Don Luce’s Only NHL Hat Trick Gives the French Connection the Night Off

When the Buffalo Sabres visited the Capital Centre on December 22, 1974, all eyes were on the famed French Connection. Washington’s expansion Capitals keyed in on slowing Gilbert Perreault, René Robert, and Rick Martin. For the most part, they succeeded. What they didn’t account for was the damage done by Buffalo’s secondary line.

With Washington desperate for just its fourth win in the first 35 games of its inaugural season, and the Sabres rolling with only six losses in their first 33 contests of 1974-75, holding Buffalo to four goals was an achievement in itself. But one Sabre made those four count. Don Luce.

Luce, skating alongside Craig Ramsay and Bill Hajt, recorded the only hat trick of his NHL career in a dominant two-period stretch. He first contributed with an assist on the game-winning goal, a shorthanded marker by Ramsay at 19:53 of the opening period. Then came the second.

At 9:59, Luce opened the scoring himself, netting his 17th goal of the season at even strength, the only even-strength tally of the game. With Gilbert Perreault in the penalty box later in the period, Luce struck again, this time shorthanded at 13:25, beating Ron Low with help from Ramsay.

Just 23 seconds later, with Perreault still serving his minor, Luce completed the hat trick. This time, Bill Hajt picked up the assist as Luce capped off a rare offensive outburst. That would be all the scoring on the night. Gary Bromley stopped all 27 shots he faced to earn the shutout, while Low made 37 saves in a losing effort for Washington.

The performance came during a career season for Luce, who finished 1974-75 with 33 goals and 43 assists for 76 points. He added 13 more points in 16 playoff games as the Sabres marched to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the Philadelphia Flyers.

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About Don Luce

Don Luce played 894 regular season and 71 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1969-70 and 1981-82 with the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Luce had 20+ goals in six seasons, putting up a career best 33 in 1974-75 with Buffalo.

Don Luce NHL Career Stats

Regular Season

Playoffs

Guy Lapointe’s Lone NHL Hat Trick Comes in Wild 8–6 Loss to Buffalo

Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lapointe had plenty of monster nights during his Hall of Fame career, but none quite like November 13, 1974. That evening at the Montreal Forum, the smooth-skating defenseman piled up five points, recorded the only hat trick of his NHL career, and still watched his Canadiens fall 8-6 to the high-flying Buffalo Sabres.

Lapointe was in the middle of a career year in 1974-75, finishing with 28 goals and a third-place finish in the Norris Trophy race behind Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin. Against Buffalo, he did everything in his power to drag Montreal back into the game while still finishing with a +2 rating despite the loss.

The Sabres stormed out to a 3-0 lead in the first before Lapointe setup Yvon Lambert at 13:47 to put Montreal on the board. After Rene Robert restored Buffalo’s three-goal cushion, Lapointe ripped home his sixth of the season at 18:56, with assists from Guy Lafleur and Jacques Lemaire.

Buffalo opened the second period with another three-goal burst, stretching the lead to 6-1 and then 7-2. Lapointe responded at 14:52, scoring his second of the night to cut the deficit to 7-3. A few minutes later, with Glen Sather in the penalty box, Pete Mahovlich buried a shorthanded marker, set up beautifully by Lapointe and fellow blueliner Serge Savard.

Montreal kept pushing in the third, and Lapointe completed his hat trick at 10:25, trimming Buffalo’s lead to 7-5 and capping off his remarkable five-point showing. But the Sabres answered back as Robert completed his own hat trick, and Bob Gainey closed the scoring shortly after. Savard also had a standout game with three assists and a +5 rating.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Guy Lapointe

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Which trio was Guy Lapointe part of during the Canadiens’ 1970s dynasty?

The Lucky Seven
The Big Three
The Flying Frenchmen
The Blue Line Battalion

2. In which NHL season did Lapointe score his career-high 28 goals?

1972–73
1974–75
1976–77
1978–79

3. Which NHL team did Guy Lapointe finish his career with?

St. Louis Blues
Boston Bruins
Minnesota North Stars
Quebec Nordiques

4. In 1979, Lapointe helped the Canadiens win their fourth straight Stanley Cup. How many Cups did he win in total?

Four
Five
Six
Seven

5. Before becoming director of player personnel in Minnesota, Lapointe worked in which role?

Assistant coach
Goaltending consultant
Salary arbitrator
Team broadcaster

The Night Rick Martin Mixed Goals and Grit Against Toronto

Rick Martin was closing in on his second straight 50-goal season for the Buffalo Sabres when they faced the Toronto Maple Leafs at Maple Leaf Gardens on March 16, 1975. Known for his world-class shot and smooth skating, Martin put on a show, scoring his 45th, 46th, and 47th goals of the 1974-75 campaign. He also added an assist on a Fred Stanfield goal for a four-point night.

But Martin didn’t stop at scoring. In the third period, he dropped the gloves with Lanny McDonald, completing a rare Gordie Howe Hat Trick, goal, assist, and fight. McDonald, frustrated after Toronto’s long night, had already tangled with Jim Schoenfeld earlier in the game.

The Sabres dominated from start to finish, jumping out to a 5-2 lead in the first and cruising to an 11-3 victory. Toronto’s Gord McRae was pulled early in the second after allowing six goals on 15 shots, replaced by Doug Favell, who faced another 31 shots and gave up five more.

While Martin’s performance was stellar, linemate Gilbert Perreault stole some of the spotlight with a six-point night, three goals and three assists on eight shots. Stanfield also shone with a goal and four helpers, while Rick Dudley and Peter McNab each chipped in four points.

For Toronto, Dave Keon, Jim McKenny, and Blaine Stoughton managed to score, but Buffalo’s Gerry Desjardins stood tall, stopping 29 of 32 shots for the win.

About Rick Martin

A fifth overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres at the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, Rick Martin played 685 regular season and 63 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1971-72 and 1981-82 with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings. He was the first in Buffalo franchise history to record a 50 goal season.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Rick Martin

Much more NHL hockey trivia can be found at our website: World's Best Hockey Trivia

1. Rick Martin was part of one of the NHL’s most famous lines with the Buffalo Sabres. What was the trio called?

• The French Connection
• The Production Line
• The Triple Crown Line
• The Legion of Doom

2. How many times did Rick Martin score 50 or more goals in a single NHL season?

• Once
• Twice
• Three times
• Four times

3. Martin was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft. What overall pick was he?

• 3rd overall
• 4th overall
• 5th overall
• 6th overall

4. In which season did Rick Martin post career highs of 52 goals and 95 points?

• 1973-74
• 1974-75
• 1975-76
• 1976-77

5. Rick Martin’s NHL career was cut short due to injury while playing with which team?

• Buffalo Sabres
• Los Angeles Kings
• Montreal Canadiens
• Toronto Maple Leafs

Bobby Orr Dominates as Bruins Crush Capitals in First Ever Meeting At Boston Garden

On November 7, 1974, the Boston Bruins hosted the newly formed Washington Capitals at the legendary Boston Garden. The Bruins, hovering around the .500 mark early in the 1974-75 NHL season, found the perfect opportunity to gain momentum against the struggling expansion team.

The Capitals, sitting at a dismal 1-9-1, were no match for the Bruins and certainly not for Bobby Orr. The Hall of Fame defenseman wasted no time, opening the scoring just 3:51 into the first period. Orr then assisted on goals by Don Marcotte and Johnny Bucyk, wrapping up the period with three points.

Orr wasn’t done. He scored again just 55 seconds into the second period, then completed his hat trick later that frame. He capped off a six-point night with another assist on Phil Esposito’s 14th goal of the season.

The Bruins cruised to a 10-4 victory. Orr finished with three goals, three assists, eight shots, and an impressive +7 rating. Esposito added four points of his own with a goal and three helpers. The Capitals’ goaltending tandem had a rough night. Ron Low allowed six goals on 19 shots before being relieved by Michel Belhumeur, who gave up four more on 22 attempts.

Bobby Orr proved to be a nightmare for Washington all season long. In four games against the Capitals, he tallied 16 points. Boston dominated the season series, outscoring the Caps 41-10 over five games. However, the third meeting ended in a surprising 3-3 tie, a small but meaningful milestone for the NHL’s newest franchise.

Washington Capitals Inaugural Season

The Washington Capitals joined the NHL, along with the Kansas City Scouts, for the 1974-75 season. It did not go well. The eight wins the Capitals recorded remain as the least by any team in a single season with at least a 70 game schedule. The team finished with just 21 points over 80 games, 20 points behind their expansion cousins in Kansas City.

Placed in the Norris Division, the Caps were fifth out of the five teams, a massive 92 points behind the division leading Montreal Canadiens. Tommy Williams led the team with 22 goals and 58 points. Michel Belhumeur was the team's best goaltender with a 5.37 goals against average while Ron Low recorded a 5.45 GAA. John Adams played eight games between the pipes and had a 6.90 GAA and an 0-7 record.

Twice during that 1974-75 season, Washington lost games by the score of 12-1, once to the Boston Bruins and once to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the match with the Pens, Low faced 50 shots and Belhumeur took on 15 in relief for a total of 65. In seven games, that allowed 10 or more goals. The most they scored in a game was eight in an 8-4 win over Pittsburgh.

Ron Low did manage to record the franchise's first shutout, stopping all 32 shots in a 3-0 win over the Kansas City Scouts. It would get slightly better for the team in 1975-76, winning eleven games and totaling 32 points.