The French Connection’s Incredible Run of Multi-Point Explosions in 1975-76

Few lines in NHL history ever blended skill, creativity, and firepower like the Buffalo Sabres’ legendary French Connection: Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, and Rene Robert. During the 1975-76 season, this trio didn’t just lead the Sabres’ offense, they drove it, combining for nine or more points in six separate games.

Buffalo finished tied for second in league scoring with Pittsburgh, trailing only the powerhouse Philadelphia Flyers. Nearly 40% of all Sabres goals came from their top unit, and on some nights, they took over completely.

A 13-Point Night Against the Blackhawks

One of their most impressive explosions came on March 4, 1976, at the Aud in Buffalo. In a 6-3 win over Chicago:

• Rene Robert: 1 goal, 4 assists

• Rick Martin: Hat trick + 1 assist (4 points), 8 shots on Tony Esposito

• Gilbert Perreault: 4 assists

Together, the trio piled up 13 total points, more than enough to overwhelm Chicago.

A Strange Twist in a 14-2 Blowout

Surprisingly, in one of Buffalo’s most lopsided wins ever, a 14-2 demolition of the Washington Capitals on December 21, 1975, the French Connection only combined for nine points.

The reason?
Rene Robert didn’t dress for the game.

Even without him:

• Rick Martin: 4 goals, 1 assist

• Gilbert Perreault: 2 goals, 2 assists

The Sabres didn’t exactly struggle for offense that night.

Ten Points vs. Toronto in a Tight Game

Their next-best outing came in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, where the French Connection accounted for every single Buffalo goal:

• Rick Martin: Hat trick (3 goals) + 1 assist

• Gilbert Perreault: 1 goal + 3 assists

• Rene Robert: 2 assists

Only Jocelyn Guevremont and Jim Schoenfeld joined them on the scoresheet, each picking up a lone assist.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: The French Connection Line

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

1. Which three players formed the Buffalo Sabres’ iconic French Connection line?

Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Rene Robert
Gilbert Perreault, Don Luce, Danny Gare
Rick Martin, Rene Robert, Craig Ramsay
Gilbert Perreault, Rick Dudley, Jim Lorentz

2. In which NHL season did the French Connection produce six games with nine or more combined points?

1975-76
1973-74
1977-78
1979-80

3. Which member of the French Connection was drafted first overall in 1970?

Gilbert Perreault
Rick Martin
Rene Robert
None of them

4. Which player was known for his booming shot and became one of the NHL’s elite pure goal scorers of the 1970s?

Rick Martin
Gilbert Perreault
Rene Robert
Danny Gare

5. The French Connection’s chemistry helped lead the Sabres to which major achievement in 1975?

Their first Stanley Cup Final appearance
Their first Presidents’ Trophy
Their first division title
Their first 50-win season

Butch Goring’s First NHL Game: Marked By A Rare Trip to the Penalty Box

When fans think of Butch Goring, they picture discipline, consistency, and almost no time spent in the penalty box. Across 1,107 NHL regular-season games from 1969-70 to 1984-85, Goring collected only 102 penalty minutes, a stunningly low total for someone who played through the gritty, high-contact 1970s and 80s. But his NHL debut on November 26, 1969, told a different story.

Skating for the Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Stadium, Goring recorded no points in the Kings’ 6-0 loss to Tony Esposito and the Blackhawks. But he did make the scoresheet by taking a minor penalty for hooking at 7:22 of the second period. Chicago converted on the power play, with Lou Angotti scoring and Bobby Hull and Gilles Marotte drawing assists.

That hooking call was one of just four minors Goring took in his entire rookie season. Even more impressively, he followed it up with one minor penalty per season for the next four years. Despite this remarkable discipline, Goring earned the Lady Byng Trophy only once, in 1977-78 with the Kings.

His cleanest year came in 1980-81 with the New York Islanders, when he played 78 games without taking a single penalty and still put up 23 goals and 60 points. Somehow, that season earned him only a seventh-place finish in Byng voting.

Goring didn’t wait long for his first NHL goal, though. The very next night in Detroit, he snapped Roger Crozier’s shutout bid at 18:38 of the third period, scoring the lone Kings goal in a 5–1 loss at the Olympia.

About Butch Goring

Butch Goring played 1,107 regular season and 134 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1969-70 and 1984-85 with the Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. The four-time Stanley Cup champion was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 1980-81 as playoff MVP.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Butch Goring

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

1. Before joining the New York Islanders, Butch Goring spent the first decade of his NHL career with which team?

Boston Bruins
Los Angeles Kings
Detroit Red Wings
Vancouver Canucks

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2. How many Lady Byng Trophies did Butch Goring win in his NHL career?

None
One
Two
Three

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3. Butch Goring joined the New York Islanders just before their run of four consecutive Stanley Cups. Which season did that trade happen?

1978-79
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82

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4. In 1980-81, Goring played all 78 games without taking a single penalty. How many points did he record that season?

42
51
60
72

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5. Which award did Butch Goring win as playoff MVP during the Islanders' dynasty years?

Hart Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
Selke Trophy
Masterton Trophy

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NHL Hockey Card Greats: Butch Goring [Video]

Garry Howatt Leads the Charge in Record-Setting Playoff Brawl Between Islanders and Bruins

When the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins met in the 1979-80 Stanley Cup quarter-finals, few could have predicted that their series would etch itself into the NHL record books, not for goals or saves, but for sheer chaos.

Game 1 at Nassau Coliseum was mild enough, a clean 2-1 win for the Islanders featuring just eight minor penalties. But Game 2 was an entirely different story. The opening period exploded into mayhem, capped by a full-scale brawl that produced 248 total penalty minutes, the most ever recorded in a single Stanley Cup playoff period.

Leading the charge was none other than Garry Howatt, the Islanders’ rugged forward known for his tenacity and fearlessness. Howatt racked up a game-high 32 penalty minutes, starting with a spirited scrap against Boston’s Wayne Cashman, plus a boarding minor, before joining the melee that erupted at the period’s final whistle.

By the time officials restored order, eight players had been tagged with fighting majors, misconducts, and game misconducts. From New York: Howatt, Duane Sutter, Bob Lorimer, and Gord Lane. From Boston: Cashman, Al Secord, Mike Milbury, and Stan Jonathan.

Despite the fireworks, the game itself delivered drama of a different kind. The teams settled down after the first intermission, combining for just three minor penalties the rest of the way. Bob Bourne sealed a 5-4 overtime win for the Islanders, who went on to sweep the Bruins and move on to face the Buffalo Sabres in the semi-final.

As for Howatt, he escaped suspension and was right back in the thick of it in Game 3, squaring off against Terry O’Reilly in yet another third-period fight. O’Reilly, ever the warrior, had already fought Clark Gillies twice earlier in the game, a testament to how fierce and physical this rivalry truly was.

About Garry Howatt

Garry Howatt played 720 regular season and 87 playoff games in the National Hockey League between 1972-73 and 1983-84 with the New York Islanders, Hartford Whalers and New Jersey Devils. Over that time, the two-time Stanley Cup champion amassed 1,836 regular season penalty minutes. Originally, he was a lowly tenth round pick by the Islanders at the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft out of the Flin Flon Bombers.

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NHL Hockey Trivia: Garry Howatt

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

1. Which NHL team did Garry Howatt spend the majority of his career with?
   New York Islanders
   Hartford Whalers
   Quebec Nordiques
   Vancouver Canucks
   
2. What nickname was Garry Howatt known by during his playing days?
   The Toy Tiger
   The Little General
   The Pocket Rocket
   The Bulldog
   
3. How many Stanley Cups did Howatt win with the New York Islanders?
   One
   Two
   Three
   Four
   
4. Garry Howatt was part of one of the most penalty-filled playoff games in history. How many total penalty minutes were called in the first period of that game?
   198
   220
   248
   260
   
5. After leaving the Islanders, which team did Howatt join as part of a trade in 1981?
   Hartford Whalers
   New Jersey Devils
   California Golden Seals
   Winnipeg Jets