This Day in Sabres History :: February 4

[PASabreFan]

February 4, 1971

In the Sabres' first season, Eddie Shack records a hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the Aud. Denis DeJordy is the unlucky Kings' goalie. Anyone remember Denis DeJordy? Didn't think so? But almost every old-time fan remembers Shack, an entertaining "clown prince" of the game and former Maple Leaf who was acquired along with another former Leaf, Dick Duff, in December from the aforementioned Kings (Sabres' GM Punch Imlach had coached Shack in Toronto). One of Shack's trademarks was to skate to center ice when he was named one of the three stars and do a pirouette. He certainly did one on this winter night in downtown Buffalo. For the record, Shack scored 36 goals in two seasons with the Sabres.

 

February 4, 1998

The Sabres send Brad May and a third-round draft choice in 1999 to Vancouver for Geoff Sanderson. The Sand Man scored one of the nicest goals in Sabre history in the Eastern Conference Finals against Toronto, fending off the stick of trailing defenseman Sylvain Cote with one hand and shoveling the puck past Curtis Joseph with the other to give the Sabres a 5-3 lead midway through the third period in Game 1 in Toronto, a game the Sabres would win, 5-4. Remember? Sanderson pulled the puck to his forehand, got Cujo to shift to Sanderson's left then flicked it against the grain inside the right post! But it seems many fans remember him instead for so many botched breakaways. The speedy Sanderson, like Shack, would score 36 goals as a Sabre, including seven in the playoffs, during the course of three seasons in Buffalo. Sanderson and Dwayne Roloson, another hero from the Air Canada Centre that night, were selected by Columbus in the expansion draft in 2000.

[mphs mike]

I can almost hear our Darling Ted now: "Clear the track, here comes Eddie Shack"

[nfreeman]

PASabresFan -- thanks for doing these. I really enjoy them every day.

 

Sanderson was always an intriguing player -- unbelievably fast but not much more added beyond the speed. From time to time I worry that Max is going to turn out the same way -- sometimes he seems like he's turned the corner into close to all-star status, but then he disappears for 4 or 5 games.

 

The other thing I found interesting about Sanderson is that he's from Hay River, NW territories. Maybe he's so fast b/c growing up he had to skate 50 miles to get anywhere.

 

Check out the location of Sandy's hometown:

 

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formt...ate=nt&zipcode=

 

Go Sabres.

[LabattBlue]

February 4, 1971

In the Sabres' first season, Eddie Shack records a hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings at the Aud. Denis DeJordy is the unlucky Kings' goalie. Anyone remember Denis DeJordy? Didn't think so? But almost every old-time fan remembers Shack, an entertaining "clown prince" of the game and former Maple Leaf who was acquired along with another former Leaf, Dick Duff, in December from the aforementioned Kings (Sabres' GM Punch Imlach had coached Shack in Toronto). One of Shack's trademarks was to skate to center ice when he was named one of the three stars and do a pirouette. He certainly did one on this winter night in downtown Buffalo. For the record, Shack scored 36 goals in two seasons with the Sabres.

 

February 4, 1998

The Sabres send Brad May and a third-round draft choice in 1999 to Vancouver for Geoff Sanderson. The Sand Man scored one of the nicest goals in Sabre history in the Eastern Conference Finals against Toronto, fending off the stick of trailing defenseman Sylvain Cote with one hand and shoveling the puck past Curtis Joseph with the other to give the Sabres a 5-3 lead midway through the third period in Game 1 in Toronto, a game the Sabres would win, 5-4. Remember? Sanderson pulled the puck to his forehand, got Cujo to shift to Sanderson's left then flicked it against the grain inside the right post! But it seems many fans remember him instead for so many botched breakaways. The speedy Sanderson, like Shack, would score 36 goals as a Sabre, including seven in the playoffs, during the course of three seasons in Buffalo. Sanderson and Dwayne Roloson, another hero from the Air Canada Centre that night, were selected by Columbus in the expansion draft in 2000.

I loved Eddie Shack as he skated behind his own net with the puck like an out of control locomotive heading toward the opposing teams zone. Great early memories!

[Taro T]

February 4, 1998

The Sabres send Brad May and a third-round draft choice in 1999 to Vancouver for Geoff Sanderson. The Sand Man scored one of the nicest goals in Sabre history in the Eastern Conference Finals against Toronto, fending off the stick of trailing defenseman Sylvain Cote with one hand and shoveling the puck past Curtis Joseph with the other to give the Sabres a 5-3 lead midway through the third period in Game 1 in Toronto, a game the Sabres would win, 5-4. Remember? Sanderson pulled the puck to his forehand, got Cujo to shift to Sanderson's left then flicked it against the grain inside the right post! But it seems many fans remember him instead for so many botched breakaways. The speedy Sanderson, like Shack, would score 36 goals as a Sabre, including seven in the playoffs, during the course of three seasons in Buffalo. Sanderson and Dwayne Roloson, another hero from the Air Canada Centre that night, were selected by Columbus in the expansion draft in 2000.

I was more impressed with his one non-failed breakaway ~3 weeks later, when he skated in on the off-wing, faked the patented slapshot from the top of the circle, got Bats-in-his-belfour to bite on the fake, skated around him and buried it in the open net. (PA, you are right though, that goal against TO was huge and one of the best efforts he ever gave in a Sabres uni.)

 

Game 4, watching your team win a game in the SC Finals, there are few things better. As the MC commercials used to say: priceless.