'75 Buffalo Sabres + ? = Stanley Cup

[checkerdome]

I watched the final game in the '74-'75 Stanley Cup playoffs on ESPN Classic a couple of times.

I'm struck by how close the Sabres were to beating the Flyers.

If you could have added one element to the Sabres to put them over the top that year, what would it have been?

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[Buck Aki Berg]

Four more goals by the Islanders in game seven of the previous round to keep the Flyers out of the SCF.

 

[reckoning]

a) toughness/grit

b) consistent quality goaltending

c) leadership

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Sabres weren't close to winning that Stanley Cup.

They scored three goals in the three games played in Philadelphia.

It was a lot closer to the Flyers in a sweep, than the Sabres winning the series.

A better goalie would have been the first order of business.

 

[David Bruce Banner]

Bernie Parent.

 

[Big Phil]

Parent over Gerry Desjardins/Roger Crozier. Let's face it, neither one of them was Bernie and that is the biggest glaring omission on those Buffalo teams.

As for offense, to be honest with you the Sabres scored 354 goals while the Flyers scored 293. And while the French Connection line had their best regular season (1975-'76 was amazing too) the truth is they could have shown up better in the games against Philly. They were fine in the Buffalo games though.

 

[reckoning]

The Sabres performance in road games were a chronic problem for the team in the 70s. In each of the 4 seasons from '74-'75 to '77-'78 they had over 100 points and finished among the top 5 teams in the league. But their combined W/L record in playoff road games in that span was 3-16. It's unbelievable that a team that good could have a record that bad.

 

[checkerdome]

The Sabres performance in road games were a chronic problem for the team in the 70s. In each of the 4 seasons from '74-'75 to '77-'78 they had over 100 points and finished among the top 5 teams in the league. But their combined W/L record in playoff road games in that span was 3-16. It's unbelievable that a team that good could have a record that bad.

What a cool observation.

Would that be a reflection of a lack of physicality on the team?

They DID have Brian Spencer, Jerry Korab and Jim Schoenfeld, so you wouldn't think that would be an issue at first glance.

 

[BlackDog13]

Goaltending is the obvious factor but Buffalo wasn't as defensively sound as the Flyers either. Those Flyer teams were packed with guys whose performance increased exponentially with the level of pressure.

 

[tony d]

A true #1 goalie.

 

[checkerdome]

It's ironic that the only other time the Sabres made it to the finals, the team was built around Hasek in goal; with nothing resembling a French Connection-like dominant offence at its disposal.

 

[seventieslord]

It's ironic that the only other time the Sabres made it to the finals, the team was built around Hasek in goal; with nothing resembling a French Connection-like dominant offence at its disposal.

that's not ironic.


my answer to the OP - a goalie switch might have done it. Parent for Desjardins.

 

[SealsFan]

I was going to say goaltending, as others have. But what a magnificent team that was!

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

They were very deep up front and on defense, but could have really used an elite #1 goalie and an elite #1 d-man.

 

[neine]

True, Desjardins was inconsistent in the finals. But he played well to get them there. They wouldn't have gotten that far with Bromley.

 

[Flamer12]

Home ice advantage and a better goalie maybe, but let's face it, nobody was going to win in the Spectrum that year.

 

[Big Phil]

I am with Psycho Papa Joe on this one. They needed an elite d and an elite goalie. Strange how Buffalo has alway lacked an elite d unless you want to mention Housely.....Eh I thought not.

Pretty much. In all honesty Housley is the best defenseman Buffalo has ever had that I can think of off the top of my head. In 43 years no one else has really come close. Who is the next best? Jim Schoenfeld? Jerry Korab? It is really quite a drop.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Pretty much. In all honesty Housley is the best defenseman Buffalo has ever had that I can think of off the top of my head. In 43 years no one else has really come close. Who is the next best? Jim Schoenfeld? Jerry Korab? It is really quite a drop.

Maybe Alexei Zhitnik Phil, at least offensively. Not a huge point guy, but he did have 15 goals in 97-98. Maybe Doug Bodger or Van Boxmeer? I don't really know a lot about Buffalo defensemen, but I saw Housley play for a couple of years in the Peg and he was dynamite offensively, so I concur with Housley as number 1.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Pretty much. In all honesty Housley is the best defenseman Buffalo has ever had that I can think of off the top of my head. In 43 years no one else has really come close. Who is the next best? Jim Schoenfeld? Jerry Korab? It is really quite a drop.

ramsey?

 

[Canadiens1958]

Small Rink

The Sabres performance in road games were a chronic problem for the team in the 70s. In each of the 4 seasons from '74-'75 to '77-'78 they had over 100 points and finished among the top 5 teams in the league. But their combined W/L record in playoff road games in that span was 3-16. It's unbelievable that a team that good could have a record that bad.

Small rink team on the road in the playoffs faced this problem every series against a team with a regulation sized home rink.

Chicago and Boston faced the same obstacle and more often than not disappointed in the playoffs as well.

 

[Leafsdude7]

Bernie Parent.

This.

Parent wasn't the only reason the Flyers won that series, but he was undoubtedly the largest.

Put Parent on the Sabres that year and I doubt that anyone questions how good the French Connection line really was, not to mention bring some fame to rather unrecognised defensemen like Jocelyn Gouvermont, Chris Hajt and Jim Schoenfeld.

 

[Yamaguchi*]

They needed a Sergei Fedorov type of player.

 

[BamBamCam*]

Pretty much. In all honesty Housley is the best defenseman Buffalo has ever had that I can think of off the top of my head. In 43 years no one else has really come close. Who is the next best? Jim Schoenfeld? Jerry Korab? It is really quite a drop.

Mike Ramsey??? But he did come later, just throwing the name out.

For that era Bill Hajt was more than stout back there, maybe he doesn't get enough recognition because he was such a throw back even for that era. But yeah, they don't have very many great D-men to speak of at all.

 

[Merya]

Hasek 20 years older.

 

[Johnny Engine]

It's ironic that the only other time the Sabres made it to the finals, the team was built around Hasek in goal; with nothing resembling a French Connection-like dominant offence at its disposal.

For that matter, Ramsay - Luce - Gare would probably have been the '99 Sabres first line.

They needed a Sergei Fedorov type of player.

Yep, those Sabres were severely lacking in two way forwards. That Ramsay was their achilles heel.
...that said, a "Fedorov type" would improve literally any team.