1972–73 New York Rangers season

The 1972–73 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 47th season.

Regular season

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 1 || 7 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 5–3 || 0–1–0

| 2 || 8 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 5–1 || 0–2–0

| 3 || 11 || Vancouver Canucks || 5–3 || 1–2–0

| 4 || 14 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 6–1 || 1–3–0

| 5 || 15 || Minnesota North Stars || 6–2 || 2–3–0

| 6 || 18 || Boston Bruins || 7–1 || 3–3–0

| 7 || 21 || @ New York Islanders || 2–1 || 4–3–0

| 8 || 22 || Montreal Canadiens || 1–1 || 4–3–1

| 9 || 25 || Philadelphia Flyers || 6–1 || 5–3–1

| 10 || 29 || Chicago Black Hawks || 7–1 || 6–3–1

| 11 || 1 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 3–2 || 7–3–1

| 12 || 4 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 6–4 || 7–4–1

| 13 || 5 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 3–2 || 8–4–1

| 14 || 8 || Vancouver Canucks || 5–2 || 9–4–1

| 15 || 11 || California Golden Seals || 7–2 || 10–4–1

| 16 || 12 || Los Angeles Kings || 5–1 || 11–4–1

| 17 || 15 || Philadelphia Flyers || 7–3 || 12–4–1

| 18 || 18 || @ St. Louis Blues || 3–1 || 13–4–1

| 19 || 19 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 5–3 || 13–5–1

| 20 || 21 || @ Atlanta Flames || 3–1 || 14–5–1

| 21 || 23 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 5–3 || 14–6–1

| 22 || 26 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 7–4 || 15–6–1

| 23 || 28 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 2–1 || 15–7–1

| 24 || 29 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 2–2 || 15–7–2

| 25 || 1 || @ California Golden Seals || 3–3 || 15–7–3

| 26 || 3 || Atlanta Flames || 3–2 || 16–7–3

| 27 || 6 || Buffalo Sabres || 3–2 || 16–8–3

| 28 || 9 || @ New York Islanders || 4–1 || 17–8–3

| 29 || 10 || New York Islanders || 4–1 || 18–8–3

| 30 || 13 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–3 || 19–8–3

| 31 || 14 || @ Boston Bruins || 4–2 || 19–9–3

| 32 || 16 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 5–1 || 19–10–3

| 33 || 17 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 9–1 || 20–10–3

| 34 || 20 || @ St. Louis Blues || 5–4 || 21–10–3

| 35 || 21 || Atlanta Flames || 5–2 || 21–11–3

| 36 || 24 || Detroit Red Wings || 5–0 || 22–11–3

| 37 || 27 || Buffalo Sabres || 4–1 || 22–12–3

| 38 || 31 || St. Louis Blues || 6–1 || 23–12–3

| 39 || 3 || Los Angeles Kings || 3–0 || 24–12–3

| 40 || 6 || Buffalo Sabres || 4–1 || 24–13–3

| 41 || 7 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 3–0 || 25–13–3

| 42 || 11 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 4–2 || 26–13–3

| 43 || 13 || @ St. Louis Blues || 5–3 || 27–13–3

| 44 || 14 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 5–2 || 28–13–3

| 45 || 17 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 4–4 || 28–13–4

| 46 || 19 || @ California Golden Seals || 6–0 || 29–13–4

| 47 || 20 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 4–3 || 30–13–4

| 48 || 24 || Boston Bruins || 4–2 || 31–13–4

| 49 || 27 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 6–3 || 32–13–4

| 50 || 28 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 5–2 || 33–13–4

| 51 || 31 || California Golden Seals || 3–1 || 34–13–4

| 52 || 3 || @ Boston Bruins || 7–3 || 35–13–4

| 53 || 4 || Atlanta Flames || 6–0 || 36–13–4

| 54 || 7 || New York Islanders || 6–0 || 37–13–4

| 55 || 10 || @ New York Islanders || 6–0 || 38–13–4

| 56 || 11 || Montreal Canadiens || 2–2 || 38–13–5

| 57 || 14 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 6–3 || 38–14–5

| 58 || 15 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 4–1 || 38–15–5

| 59 || 18 || New York Islanders || 3–2 || 39–15–5

| 60 || 21 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 4–3 || 40–15–5

| 61 || 23 || @ California Golden Seals || 5–3 || 40–16–5

| 62 || 25 || Minnesota North Stars || 6–5 || 41–16–5

| 63 || 28 || Chicago Black Hawks || 3–3 || 41–16–6

| 64 || 3 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 6–3 || 42–16–6

| 65 || 4 || Vancouver Canucks || 4–3 || 42–17–6

| 66 || 7 || Philadelphia Flyers || 2–2 || 42–17–7

| 67 || 10 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5–4 || 43–17–7

| 68 || 11 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–2 || 44–17–7

| 69 || 14 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 4–2 || 44–18–7

| 70 || 17 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 7–5 || 44–19–7

| 71 || 18 || St. Louis Blues || 3–1 || 45–19–7

| 72 || 20 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 6–1 || 46–19–7

| 73 || 22 || @ Atlanta Flames || 4–1 || 47–19–7

| 74 || 24 || @ Boston Bruins || 3–0 || 47–20–7

| 75 || 25 || Minnesota North Stars || 2–1 || 47–21–7

| 76 || 28 || Boston Bruins || 6–3 || 47–22–7

| 77 || 31 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 5–1 || 47–23–7

| 78 || 1 || Detroit Red Wings || 3–3 || 47–23–8

Legend:

Playoffs

| 1 || April 4 || New York Rangers || 6–2 || Boston Bruins || || New York Rangers lead series 1–0

| 2 || April 5 || New York Rangers || 4–2 || Boston Bruins || || New York Rangers lead series 2–0

| 3 || April 7 || Boston Bruins || 4–2 || New York Rangers || || New York Rangers lead series 2–1

| 4 || April 8 || Boston Bruins || 0–4 || New York Rangers || || New York Rangers lead series 3–1

| 5 || April 10 || New York Rangers || 6–3 || Boston Bruins || || New York Rangers win series 4–1

| 1 || April 12 || New York Rangers || 4–1 || Chicago Black Hawks || || New York Rangers lead series 1–0

| 2 || April 15 || New York Rangers || 4–5 || Chicago Black Hawks || || Series tied 1–1

| 3 || April 17 || Chicago Black Hawks || 2–1 || New York Rangers || || Chicago leads series 2–1

| 4 || April 19 || Chicago Black Hawks || 3–1 || New York Rangers || || Chicago leads series 3–1

| 5 || April 24 || New York Rangers || 1–4 || Chicago Black Hawks || || Chicago wins series 4–1

Legend:

Player statistics Skaters

Regular season Player 78 41 53 94 12 76 25 59 84 25 76 27 39 66 59 78 30 33 63 23 63 28 34 62 60 78 22 37 59 71 61 30 23 53 37 52 10 43 53 51 78 8 37 45 14 72 9 33 42 36 72 7 25 32 74 52 14 12 26 12 77 11 15 26 64 53 8 12 20 54 52 4 16 20 35 50 9 10 19 50 ‡ 51 4 13 17 15 † 46 3 10 13 17 † 15 4 4 8 5 12 0 2 2 2 4 1 0 1 0 8 1 0 1 4 8 1 0 1 0 † 3 0 1 1 4 10 0 1 1 0 ‡ 11 0 1 1 0 ‡ 16 0 1 1 11 † 8 0 0 0 14

Playoffs Player 10 5 4 9 4 10 1 8 9 2 10 7 2 9 8 10 2 7 9 0 10 2 5 7 8 10 4 2 6 6 10 5 1 6 2 8 0 5 5 6 10 2 3 5 4 10 0 4 4 2 10 1 3 4 20 10 2 2 4 2 9 2 2 4 11 10 0 3 3 2 6 0 1 1 8 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 10 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 7

Goaltenders Regular season Player 43 2580 26 11 6 125 2.91 4 34 2040 20 12 2 78 2.29 3 1 60 1 0 0 1 1.00 0

Playoffs Player 10 539 5 4 23 2.56 1 2 61 0 1 2 1.97 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.

Transactions The Rangers defense lost their gifted-defenseman, Brad Park due to a knee injury that occurred on 11/15/72 against the Flyers, which forced him out of the lineup for the next 18 games. Looking to plug that hole, they searched around the league for another talented-defenseman but prospects were sparse. So, on 11/28/72, they settled on veteran defenseman Ron Harris of the Flames who had minimal offensive skills but played a physical checking game. A 26-year-old forward, by the name of Curt Bennett was still scoreless with the Rangers while mostly sitting on the bench, so he was sent to the Flames in exchange. Both guys ultimately paid dividends for their new teams. Harris was instrumental in winning key games for the Rangers in different ways such as: against the rival-Bruins in game #2 of the 1973 playoffs, he threw a legal, rolling, hip-check at Phil Esposito which injured him, thus, sinking the hopes of the Bruins since they lost that playoff series; plus then, in a key 1974 playoff game against the Canadians, Harris scored the game-winning goal in overtime which eventually sparked the Rangers in winning that playoff series. Likewise, the Flames cashed in on Curt Bennett since he finally and quickly matured with them by becoming an excellent goal-scorer and their toughest fighter.

Draft picks New York's picks at the 1972 NHL amateur draft in Montreal, Canada. Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 1 10 Al Blanchard LW Kitchener Rangers (OHA) 1 15 Bob MacMillan C St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) 2 21 Larry Sacharuk D Saskatoon Blades (WCHL) 2 31 Rene Villemure LW Shawinigan Bruins (QMJHL) 3 47 Gerry Teeple C Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) 4 63 Doug Horbul LW Calgary Centennials (WCHL) 5 79 Marty Gateman D Hamilton Red Wings (OHA) 6 95 Ken Ireland C New Westminster Bruins (WCHL) 7 111 Jeff Hunt D Winnipeg Jets (WCHL) 8 127 Yvon Blais D Cornwall Royals (QMJHL) 9 137 Pierre Archambault D Saint-Jerome Alouettes (QMJHL)

See also 1972–73 NHL season

References

External links Rangers on Hockey Database