1972–73 Buffalo Sabres season

The 1972–73 Buffalo Sabres season was the Sabres' third season of operation in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team made it to the playoffs for the first time, but lost in the first round to Montreal, four games to two.

Offseason

The Sabres added future Hall of Fame defenseman Tim Horton in the intra-league draft. In the Amateur Draft, the Sabres picked defenseman Jim Schoenfeld as their first-round pick, fifth over-all.

Regular season

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|- |1||W||October 8, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames <small>(1972–73)</small> ||1–0–0 |- |2||W||October 11, 1972||7–3 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||2–0–0 |- |3||T||October 14, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames <small>(1972–73)</small> ||2–0–1 |- |4||W||October 15, 1972||3–2 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs <small>(1972–73)</small> ||3–0–1 |- |5||W||October 19, 1972||6–0 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||4–0–1 |- |6||T||October 21, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues <small>(1972–73)</small> ||4–0–2 |- |7||W||October 22, 1972||7–2 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames <small>(1972–73)</small> ||5–0–2 |- |8||T||October 25, 1972||2–2 || align="left"| Boston Bruins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||5–0–3 |- |9||T||October 28, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens <small>(1972–73)</small> ||5–0–4 |- |10||W||October 29, 1972||2–1 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars <small>(1972–73)</small> ||6–0–4 |-

|- |11||L||November 1, 1972||1–7 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs <small>(1972–73)</small> ||6–1–4 |- |12||L||November 4, 1972||3–5 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||6–2–4 |- |13||T||November 5, 1972||1–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues <small>(1972–73)</small> ||6–2–5 |- |14||T||November 9, 1972||0–0 || align="left"| California Golden Seals <small>(1972–73)</small> ||6–2–6 |- |15||L||November 11, 1972||1–3 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||6–3–6 |- |16||W||November 12, 1972||1–0 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||7–3–6 |- |17||T||November 15, 1972||3–3 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||7–3–7 |- |18||L||November 17, 1972||1–5 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals <small>(1972–73)</small> ||7–4–7 |- |19||L||November 19, 1972||5–9 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||7–5–7 |- |20||L||November 22, 1972||2–6 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||7–6–7 |- |21||W||November 23, 1972||5–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||8–6–7 |- |22||W||November 26, 1972||9–2 || align="left"| New York Islanders <small>(1972–73)</small> ||9–6–7 |- |23||W||November 28, 1972||7–2 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders <small>(1972–73)</small> ||10–6–7 |- |24||L||November 30, 1972||4–5 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||10–7–7 |-

|- |25||L||December 2, 1972||6–8 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars <small>(1972–73)</small> ||10–8–7 |- |26||W||December 3, 1972||7–4 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars <small>(1972–73)</small> ||11–8–7 |- |27||W||December 6, 1972||3–2 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||12–8–7 |- |28||W||December 7, 1972||6–1 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||13–8–7 |- |29||W||December 10, 1972||4–2 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens <small>(1972–73)</small> ||14–8–7 |- |30||W||December 13, 1972||7–3 || align="left"| Boston Bruins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||15–8–7 |- |31||W||December 16, 1972||4–3 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues <small>(1972–73)</small> ||16–8–7 |- |32||W||December 17, 1972||4–0 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs <small>(1972–73)</small> ||17–8–7 |- |33||W||December 20, 1972||6–3 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||18–8–7 |- |34||L||December 22, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals <small>(1972–73)</small> ||18–9–7 |- |35||L||December 23, 1972||0–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||18–10–7 |- |36||W||December 27, 1972||4–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||19–10–7 |- |37||W||December 28, 1972||8–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||20–10–7 |- |38||L||December 31, 1972||2–4 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||20–11–7 |-

|- |39||W||January 3, 1973||4–1 || align="left"| New York Islanders <small>(1972–73)</small> ||21–11–7 |- |40||L||January 4, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||21–12–7 |- |41||W||January 6, 1973||4–1 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||22–12–7 |- |42||W||January 7, 1973||2–0 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||23–12–7 |- |43||L||January 11, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| New York Rangers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||23–13–7 |- |44||L||January 14, 1973||0–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||23–14–7 |- |45||W||January 18, 1973||5–1 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||24–14–7 |- |46||L||January 20, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||24–15–7 |- |47||L||January 21, 1973||3–4 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||24–16–7 |- |48||W||January 25, 1973||5–2 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars <small>(1972–73)</small> ||25–16–7 |- |49||L||January 28, 1973||5–8 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames <small>(1972–73)</small> ||25–17–7 |-

|- |50||W||February 1, 1973||5–3 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||26–17–7 |- |51||T||February 3, 1973||1–1 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders <small>(1972–73)</small> ||26–17–8 |- |52||W||February 4, 1973||5–1 || align="left"| New York Islanders <small>(1972–73)</small> ||27–17–8 |- |53||L||February 7, 1973||1–2 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||27–18–8 |- |54||W||February 8, 1973||4–0 || align="left"| California Golden Seals <small>(1972–73)</small> ||28–18–8 |- |55||L||February 10, 1973||1–2 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens <small>(1972–73)</small> ||28–19–8 |- |56||L||February 11, 1973||2–5 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||28–20–8 |- |57||W||February 14, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs <small>(1972–73)</small> ||29–20–8 |- |58||W||February 15, 1973||4–1 || align="left"| New York Rangers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||30–20–8 |- |59||T||February 17, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||30–20–9 |- |60||W||February 18, 1973||4–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||31–20–9 |- |61||W||February 22, 1973||3–1 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||32–20–9 |- |62||L||February 24, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars <small>(1972–73)</small> ||32–21–9 |- |63||W||February 25, 1973||2–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–21–9 |-

|- |64||T||March 1, 1973||4–4 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–21–10 |- |65||L||March 4, 1973||2–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–22–10 |- |66||T||March 6, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–22–11 |- |67||T||March 7, 1973||2–2 || align="left"| @ California Golden Seals <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–22–12 |- |68||L||March 9, 1973||2–5 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–23–12 |- |69||L||March 13, 1973||0–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–24–12 |- |70||L||March 15, 1973||1–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–25–12 |- |71||T||March 17, 1973||3–3 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens <small>(1972–73)</small> ||33–25–13 |- |72||W||March 18, 1973||5–1 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs <small>(1972–73)</small> ||34–25–13 |- |73||L||March 21, 1973||2–6 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks <small>(1972–73)</small> ||34–26–13 |- |74||T||March 24, 1973||4–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||34–26–14 |- |75||L||March 25, 1973||1–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins <small>(1972–73)</small> ||34–27–14 |- |76||W||March 27, 1973||3–2 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders <small>(1972–73)</small> ||35–27–14 |- |77||W||March 28, 1973||6–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers <small>(1972–73)</small> ||36–27–14 |-

|- |78||W||April 1, 1973||3–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues <small>(1972–73)</small> ||37–27–14 |-

|- | Legend:

Playoffs

The 1972–73 season saw the Sabres qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time. The team would ultimately lose to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Montreal Canadiens in 6 games. After falling behind three games to none the Sabres won two straight to earn a final home game that was memorable for the "Thank you Sabres" chant from the end of the game.

|- |1|| April 4 || Buffalo Sabres || 1–2 || Montreal Canadiens || || 0–1 |- |2|| April 5 || Buffalo Sabres || 3–7 || Montreal Canadiens || || 0–2 |- |3|| April 7 || Montreal Canadiens || 5–2 || Buffalo Sabres || || 0–3 |- |4|| April 8 || Montreal Canadiens || 1–5 || Buffalo Sabres || || 1–3 |- |5 || April 10 || Buffalo Sabres || 3–2 || Montreal Canadiens || 9:18 || 2–3 |- |6 || April 12 || Montreal Canadiens || 4–2 || Buffalo Sabres || || 2–4 |-

|- | Legend:

Player statistics

<small>Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; </small>

Awards and records

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy: Gilbert Perreault

Transactions

Trades

Lost via retirement

Claimed via Waivers

Lost via Waivers

Lost in the expansion draft

1972 NHL Intraleague Draft

Draft picks

NHL draft

Farm teams

The 1972–73 AHL season was a successful one for the Sabres' AHL affiliate, the Cincinnati Swords. The Swords would finish first overall in the regular season with a 54–17–5 record. They would go on to win the Calder Cup in the playoffs losing only 3 games in the 3 round best-of-7 event. It would be the only championship won by the team in its short existence.

See also

• 1972–73 NHL season

References