Perreault was, in the words of longtime play-by-play announcer Rick Jeanneret, "the straw that stirred the drink." He was unquestionably the team's best player, if not the best in Sabres history. When Perreault had the puck behind his own net, fans would stand in anticipation of an end-to-end rush while opposing players retreated to their own blue line.
Martin was a born goal scorer. It's what he loved to do. He crossed the blue line intent on getting the puck to the net, regardless of what it took to get it there. In 1974-75, Martin scored 52 goals for the second straight season.
Robert may have been the most defensively aware of the three, though he was an offensive talent in his own right. He could score goals and set up his linemates, and he had a knack for sneaking up on opponents by coming in behind the play. It was Robert who led the 1974-75 Sabres with 100 points.
But the team was more than just the French Connection. Off the ice, they were close like a family. On the ice, they were fiercely competitive, with each line trying to outdo the others. There were fights in practice. Players constantly pleaded with coach Floyd Smith for more ice time.
"Well, they were eager to play," Smith said. "Anybody who took a short shift and came over to the bench, it didn't make any difference who was going next. If you weren't ready to go, Martin was on the ice. They just wanted to play."
The "checking line" of Don Luce, Craig Ramsay, and Danny Gare - tasked with matching up with opponents' top lines - combined for 90 goals. The third line of Jim Lorentz, Rick Dudley, and Peter McNab scored 78.
In fact, the Sabres had six players score 30 or more goals - Martin (52), Robert (40), Perreault (39), Luce (33), Dudley (31), and Gare (31) - setting an NHL record that has since been matched only twice, by the 1977-78 New York Islanders and the 1984-85 Winnipeg Jets.
The team's 354 goals remain a franchise record.