1973-1974  Coach: Pat Stapleton (: bench coach)  Record: 38-35-5, 81 points. COUGARS  Finish: 4th, Eastern Division  Playoffs: Lost in Championship Round to Houston.

What a difference a year makes—and the addition of an all-star defenseman. The Cougars went from the league’s worst team in 1972-73 to the Cinderella-story of 1974, advancing to the Championship round before falling to the Houston Aeros. Much of this credit can be given to the signing of long-time Blackhawk blueliner Pat “Whitey” Stapleton, who immediately elevated the Cougars’ game and made the team competitive. Joining him was former Canadien , who led the team in scoring with 33 goals and 83 points. Rosie Paiement, the team’s star performer from 1972-73, came through with 30 goals, while newcomers Bob Liddington and Joe Hardy added 26 and 24 goals respectively. Still, the Cougars started slowly and played at break-even for most of the season before ending the season on a 10-3-2 run, clinching fourth-place (and the final playoff position) in the Eastern Division on the second-to-last game of the year. In the playoffs, the Cougars endured two grueling seven-game series, defeating both New England and Toronto—both times on the road—to advance to the finals. Scoring was balanced as ten players scored ten or more points, while an unlikely hero, backup goaltender , came through with six wins. However, the Aeros burst the Cougars’ bubble, defeating Chicago in four straight, to capture the second championship.

Summary of Games (@ Away, * Overtime)

date opponent score record pts gf-ga date opponent score record pts gf-ga 1. Oct 7 @ Toronto 4-4 T 0-0-1 1 4-4 40. Jan 17 @ New England 5-2 W 18-19-3 39 130-138 2. Oct 11 @ New York 4-3 W 1-0-1 3 8-7 41. Jan 19 Québec 5-2 W 19-19-3 41 135-140 3. Oct 13 @ New England 4-6 L 1-1-1 3 12-13 42. Jan 22 New England 5-3 W 20-19-3 43 140-143 4. Oct 14 @ Cleveland *2-3 L 1-2-1 3 14-16 43. Jan 25 @ Minnesota 2-6 L 20-20-3 43 142-149 5. Oct 15 @ Los Angeles 7-2 W 2-2-1 5 21-18 44. Jan 30 @ Vancouver 4-2 W 21-20-3 45 146-151 6. Oct 20 @ Vancouver 3-4 L 2-3-1 5 24-22 45. Feb 1 @ Edmonton 2-3 L 21-21-3 45 148-154 7. Oct 22 @ Edmonton 1-4 L 2-4-1 5 25-26 46. Feb 3 @ Winnipeg 2-4 L 21-22-3 45 150-158 8. Oct 25 @ Québec 4-2 W 3-4-1 7 29-28 47. Feb 5 Winnipeg 3-1 W 22-22-3 47 153-159 9. Oct 28 @ Toronto 3-2 W 4-4-1 9 32-30 48. Feb 6 @ Minnesota 2-7 L 22-23-3 47 155-166 10. Oct 30 Winnipeg 4-1 W 5-4-1 11 36-31 49. Feb 9 Jersey 5-2 W 23-23-3 49 160-168 11. Nov 3 @ Cleveland 7-4 W 6-4-1 13 43-35 50. Feb 10 @ Los Angeles 4-2 W 24-23-3 51 164-170 12. Nov 6 Los Angeles *5-4 W 7-4-1 15 48-39 51. Feb 12 Edmonton 3-2 W 25-23-3 53 167-172 13. Nov 10 Toronto 3-2 W 8-4-1 17 51-41 52. Feb 14 Québec 3-5 L 25-24-3 53 170-177 14. Nov 13 Cleveland 2-5 L 8-5-1 17 53-46 53. Feb 16 Toronto 4-5 L 25-25-3 53 174-182 15. Nov 15 Houston 3-2 W 9-5-1 19 56-48 54. Feb 17 @ Cleveland 5-6 L 25-26-3 53 179-188 16. Nov 17 Toronto 5-2 W 10-5-1 21 61-50 55. Feb 18 @ Jersey 3-4 L 25-27-3 53 182-192 17. Nov 18 @ New York 3-5 L 10-6-1 21 64-55 56. Feb 21 Vancouver 5-4 W 26-27-3 55 187-196 18. Nov 22 @ Los Angeles 4-3 W 11-6-1 23 68-58 57. Feb 23 New England 0-3 L 26-28-3 55 187-199 19. Nov 24 @ Houston 3-5 L 11-7-1 23 71-63 58. Feb 24 @ Winnipeg 1-3 L 26-29-3 55 188-202 20. Dec 1 Los Angeles *4-5 L 11-8-1 23 75-68 59. Feb 26 Los Angeles 4-2 W 27-29-3 57 192-204 21. Dec 2 @ New England 3-4 L 11-9-1 23 78-72 60. Feb 28 Houston 4-9 L 27-30-3 57 196-213 22. Dec 4 Edmonton 0-2 L 11-10-1 23 78-74 61. Mar 1 Cleveland 7-4 W 28-30-3 59 203-217 23. Dec 8 Jersey 1-3 L 11-11-1 23 79-77 62. Mar 3 Toronto 4-5 L 28-31-3 59 207-222 24. Dec 9 @ Québec 1-6 L 11-12-1 23 80-83 63. Mar 5 New England 2-3 L 28-32-3 59 209-225 25. Dec 11 Minnesota 3-5 L 11-13-1 23 83-88 64. Mar 7 @ Québec 3-2 W 29-32-3 61 212-227 26. Dec 15 Houston 5-2 W 12-13-1 25 88-90 65. Mar 9 Winnipeg *5-4 W 30-32-3 63 217-231 27. Dec 16 @ New England 3-2 W 13-13-1 27 91-92 66. Mar 12 New England 5-3 W 31-32-3 65 222-234 28. Dec 18 Winnipeg 3-3 T 13-13-2 28 94-95 67. Mar 14 Minnesota 7-4 W 32-32-3 67 229-238 29. Dec 21 @ Jersey 1-5 L 13-14-2 28 95-100 68. Mar 16 Québec *4-3 W 33-32-3 69 233-241 30. Dec 23 @ Toronto 6-5 W 14-14-2 30 101-105 69. Mar 17 @ Toronto 4-2 W 34-32-3 71 237-243 31. Dec 26 @ Winnipeg 2-4 L 14-15-2 30 103-109 70. Mar 19 Cleveland 4-7 L 34-33-3 71 241-250 32. Dec 28 Québec 6-4 W 15-15-2 32 109-113 71. Mar 21 Vancouver 5-5 T 34-33-4 72 246-255 33. Dec 29 @ Houston 0-3 L 15-16-2 32 109-116 72. Mar 23 Jersey 4-1 W 35-33-4 74 250-256 34. Dec 30 @ Minnesota 5-3 W 16-16-2 34 114-119 73. Mar 24 @ Cleveland 3-3 T 35-33-5 75 253-259 35. Jan 1 Vancouver 5-4 W 17-16-2 36 119-123 74. Mar 26 Edmonton 4-2 W 36-33-5 77 257-261 36. Jan 5 Minnesota 5-6 L 17-17-2 36 124-129 75. Mar 29 @ Vancouver 5-2 W 37-33-5 79 262-263 37. Jan 6 @ Québec 0-4 L 17-18-2 36 124-133 76. Mar 31 @ Edmonton 1-4 L 37-34-5 79 263-267 38. Jan 8 Cleveland 0-0 T 17-18-3 37 124-133 77. Apr 2 Jersey 7-3 W 38-34-5 81 270-270 39. Jan 13 @ Winnipeg 1-3 L 17-19-3 37 125-136 78. Apr 3 @ Houston 1-3 L 38-35-5 81 271-273

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