1973–74 New York Rangers season

The 1973–74 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 48th season. The Rangers compiled 94 points during the regular season and finished third in the East Division. The team made the Stanley Cup playoffs, where New York defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–2 in the quarter-finals. The Rangers then lost in a seven-game semi-finals series to the Philadelphia Flyers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that season.

Offseason On July 27, 1973, E. Michael Burke handed in his resignation to the New York Yankees, so that he could become president of Madison Square Garden.Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball, pp.47–48, Bill Madden, Harper Collins Publishing, New York, 2010, This would make Burke the president of the New York Rangers hockey club and the New York Knicks basketball club.

Regular season

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 1 || 10 || Detroit Red Wings || 4–1 || 1–0–0

| 2 || 13 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 8–2 || 2–0–0

| 3 || 14 || Los Angeles Kings || 1–1 || 2–0–1

| 4 || 17 || St. Louis Blues || 4–0 || 3–0–1

| 5 || 20 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 3–2 || 3–1–1

| 6 || 21 || Montreal Canadiens || 3–2 || 3–2–1

| 7 || 27 || @ New York Islanders || 3–2 || 3–3–1

| 8 || 28 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 7–2 || 3–4–1

| 9 || 30 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 3–3 || 3–4–2

| 10 || 1 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 2–1 || 3–5–2

| 11 || 4 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 4–1 || 3–6–2

| 12 || 7 || Boston Bruins || 7–3 || 4–6–2

| 13 || 9 || @ Atlanta Flames || 3–3 || 4–6–3

| 14 || 11 || New York Islanders || 5–2 || 5–6–3

| 15 || 14 || Chicago Black Hawks || 4–4 || 5–6–4

| 16 || 15 || @ Boston Bruins || 10–2 || 5–7–4

| 17 || 17 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 6–3 || 6–7–4

| 18 || 18 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 7–0 || 7–7–4

| 19 || 21 || California Golden Seals || 3–0 || 8–7–4

| 20 || 22 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 7–6 || 9–7–4

| 21 || 24 || Los Angeles Kings || 5–5 || 9–7–5

| 22 || 25 || Vancouver Canucks || 5–0 || 10–7–5

| 23 || 29 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 2–2 || 10–7–6

| 24 || 1 || @ St. Louis Blues || 4–4 || 10–7–7

| 25 || 2 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 6–4 || 11–7–7

| 26 || 5 || St. Louis Blues || 5–1 || 12–7–7

| 27 || 6 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 8–4 || 12–8–7

| 28 || 9 || California Golden Seals || 6–3 || 13–8–7

| 29 || 12 || Buffalo Sabres || 1–1 || 13–8–8

| 30 || 15 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 2–2 || 13–8–9

| 31 || 16 || Chicago Black Hawks || 6–1 || 13–9–9

| 32 || 20 || Detroit Red Wings || 5–2 || 14–9–9

| 33 || 22 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 4–1 || 15–9–9

| 34 || 23 || @ Atlanta Flames || 3–1 || 15–10–9

| 35 || 26 || Philadelphia Flyers || 2–1 || 16–10–9

| 36 || 29 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 7–1 || 16–11–9

| 37 || 30 || Minnesota North Stars || 4–3 || 17–11–9

| 38 || 3 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4–2 || 17–12–9

| 39 || 4 || Boston Bruins || 4–2 || 17–13–9

| 40 || 6 || Atlanta Flames || 5–2 || 18–13–9

| 41 || 10 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 7–2 || 18–14–9

| 42 || 12 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 6–1 || 19–14–9

| 43 || 13 || @ California Golden Seals || 7–2 || 20–14–9

| 44 || 16 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 4–4 || 20–14–10

| 45 || 17 || @ St. Louis Blues || 3–2 || 20–15–10

| 46 || 19 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 3–2 || 21–15–10

| 47 || 23 || Atlanta Flames || 4–1 || 22–15–10

| 48 || 27 || Los Angeles Kings || 5–3 || 23–15–10

| 49 || 30 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 4–2 || 24–15–10

| 50 || 2 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 3–1 || 25–15–10

| 51 || 3 || Minnesota North Stars || 5–5 || 25–15–11

| 52 || 6 || New York Islanders || 6–0 || 26–15–11

| 53 || 9 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 7–2 || 26–16–11

| 54 || 10 || St. Louis Blues || 4–2 || 27–16–11

| 55 || 14 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4–4 || 27–16–12

| 56 || 16 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 9–4 || 28–16–12

| 57 || 21 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 5–3 || 29–16–12

| 58 || 22 || @ California Golden Seals || 4–3 || 30–16–12

| 59 || 24 || Philadelphia Flyers || 3–2 || 31–16–12

| 60 || 27 || Vancouver Canucks || 4–2 || 32–16–12

| 61 || 2 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 3–1 || 33–16–12

| 62 || 3 || California Golden Seals || 8–2 || 34–16–12

| 63 || 6 || Montreal Canadiens || 9–2 || 35–16–12

| 64 || 9 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 4–2 || 35–17–12

| 65 || 10 || New York Islanders || 4–2 || 36–17–12

| 66 || 14 || Chicago Black Hawks || 5–2 || 36–18–12

| 67 || 16 || @ New York Islanders || 3–1 || 37–18–12

| 68 || 17 || @ Boston Bruins || 5–2 || 37–19–12

| 69 || 20 || Vancouver Canucks || 7–5 || 37–20–12

| 70 || 21 || @ Atlanta Flames || 5–5 || 37–20–13

| 71 || 23 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 5–3 || 37–21–13

| 72 || 24 || Buffalo Sabres || 5–3 || 38–21–13

| 73 || 27 || Boston Bruins || 3–2 || 38–22–13

| 74 || 30 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 7–3 || 38–23–13

| 75 || 31 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 3–3 || 38–23–14

| 76 || 3 || Detroit Red Wings || 5–3 || 39–23–14

| 77 || 6 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 8–3 || 39–24–14

| 78 || 7 || Montreal Canadiens || 6–4 || 40–24–14

Legend:

Playoffs

| 1 || April 10 || New York Rangers || 4–1 || Montreal Canadiens || || New York Rangers lead series 1–0

| 2 || April 11 || New York Rangers || 1–4 || Montreal Canadiens || || Series tied 1–1

| 3 || April 13 || Montreal Canadiens || 4–2 || New York Rangers || || Montreal leads series 2–1

| 4 || April 14 || Montreal Canadiens || 4–6 || New York Rangers || || Series tied 2–2

| 5 || April 16 || New York Rangers || 3–2 || Montreal Canadiens || OT || New York Rangers lead series 3–2

| 6 || April 18 || Montreal Canadiens || 2–5 || New York Rangers || || New York Rangers win series 4–2

| 1 || April 20 || New York Rangers || 0–4 || Philadelphia Flyers || || Philadelphia leads series 1–0

| 2 || April 23 || New York Rangers || 2–5 || Philadelphia Flyers || || Philadelphia leads series 2–0

| 3 || April 25 || Philadelphia Flyers || 3–5 || New York Rangers || || Philadelphia leads series 2–1

| 4 || April 28 || Philadelphia Flyers || 1–2 || New York Rangers || OT || Series tied 2–2

| 5 || April 30 || New York Rangers || 1–4 || Philadelphia Flyers || || Philadelphia leads series 3–2

| 6 || May 2 || Philadelphia Flyers || 1–4 || New York Rangers || || Series tied 3–3

| 7 || May 5 || New York Rangers || 3–4 || Philadelphia Flyers || || Philadelphia wins series 4–3

Legend:

Player statistics Skaters

Regular season Player 78 25 57 82 148 75 36 41 77 20 78 25 45 70 74 68 28 39 67 16 71 21 42 63 58 78 18 44 62 12 75 34 24 58 18 77 27 28 55 75 72 10 41 51 4 75 26 20 46 105 66 17 27 44 6 68 7 23 30 32 † 46 2 17 19 28 26 6 10 16 24 48 3 12 15 56 63 2 12 14 25 72 4 7 11 38 23 2 4 6 4 ‡ 29 1 5 6 15 ‡ 12 1 3 4 6 † 28 1 3 4 6 ‡ 16 2 1 3 0 ‡ 14 1 2 3 4 5 1 1 2 2 ‡ 2 0 0 0 0 †‡ 7 0 0 0 0

Playoffs Player 13 6 6 12 35 13 4 8 12 38 13 1 8 9 23 12 1 8 9 4 13 6 2 8 2 13 3 5 8 16 13 4 4 8 17 13 3 5 8 6 13 3 5 8 4 13 2 4 6 0 13 0 5 5 22 11 3 0 3 14 12 0 2 2 25 13 0 2 2 19 8 1 0 1 4 12 0 1 1 4 12 0 1 1 6 6 1 0 1 0

Goaltenders Regular season Player 56 3286 30 15 10 168 3.07 5 21 1054 7 7 3 62 3.53 0 6 340 3 2 1 18 3.18 0

Playoffs Player 13 788 7 6 37 2.82 0 1 1 0 0 0 0.00 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.

Draft picks New York's picks at the 1973 NHL amateur draft in Montreal, Canada. Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 1 14 Rick Middleton RW Oshawa Generals (OHA) 2 30 Pat Hickey LW Hamilton Red Wings (OHA) 3 46 John Campbell LW Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA) 4 62 Brian Molvik D Calgary Centennials (WCHL) 5 78 Pierre Laganiere RW Sherbrooke Beavers (QMJHL) 6 94 Dwayne Pentland D Brandon Wheat Kings (WCHL)

References