January 31, 1974: A memorable tilt with Buffalo
The Flyers were on home ice at the Spectrum to take on the Buffalo Sabres, led by "The French Connection." The nicknamed line of Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert, all French-Canadian, were the offensive leaders of the Sabres.
The Flyers would prevail in this game, 4-3, but not without a dogged fight from the Sabres and a few notable things occurred in this tilt.
The first period was everything you would want in a "Broad Street Bullies" matchup, a Flyers lead and three fights. Ross Lonsberry scored the only goal in the first period at 16:33. One of the three fights featured Dave Schultz and 44-year-old Hall of Famer Tim Horton, yes, the same Tim Horton as the Canadian Donut Shop Chain that bears his name.
In the second period, the Flyers would take a 2-0 lead at 4:16. This time, Schultz would find his way onto the score sheet in a different way, scoring his 13th of the year. The Sabres would cut the lead in half just over five minutes later as Rick Martin would score on a penalty shot on Flyers goalie Bernie Parent. It would be the first penalty shot of Parent’s Flyers career.
With the Flyers holding a 2-1 lead into the third, Schultz again found his way onto the score sheet, notching his second of the game at 3:28. The two-goal lead was short lived, as the Sabres Rick Dudley scored at 6:52 to make the game, 3-2.
As the Flyers were on the power play from a Jerry Korab hooking minor, the Flyers would again get a two-goal lead as Orest Kindrachuk would score his seventh of the year, assisted by Jimmy Watson and Parent, one of three that season for Bernie.
With 10 minutes to play, the Flyers led 4-2, but the Sabres just would not go away. At 16:33, Martin scored his second of the game, assisted by his French Connection line mates, Perreault and Robert to cut the lead to one.
The Flyers would hang on to the lead for the last three-plus minutes and get the best of the Sabres, 4-3. Each team recorded a whopping 40 shots on goal.
Notables
- Parent would have see his first penalty shot as a Flyer, record an assist, pick up a minor penalty for slashing in the second period , and record the win.
- Flyers Bill Barber was credited with eight shots on goal, however he did not record a point.
- Orest Kindrachuk recorded a goal, two assists and a fight in the first period.
- The game would be the last against the Flyers for the legendary Tim Horton, who tragically passed away less than a month later from a car accident.
Mike Watson is a contributing writer for Flyerdelphia. Follow him on twitter @Mwats_99.
