1971–72 Buffalo Sabres season

The 1971–72 Buffalo Sabres season was the Buffalo Sabres second season of operation in the National Hockey League (NHL).

1971–72 Buffalo Sabres
Division6th East
1971–72 record16–43–19
Home record11–19–9
Road record5–24–10
Goals for203
Goals against228
Team information
General managerPunch Imlach
CoachPunch Imlach
CaptainGerry Meehan
ArenaBuffalo Memorial Auditorium
Average attendance15,324
Team leaders
GoalsRick Martin (44)
AssistsGilbert Perreault (48)
PointsTie: Perreault, Martin (74)
Penalty minutesAl Hamilton (105)
WinsRoger Crozier (13)
Goals against averageRoger Crozier (3.51)

Offseason

An $8.7 million (approximately $54.9 million in 2019 dollars)[1] renovation took place after the 1970–71 inauguration of the Sabres and Buffalo Braves franchises. The arena's roof was raised 24 feet, making room for a new upper level. This raised the total capacity of the arena to over 17,000 for basketball and 15,858 for hockey, making it a more suitable home for the NBA and NHL.[2]

Regular season

For the second consecutive season the Sabres had a breakout rookie performance by their first round draft pick. Rick Martin would score 44 goals breaking the NHL rookie scoring record of 38 set the previous season by Gilbert Perreault.[3] Despite the efforts of their young phenoms the Sabres would finish with a worse record than their inaugural season and again miss the Playoffs. During the season Eddie Shack was traded to Pittsburgh for Rene Robert.[4]

Final standings
East Division[5]
GP W L T GF GA DIFF Pts
1Boston Bruins78541311330204+126119
2New York Rangers78481713317192+125109
3Montreal Canadiens78461616307205+102108
4Toronto Maple Leafs78333114209208+180
5Detroit Red Wings78333510261262−176
6Buffalo Sabres78164319203289−8651
7Vancouver Canucks7820508203297−9448

Schedule and results
Regular season results
No. R Date Score Opponent Record
1WOctober 10, 19712–1Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72)1–0–0
2LOctober 12, 19711–9@ St. Louis Blues (1971–72)1–1–0
3LOctober 14, 19712–6@ Boston Bruins (1971–72)1–2–0
4LOctober 16, 19713–9@ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72)1–3–0
5LOctober 17, 19712–3Minnesota North Stars (1971–72)1–4–0
6WOctober 20, 19717–2@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72)2–4–0
7LOctober 21, 19712–5Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72)2–5–0
8LOctober 23, 19711–5@ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72)2–6–0
9LOctober 24, 19712–3St. Louis Blues (1971–72)2–7–0
10WOctober 27, 19713–2@ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72)3–7–0
11TOctober 30, 19714–4@ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72)3–7–1
12TOctober 31, 19712–2@ California Golden Seals (1971–72)3–7–2
13TNovember 4, 19714–4@ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72)3–7–3
14WNovember 5, 19715–2Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72)4–7–3
15TNovember 7, 19713–3Detroit Red Wings (1971–72)4–7–4
16LNovember 11, 19712–4Los Angeles Kings (1971–72)4–8–4
17LNovember 13, 19712–5@ New York Rangers (1971–72)4–9–4
18TNovember 14, 19712–2Montreal Canadiens (1971–72)4–9–5
19LNovember 18, 19715–7California Golden Seals (1971–72)4–10–5
20LNovember 21, 19713–4Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72)4–11–5
21LNovember 24, 19713–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72)4–12–5
22LNovember 27, 19712–5@ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72)4–13–5
23LNovember 28, 19713–5@ California Golden Seals (1971–72)4–14–5
24LDecember 1, 19712–7@ New York Rangers (1971–72)4–15–5
25WDecember 2, 19712–0Los Angeles Kings (1971–72)5–15–5
26LDecember 4, 19711–5@ St. Louis Blues (1971–72)5–16–5
27WDecember 5, 19713–1Minnesota North Stars (1971–72)6–16–5
28LDecember 9, 19711–3Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72)6–17–5
29TDecember 11, 19713–3@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72)6–17–6
30LDecember 12, 19712–4Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72)6–18–6
31LDecember 15, 19711–2@ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72)6–19–6
32LDecember 16, 19710–5@ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72)6–20–6
33LDecember 18, 19711–8@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72)6–21–6
34WDecember 19, 19715–1Vancouver Canucks (1971–72)7–21–6
35TDecember 23, 19714–4Boston Bruins (1971–72)7–21–7
36TDecember 25, 19714–4@ St. Louis Blues (1971–72)7–21–8
37WDecember 26, 19716–3St. Louis Blues (1971–72)8–21–8
38LDecember 29, 19713–7Detroit Red Wings (1971–72)8–22–8
39TDecember 31, 19713–3@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72)8–22–9
40TJanuary 2, 19724–4California Golden Seals (1971–72)8–22–10
41LJanuary 6, 19722–5Boston Bruins (1971–72)8–23–10
42LJanuary 9, 19721–2Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72)8–24–10
43LJanuary 13, 19722–5New York Rangers (1971–72)8–25–10
44LJanuary 15, 19722–6@ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72)8–26–10
45WJanuary 16, 19724–2Montreal Canadiens (1971–72)9–26–10
46WJanuary 20, 19721–0Vancouver Canucks (1971–72)10–26–10
47LJanuary 22, 19722–3@ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72)10–27–10
48TJanuary 23, 19723–3@ Boston Bruins (1971–72)10–27–11
49LJanuary 26, 19721–5@ New York Rangers (1971–72)10–28–11
50LJanuary 27, 19721–3Detroit Red Wings (1971–72)10–29–11
51TJanuary 30, 19722–2Los Angeles Kings (1971–72)10–29–12
52LFebruary 3, 19722–4New York Rangers (1971–72)10–30–12
53TFebruary 5, 19723–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72)10–30–13
54WFebruary 6, 19728–2Boston Bruins (1971–72)11–30–13
55LFebruary 10, 19722–4@ Detroit Red Wings (1971–72)11–31–13
56LFebruary 12, 19721–5@ Boston Bruins (1971–72)11–32–13
57TFebruary 13, 19724–4Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72)11–32–14
58LFebruary 17, 19720–2Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72)11–33–14
59LFebruary 19, 19721–4@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1971–72)11–34–14
60LFebruary 20, 19720–4Montreal Canadiens (1971–72)11–35–14
61WFebruary 23, 19722–1@ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72)12–35–14
62WFebruary 24, 19725–3Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72)13–35–14
63TFebruary 27, 19724–4California Golden Seals (1971–72)13–35–15
64LMarch 1, 19721–4@ Montreal Canadiens (1971–72)13–36–15
65LMarch 2, 19723–4New York Rangers (1971–72)13–37–15
66LMarch 5, 19722–6St. Louis Blues (1971–72)13–38–15
67LMarch 8, 19723–6@ California Golden Seals (1971–72)13–39–15
68LMarch 10, 19722–3@ Vancouver Canucks (1971–72)13–40–15
69LMarch 11, 19723–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1971–72)13–41–15
70WMarch 14, 19724–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1971–72)14–41–15
71TMarch 16, 19723–3@ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72)14–41–16
72LMarch 17, 19722–6Vancouver Canucks (1971–72)14–42–16
73TMarch 19, 19723–3@ Chicago Black Hawks (1971–72)14–42–17
74WMarch 22, 19724–3@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72)15–42–17
75TMarch 23, 19724–4Minnesota North Stars (1971–72)15–42–18
76TMarch 26, 19722–2Pittsburgh Penguins (1971–72)15–42–19
77LMarch 30, 19721–3@ Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72)15–43–19
78WApril 2, 19723–2Philadelphia Flyers (1971–72)16–43–19

Playoffs

The Sabres failed to make the playoffs in the 1971–72 season.

Player statistics

Regular season
Scoring
Player GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG
Rick Martin7344307436−381905
Gilbert Perreault7626487424−401101
Gerry Meehan7719274612−28402
Al Hamilton7643034105−12101
Eddie Shack5011142534−11400
Steve Atkinson6714102426−22300
Jim Lorentz3310142412−11201
Chris Evans616182498−20200
Phil Goyette373212414−10300
Don Luce781181938−18001
Danny Lawson781061615−23010
Mike Byers46971612−20301
Craig Ramsay576101605002
Kevin O'Shea52691544−19000
Mike Robitaille312101222−14100
Larry Hillman431111258−21000
Tracy Pratt2701010520000
Rene Robert126392−5300
Jim Watson66268101−33100
Randy Wyrozub343470−2000
Doug Barrie2725745−21001
Dick Duff82240−2000
Ron Anderson3704419−10000
Rod Zaine242134−14001
Ray McKay3903318−12000
Larry Keenan142022−3000
Butch Deadmarsh121124−10000
John Gould21010−1000
Terry Ball100116−7000
Larry Mickey40110−1000
Floyd Smith60112−3000
Roger Crozier63000100000
Dave Dryden2000000000
Paul Terbenche90002−13000
Goaltending
Player MIN GP W L T GA GAA SO
Roger Crozier3654631334142143.512
Dave Dryden102620395683.980
Team:4680781643192823.622

[6]

Awards and records

The Sabres were not awarded any individual or team awards in the 1971–72 season.

Transactions
Date
Details
May 25, 1971 To Detroit Red Wings
Joe Daley		 To Buffalo Sabres
Don Luce
Mike Robitaille
November 16, 1971 To Philadelphia Flyers
Larry Keenan		 To Buffalo Sabres
Larry Mickey
December 16, 1971 To Los Angeles Kings
Doug Barrie
Mike Keeler		 To Buffalo Sabres
Mike Byers
Larry Hillman
January 14, 1972 To New York Rangers
2nd-round pick in 1972 (Larry Sacharuk)		 Buffalo Sabres
Jim Lorentz
March 4, 1972 To Pittsburgh Penguins
Eddie Shack		 To Buffalo Sabres
René Robert
March 5, 1972 To St. Louis Blues
Chris Evans		 To Buffalo Sabres
George Morrison
2nd-round pick in 1972 (Larry Carriere)
March 5, 1972 To New York Rangers
Phil Goyette (Negotiating Rights)		 To Buffalo Sabres
Cash
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