1978–79 Buffalo Sabres season

1978–79 Buffalo Sabres
Division	2nd Adams
Conference	Wales
1978–79 record	36–28–16
Home record	25-7-8
Road record	19-12-9
Goals for	280
Goals against	263
Team information
General manager	John Anderson
Coach	Marcel Pronovost, Billy Inglis
Captain	Danny Gare
Alternate captains	None
Arena	Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Average attendance	16,433
Team leaders
Goals	Rick Martin (32)
Assists	Gilbert Perreault (58)
Points	Gilbert Perreault (85)
Penalty minutes	Jerry Korab (104)
Wins	Don Edwards (26)
Goals against average	Don Edward (3.02)

The 1978–79 Buffalo Sabres season was the Sabres' ninth season of operation for the National Hockey League franchise that was established on May 22, 1970.

Regular season

Final standings

Adams Division

	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	Pts
Boston Bruins	80	43	23	14	316	270	100
Buffalo Sabres	80	36	28	16	280	263	88
Toronto Maple Leafs	80	34	33	13	267	252	81
Minnesota North Stars	80	28	40	12	257	289	68

Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points
       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents

Adams Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Wales Conference Vs. Campbell Conference Vs. Adams Division 1978–79 NHL records Team BOS BUF MIN TOR Total Boston — 4−3−1 5−0−3 5−1−2 14−4−6 Buffalo 3−4−1 — 5−2−1 4−3−1 12−9−3 Minnesota 0−5−3 2−5−1 — 2−4−2 4−14−6 Toronto 1−5−2 3−4−1 4−2−2 — 8−11−5 Vs. Norris Division 1978–79 NHL records Team DET LAK MTL PIT WSH Total Boston 3−1 1−3 0−2−2 1−2−1 3−0−1 8−8−4 Buffalo 3−1 2−1−1 0−4 0−2−2 3−0−1 8−8−4 Minnesota 2−1−1 1−3 1−3 1−3 2−2 7−12−1 Toronto 2−2 4−0 0−3−1 3−1 1−1−2 10−7−3 Vs. Patrick Division 1978–79 NHL records Team ATL NYI NYR PHI Total Boston 3−1 1−2−2 3−2 1−3−1 8−8−3 Buffalo 2−2−1 2−1−1 1−2−1 0−3−2 5−8−5 Minnesota 2−1−1 1−3 2−1−1 2−2 7−7−2 Toronto 1−4 1−3 2−2−1 2−2−1 6−11−2 Vs. Smythe Division 1978–79 NHL records Team CHI COL STL VAN Total Boston 3−1−1 3−1 3−1 4−0 13−3−1 Buffalo 2−2−1 3−0−1 3−0−1 3−1−1 11−3−4 Minnesota 2−2 2−3−1 2−1−1 4−1−1 10−7−3 Toronto 1−2−1 2−1−1 4−0 3−1−1 10−4−3

Schedule and results

No.	R	Date	Score	Opponent	Record
1	T	October 12, 1978	2–2	New York Islanders (1978–79)	0–0–1
2	W	October 14, 1978	5–2	@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	1–0–1
3	L	October 15, 1978	2–3	Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)	1–1–1
4	L	October 18, 1978	0–2	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	1–2–1
5	W	October 19, 1978	1–0	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	2–2–1
6	L	October 22, 1978	2–3	@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)	2–3–1
7	L	October 26, 1978	0–6	@ Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)	2–4–1
8	T	October 28, 1978	7–7	@ St. Louis Blues (1978–79)	2–4–2
9	T	November 2, 1978	3–3	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	2–4–3
10	L	November 4, 1978	1–2	@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	2–5–3
11	W	November 5, 1978	2–1	Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	3–5–3
12	T	November 9, 1978	4–4	Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)	3–5–4
13	W	November 11, 1978	2–0	@ Washington Capitals (1978–79)	4–5–4
14	T	November 12, 1978	4–4	Boston Bruins (1978–79)	4–5–5
15	T	November 15, 1978	2–2	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	4–5–6
16	W	November 16, 1978	6–2	St. Louis Blues (1978–79)	5–5–6
17	W	November 18, 1978	3–1	@ Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)	6–5–6
18	W	November 19, 1978	9–2	Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	7–5–6
19	L	November 22, 1978	2–3	Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	7–6–6
20	L	November 23, 1978	2–5	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79)	7–7–6
21	W	November 26, 1978	4–1	Colorado Rockies (1978–79)	8–7–6
22	L	November 30, 1978	3–4	Boston Bruins (1978–79)	8–8–6
23	L	December 2, 1978	1–8	@ Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)	8–9–6
24	L	December 3, 1978	1–4	Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)	8–10–6
25	T	December 7, 1978	3–3	Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)	8–10–7
26	T	December 9, 1978	4–4	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)	8–10–8
27	W	December 10, 1978	5–3	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	9–10–8
28	W	December 13, 1978	6–2	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	10–10–8
29	W	December 14, 1978	3–2	Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	11–10–8
30	W	December 16, 1978	5–2	@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	12–10–8
31	W	December 17, 1978	6–3	Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)	13–10–8
32	L	December 20, 1978	3–6	@ New York Rangers (1978–79)	13–11–8
33	W	December 21, 1978	5–4	Atlanta Flames (1978–79)	14–11–8
34	L	December 23, 1978	4–6	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79)	14–12–8
35	W	December 27, 1978	5–2	@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79)	15–12–8
36	T	December 28, 1978	3–3	@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)	15–12–9
37	L	December 31, 1978	3–7	Boston Bruins (1978–79)	15–13–9
38	T	January 4, 1979	3–3	Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	15–13–10
39	W	January 7, 1979	4–3	Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)	16–13–10
40	L	January 9, 1979	3–5	@ Atlanta Flames (1978–79)	16–14–10
41	W	January 11, 1979	6–2	Washington Capitals (1978–79)	17–14–10
42	L	January 13, 1979	2–5	@ Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)	17–15–10
43	L	January 14, 1979	4–5	Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)	17–16–10
44	T	January 18, 1979	4–4	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	17–16–11
45	W	January 20, 1979	2–1	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79)	18–16–11
46	L	January 25, 1979	4–5	New York Rangers (1978–79)	18–17–11
47	W	January 27, 1979	6–3	@ Detroit Red Wings (1978–79)	19–17–11
48	L	January 28, 1979	1–3	Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	19–18–11
49	L	January 31, 1979	2–5	Atlanta Flames (1978–79)	19–19–11
50	W	February 3, 1979	2–1	@ Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	20–19–11
51	W	February 4, 1979	3–1	St. Louis Blues (1978–79)	21–19–11
52	W	February 14, 1979	2–1	New York Islanders (1978–79)	22–19–11
53	W	February 15, 1979	4–3	New York Rangers (1978–79)	23–19–11
54	L	February 17, 1979	3–6	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)	23–20–11
55	L	February 18, 1979	2–5	Montreal Canadiens (1978–79)	23–21–11
56	L	February 21, 1979	2–3	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	23–22–11
57	L	February 22, 1979	2–4	Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	23–23–11
58	W	February 24, 1979	6–4	@ Washington Capitals (1978–79)	24–23–11
59	W	February 26, 1979	3–1	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	25–23–11
60	T	March 1, 1979	5–5	Minnesota North Stars (1978–79)	25–23–12
61	T	March 3, 1979	2–2	@ New York Rangers (1978–79)	25–23–13
62	L	March 4, 1979	1–6	Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	25–24–13
63	W	March 6, 1979	3–2	@ New York Islanders (1978–79)	26–24–13
64	W	March 8, 1979	6–4	Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)	27–24–13
65	T	March 10, 1979	5–5	@ Atlanta Flames (1978–79)	27–24–14
66	W	March 11, 1979	9–4	Atlanta Flames (1978–79)	28–24–14
67	W	March 14, 1979	4–1	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	29–24–14
68	W	March 15, 1979	4–2	Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)	30–24–14
69	L	March 17, 1979	3–5	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	30–25–14
70	T	March 18, 1979	3–3	Washington Capitals (1978–79)	30–25–15
71	W	March 21, 1979	3–2	@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79)	31–25–15
72	W	March 23, 1979	4–3	@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79)	32–25–15
73	W	March 24, 1979	3–2	@ Los Angeles Kings (1978–79)	33–25–15
74	W	March 26, 1979	4–2	@ St. Louis Blues (1978–79)	34–25–15
75	W	March 28, 1979	9–2	Boston Bruins (1978–79)	35–25–15
76	L	March 31, 1979	0–2	@ New York Islanders (1978–79)	35–26–15
77	L	April 1, 1979	3–6	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	35–27–15
78	W	April 5, 1979	9–3	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79)	36–27–15
79	L	April 7, 1979	2–6	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	36–28–15
80	T	April 8, 1979	5–5	Colorado Rockies (1978–79)	36–28–16

Draft picks

Buffalo's draft picks at the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

Round	#	Player	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
1	13	Larry Playfair	Canada	Portland Winterhawks (WCHL)
2	32	Tony McKegney	Canada	Kingston Canadians (OMJHL)
3	49	Rob McClanahan	United States	University of Minnesota (WCHA)
4	66	Mike Gazdic	Canada	Sudbury Wolves (OMJHL)
5	82	Randy Ireland	Canada	Flint Generals (IHL)
6	99	Cam MacGregor	Canada	Cornwall Royals (QMJHL)
7	116	Dan Eastman	Canada	Peterborough Petes (OMJHL)
8	133	Eric Strobel	United States	University of Minnesota (WCHA)
9	150	Eugene O'Sullivan	Canada	Calgary Wranglers (WCHL)

See also

• 1978–79 NHL season