Stars ( 1973β74) | 29β30β10 |
70 | W | March 20, 1974 | 3β2 | @ Chicago Black Hawks ( 1973β74) | 30β30β10 |
71 | T | March 23, 1974 | 1β1 | @ New York Islanders ( 1973β74) | 30β30β11 |
72 | L | March 24, 1974 | 3β5 | @ New York Rangers ( 1973β74) | 30β31β11 |
73 | L | March 27, 1974 | 1β3 | @ Detroit Red Wings ( 1973β74) | 30β32β11 |
74 | T | March 28, 1974 | 2β2 | Chicago Black Hawks ( 1973β74) | 30β32β12 |
75 | W | March 31, 1974 | 6β1 | Minnesota North Stars ( 1973β74) | 31β32β12 |
76 | L | April 4, 1974 | 2β4 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins ( 1973β74) | 31β33β12 |
77 | L | April 6, 1974 | 1β3 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs ( 1973β74) | 31β34β12 |
78 | W | April 7, 1974 | 5β2 | St. Louis Blues ( 1973β74) | 32β34β12 |
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
Player | GP | W | L | T | SO | GAA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Sabres did not qualify for the 1974 Stanley Cup playoffs, despite qualifying the previous year.