Rick Martin Reaches 50 Goals In Style With Historic Hat Trick For Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres closed out the 1973-74 NHL season with a memorable night at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, and Rick Martin made sure the home fans had something special to celebrate. Already one of the league's most dangerous scorers, Martin entered the final game of the season sitting on 49 goals and needing just one more to become the first player in franchise history to reach the coveted 50-goal mark.

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Highlights

• Rick Martin entered the final game of 1973-74 with 49 goals.

• Became the first 50-goal scorer in Buffalo Sabres history.

• Scored goal number 50 against Wayne Stephenson of the St. Louis Blues.

• Recorded a hat trick in Buffalo's season finale.

• Finished the season with 52 goals.

• Scored the game-winning goal in a 5-2 Sabres victory.

• Don Luce assisted on both Martin's 50th and 51st goals.

• Matched his 52-goal total again in 1974-75 despite missing 12 games.   

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Facing the St. Louis Blues on April 7, 1974, Martin wasted little time making history. At 8:39 of the opening period, he beat Blues goaltender Wayne Stephenson for his 50th goal of the season. Paul Terbenche and Don Luce picked up the assists on the landmark tally, and the Buffalo crowd erupted as Martin etched his name into the Sabres record book.

The game remained firmly under Buffalo's control, and Martin added to his historic evening early in the third period. Just 2:47 into the final frame, he scored again, collecting his 51st goal of the year. Assisted by Luce and Mike Robitaille, the goal gave the Sabres a 3-0 lead and ultimately stood as the game-winning goal in Buffalo's 5-2 victory.

With the outcome already decided, Martin still had one more highlight left. With only 47 seconds remaining in regulation, he completed the hat trick by scoring his 52nd goal of the season. Norm Gratton and Gilbert Perreault earned the assists as Martin put an exclamation point on one of the greatest individual scoring performances in early Sabres history.

The hat trick not only made Martin the first 50-goal scorer in franchise history, but it also established 52 goals as the highest single-season total by a Sabres player at the time. Remarkably, he matched that total the following season, scoring another 52 goals in 1974-75 despite missing 12 games. For Buffalo fans, Martin's unforgettable finale to the 1973-74 season remains one of the defining moments of the franchise's early years.

"Then Perreault Said to Rico…": The Best Buffalo Sabres Stories Ever Told

A collection of the greatest Buffalo Sabres tales — from unforgettable moments to iconic personalities in franchise history.

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Ross Lonsberry's 5-Point Night Leads Flyers To 9-0 Rout Of Vancouver

On March 22, 1973, the Philadelphia Flyers delivered one of the most lopsided victories in franchise history, overwhelming the Vancouver Canucks 9-0 at the Spectrum. While the Flyers featured offensive stars like Bobby Clarke, Rick MacLeish, and Bill Barber, it was Ross Lonsberry who stole the spotlight with the finest performance of the evening.

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Highlights

• Flyers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 9-0

• Ross Lonsberry recorded a hat trick

• Lonsberry finished with 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists)

• Gary Dornhoefer contributed 1 goal and 3 assists

• Rick MacLeish scored twice and added an assist

• Doug Favell made 31 saves for the shutout

• Lonsberry reached the 20-goal mark for the season

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Lonsberry had arrived in Philadelphia midway through the previous season as part of a major trade with the Los Angeles Kings. By the spring of 1973, he had become an important contributor for the Flyers, and against Vancouver he enjoyed one of the biggest nights of his NHL career. Facing Canucks goaltender Dunc Wilson, the Flyers fired 41 shots and found the back of the net nine times.

The winger recorded a hat trick, scoring his 18th, 19th, and 20th goals of the 1972-73 season. He wasn't finished there. Lonsberry also assisted on Gary Dornhoefer's goal just 44 seconds into the game and later picked up another helper on Rick MacLeish's 45th goal of the campaign. By night's end, he had accumulated five points in the dominant victory.

Philadelphia's offense was firing on all cylinders. Dornhoefer contributed a goal and three assists, while MacLeish finished with two goals and an assist. Clarke and Barber each added two points as the Flyers relentlessly pressured Vancouver throughout the contest.

At the other end of the ice, Doug Favell earned the shutout by turning aside all 31 shots he faced. Although the final score suggested an easy evening, Vancouver still generated opportunities, forcing Favell to remain sharp from start to finish.

Lonsberry would go on to enjoy a lengthy NHL career, appearing in 968 regular-season games and another 100 playoff contests between 1966-67 and 1980-81. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, he recorded seven seasons with 20 or more goals and reached a career-high 32 goals during the Flyers' Stanley Cup-winning 1973-74 campaign. His five-point explosion against the Canucks remains one of the standout performances of his career.

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A deep dive into Flyers history filled with stars, records, stats, and unforgettable memories from the ice — perfect for true diehards and history buffs.

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NHL 3 Star Time Warp: February 8, 1975

From our "NHL 3 Star Time Warp" series on our Facebook Page: A look back at the 3 stars from NHL games played on February 8, 1975.

Third Star: Garry Unger of the St. Louis Blues

Facing his former club at Maple Leaf Gardens, Garry Unger played a major role in helping the St. Louis Blues earn a 3-3 draw against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unger opened the scoring with the lone goal of the first period, beating Toronto goaltender Doug Favell on an unassisted effort.

The veteran center struck again early in the third period, giving St. Louis a 3-1 advantage with his second goal of the night and 25th of the 1974-75 season. However, the Maple Leafs refused to go away quietly, rallying behind goals from Inge Hammarstrom and Darryl Sittler to salvage the tie.

Unger was a constant threat throughout the evening, leading all players with seven shots on goal.

Second Star: Pete LoPresti of the Minnesota North Stars

The Minnesota North Stars pulled off one of the more surprising results of the season, blanking the powerful Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 on home ice. Minnesota entered the contest with just 13 victories through its first 52 games, while the Flyers had been one of the NHL's dominant clubs, suffering only 12 losses over the same span.

Goaltender Pete LoPresti was outstanding, stopping all 26 Philadelphia shots to record the first shutout of his NHL career. His teammates provided plenty of support early, exploding for four goals in just over five minutes before the first period had even reached its halfway point.

Once the game got out of hand, it took on the rough-and-tumble character that had become synonymous with the Broad Street Bullies. Dave Schultz led the penalty parade, piling up 31 penalty minutes in a physical and emotional contest.

First Star: Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins

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Although the hometown fans at Detroit Olympia watched their Red Wings fall 8-5 to the Boston Bruins, they were treated to a spectacular offensive performance from Phil Esposito. The Bruins superstar erupted for five points, scoring four goals and adding an assist on a goal by Ken Hodge.

Esposito's second goal of the night was particularly significant, as it marked his 50th goal of the season. The milestone represented the fifth and final consecutive season in which he reached the 50-goal mark, further cementing his place among the league's elite scorers.

His third goal of the game proved to be the winner, giving Boston a 6-2 lead and standing up as the decisive tally. The goal was even more impressive because it came while shorthanded, with Don Marcotte earning the assist. By night's end, Esposito had delivered one of the finest individual performances of the season.

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