1971-72 (51 points)
Following an outstanding finish to their first season as a franchise, many felt the Buffalo Sabres would step forward in 1971-72. Unfortunately, they stepped backward and finished the year 16-43-19, putting together one of the worst seasons in league history.
But, with all bad seasons, there is always good news if you look hard enough. For the Sabres, that good news came in the form of Rick Martin, who later comprised the second portion of the famed French Connection.
Bad outweighed the good, however, with the Sabres once again defeating the Penguins 2-1 to open the season, only to falter to 3-7-2 when November rolled around. After defeating the Philadelphia Flyers on November 5th, the Sabres wouldn’t win again until December 2nd, finishing November with a 1-7-3 record.
Things did not look up for the Sabres in the slightest, and by March 1st, they sat at 13-36-15. At this point, fans were left wondering if the team would ever find relevance in the 1970s or if it was slated to become a long decade.