Sabre Noise
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Buffalo Sabres: Most goals to start a season

By Robert Berger

WINNIPEG, MB - NOVEMBER 16: Patrik Berglund #10, Jack Eichel #9, Jeff Skinner #53 and Sam Reinhart #23 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrate a third period goal against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on November 16, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - NOVEMBER 16: Patrik Berglund #10, Jack Eichel #9, Jeff Skinner #53 and Sam Reinhart #23 of the Buffalo Sabres celebrate a third period goal against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on November 16, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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buffalo sabres pat lafontaine
MONTREAL 1990’s: Pat LaFontaine #16 of the Buffalo Sabres skates against the Montreal Canadiens in the 1990’s at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Pat Lafontaine

Pat Lafontaine came to the Buffalo Sabres in a trade with the New York Islanders two seasons earlier in which a lot of players switched New York zip codes. The main cogs in the trade were Lafontaine and Pierre Turgeon.

Injuries may have unfairly limited Pat LaFontaine’s time with the Buffalo Sabres, but the 1992-93 season was a memorable one for the American born center.

Along with Dave Andreychuk, Pat Lafontaine had a monumental start to the season. Lafontaine scored 14 goals in the first 20 games, on pace for his second 50 goal season and his first 50 goal season with the Sabres.

In addition to his 14 goals, Lafontaine led the league through the first 20 games with 29 assists (tied with Mario Lemieux) and he was second in the league with 43 points.

The 1992-93 Buffalo Sabres started the year with 2 of the most explosive forwards in the league in addition to Alexander Mogilny and future Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk. The year concluded with one of the biggest upsets in Sabres’ playoff as they knocked off the first place Boston Bruins. We’ll have to speculate what would have happened if Andreychuk wasn’t sent packing.

Pat Lafontaine finished 3rd in Hart Trophy voting that season but only had one more productive season in Buffalo. Lafontaine only played a combined 38 games the following 2 seasons but bounced back for a strong 1995-96 season with 40 goals and 91 points. Lafontaine’s 1992-93 season remains one of the best seasons in Buffalo Sabres history.

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