1977–78 New York Rangers season

The 1977–78 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 52nd season. The Rangers slipped to last in the Patrick but qualified for the playoffs by having one of the top twelve records in the league. The Rangers lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Offseason The Rangers hired Jean-Guy Talbot as their new head coach. It would be his only season as head coach of the Rangers.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 1 || 12 || Vancouver Canucks || 6–3 || 1–0–0

| 2 || 15 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 5–0 || 1–1–0

| 3 || 16 || New York Islanders || 4–2 || 2–1–0

| 4 || 19 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 3–3 || 2–1–1

| 5 || 22 || @ New York Islanders || 7–2 || 2–2–1

| 6 || 23 || Montreal Canadiens || 6–2 || 2–3–1

| 7 || 25 || @ Cleveland Barons || 5–0 || 3–3–1

| 8 || 26 || St. Louis Blues || 6–2 || 4–3–1

| 9 || 29 || @ Atlanta Flames || 4–3 || 4–4–1

| 10 || 30 || Los Angeles Kings || 5–3 || 4–5–1

| 11 || 2 || @ Colorado Rockies || 6–2 || 4–6–1

| 12 || 4 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 5–1 || 5–6–1

| 13 || 5 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 3–1 || 5–7–1

| 14 || 9 || Buffalo Sabres || 8–4 || 6–7–1

| 15 || 12 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 3–1 || 6–8–1

| 16 || 13 || Atlanta Flames || 5–2 || 6–9–1

| 17 || 16 || Chicago Black Hawks || 5–2 || 7–9–1

| 18 || 19 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5–5 || 7–9–2

| 19 || 20 || Vancouver Canucks || 3–0 || 7–10–2

| 20 || 23 || Colorado Rockies || 6–3 || 8–10–2

| 21 || 26 || @ Boston Bruins || 3–2 || 8–11–2

| 22 || 27 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 3–2 || 8–12–2

| 23 || 30 || @ St. Louis Blues || 4–0 || 9–12–2

| 24 || 3 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 4–0 || 10–12–2

| 25 || 4 || Minnesota North Stars || 4–4 || 10–12–3

| 26 || 7 || Philadelphia Flyers || 3–3 || 10–12–4

| 27 || 8 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 7–4 || 10–13–4

| 28 || 11 || Boston Bruins || 8–2 || 10–14–4

| 29 || 14 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 2–2 || 10–14–5

| 30 || 15 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 5–5 || 10–14–6

| 31 || 17 || @ Cleveland Barons || 4–2 || 10–15–6

| 32 || 18 || Detroit Red Wings || 6–2 || 11–15–6

| 33 || 21 || Washington Capitals || 5–5 || 11–15–7

| 34 || 23 || Cleveland Barons || 5–4 || 12–15–7

| 35 || 28 || Philadelphia Flyers || 4–3 || 12–16–7

| 36 || 30 || @ Washington Capitals || 3–3 || 12–16–8

| 37 || 31 || Buffalo Sabres || 2–2 || 12–16–9

| 38 || 4 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 5–3 || 13–16–9

| 39 || 7 || @ Colorado Rockies || 3–1 || 13–17–9

| 40 || 9 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 5–3 || 13–18–9

| 41 || 10 || @ Boston Bruins || 3–2 || 14–18–9

| 42 || 14 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4–1 || 14–19–9

| 43 || 17 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 5–4 || 15–19–9

| 44 || 18 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 3–0 || 16–19–9

| 45 || 20 || @ Atlanta Flames || 5–3 || 16–20–9

| 46 || 22 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 3–1 || 16–21–9

| 47 || 25 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–3 || 16–22–9

| 48 || 28 || @ New York Islanders || 6–2 || 16–23–9

| 49 || 29 || Los Angeles Kings || 4–1 || 16–24–9

| 50 || 1 || New York Islanders || 7–6 || 16–25–9

| 51 || 4 || @ St. Louis Blues || 2–2 || 16–25–10

| 52 || 5 || Colorado Rockies || 6–3 || 17–25–10

| 53 || 8 || Minnesota North Stars || 3–0 || 18–25–10

| 54 || 9 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 2–0 || 18–26–10

| 55 || 11 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 3–2 || 18–27–10

| 56 || 12 || Montreal Canadiens || 5–3 || 18–28–10

| 57 || 15 || Vancouver Canucks || 6–3 || 19–28–10

| 58 || 19 || Colorado Rockies || 4–4 || 19–28–11

| 59 || 22 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 3–2 || 19–29–11

| 60 || 23 || Chicago Black Hawks || 6–2 || 20–29–11

| 61 || 25 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 6–3 || 21–29–11

| 62 || 27 || Atlanta Flames || 5–3 || 21–30–11

| 63 || 1 || Detroit Red Wings || 3–2 || 22–30–11

| 64 || 5 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–1 || 22–31–11

| 65 || 8 || Cleveland Barons || 6–1 || 23–31–11

| 66 || 12 || Washington Capitals || 8–2 || 24–31–11

| 67 || 15 || Philadelphia Flyers || 2–2 || 24–31–12

| 68 || 18 || Boston Bruins || 6–3 || 24–32–12

| 69 || 19 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 7–7 || 24–32–13

| 70 || 22 || @ St. Louis Blues || 6–1 || 25–32–13

| 71 || 24 || @ Washington Capitals || 11–4 || 26–32–13

| 72 || 25 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 5–2 || 27–32–13

| 73 || 27 || St. Louis Blues || 5–2 || 28–32–13

| 74 || 29 || New York Islanders || 5–1 || 29–32–13

| 75 || 1 || @ Atlanta Flames || 6–0 || 29–33–13

| 76 || 2 || @ Boston Bruins || 8–3 || 29–34–13

| 77 || 5 || Atlanta Flames || 4–2 || 29–35–13

| 78 || 6 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 3–0 || 29–36–13

| 79 || 8 || @ New York Islanders || 7–2 || 29–37–13

| 80 || 9 || Chicago Black Hawks || 3–2 || 30–37–13

Legend:

Playoffs

| 1 || April 11 || New York Rangers || 1–4 || Buffalo Sabres || || Buffalo leads series 1–0

| 2 || April 13 || Buffalo Sabres || 3–4 || New York Rangers || OT || Series tied 1–1

| 3 || April 15 || New York Rangers || 1–4 || Buffalo Sabres || || Buffalo wins series 2–1

Legend:

Player statistics Skaters

Regular season Player 79 38 43 81 53 80 40 33 73 47 78 24 48 72 100 80 26 40 66 30 79 19 44 63 30 66 27 28 55 41 80 6 40 46 115 71 20 20 40 43 71 22 8 30 27 53 13 13 26 44 37 7 16 23 12 56 2 19 21 63 57 5 13 18 52 59 5 13 18 15 59 5 13 18 22 29 5 10 15 34 78 2 8 10 38 19 2 7 9 6 59 2 7 9 105 66 3 5 8 62 18 2 4 6 8 29 1 4 5 23 7 2 1 3 0 8 1 1 2 15 7 0 1 1 12 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 33

Playoffs Player 3 1 3 4 4 3 2 1 3 0 3 1 1 2 2 3 0 2 2 16 3 0 2 2 0 3 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 1 5 1 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 5 3 0 0 0 6 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 0 11 3 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 2

Goaltenders Regular season Player 41 2352 12 20 7 141 3.60 4 34 1848 14 13 4 98 3.18 1 6 360 2 2 2 20 3.33 0 4 240 2 2 0 14 3.50 0

Playoffs Player 2 122 1 1 7 3.44 0 1 60 0 1 4 4.00 0

†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.

Awards and records Phil Esposito, Lester Patrick TrophyCollins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009–10, p.425, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Draft picks New York's picks at the 1977 NHL amateur draft in Montreal, Canada. Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 1 8 Lucien DeBlois RW Sorel Black Hawks (QMJHL) 1 13 Ron Duguay C Sudbury Wolves (OHA) 2 26 Mike Keating LW St. Catharines Fincups (OHA) 3 44 Steve Baker G Union College (NCAA) 4 62 Mario Marois D Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) 5 80 Benoit Gosselin LW Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) 6 98 John Bethel LW Boston University (NCAA) 7 116 Bob Sullivan LW Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) 8 131 Lance Nethery C Cornell University (NCAA) 9 146 Alex Jeans C University of Toronto (CIAU) 10 157 Pete Raps LW Western Michigan University (NCAA) 11 164 Mike Brown RW Western Michigan University (NCAA) 12 171 Mark Miller LW University of Michigan (NCAA)

See also 1977–78 NHL season

References

External links Rangers on Hockey Database