1977–78 New York Rangers season explained

League:	NHL
Season:	1977–78
Year:	1977
Team:	New York Rangers
Conferencerank:	5th
Divisionrank:	4th
Record:	30–37–13
Goalsfor:	279
Goalsagainst:	280
Altcaptain:	None
Goalsleader:	Pat Hickey (40)
Assistsleader:	Ron Greschner (48)
Pointsleader:	Phil Esposito (81)
Pimleader:	Carol Vadnais (115)
Winsleader:	John Davidson (14)

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

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 1 || 12 || Vancouver Canucks || 6–3 || 1–0–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 2 || 15 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 5–0 || 1–1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 3 || 16 || New York Islanders || 4–2 || 2–1–0|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 4 || 19 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 3–3 || 2–1–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 5 || 22 || @ New York Islanders || 7–2 || 2–2–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 6 || 23 || Montreal Canadiens || 6–2 || 2–3–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 7 || 25 || @ Cleveland Barons || 5–0 || 3–3–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 8 || 26 || St. Louis Blues || 6–2 || 4–3–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 9 || 29 || @ Atlanta Flames || 4–3 || 4–4–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 10 || 30 || Los Angeles Kings || 5–3 || 4–5–1|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 11 || 2 || @ Colorado Rockies || 6–2 || 4–6–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 12 || 4 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 5–1 || 5–6–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 13 || 5 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 3–1 || 5–7–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 14 || 9 || Buffalo Sabres || 8–4 || 6–7–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 15 || 12 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 3–1 || 6–8–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 16 || 13 || Atlanta Flames || 5–2 || 6–9–1|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 17 || 16 || Chicago Black Hawks || 5–2 || 7–9–1|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 18 || 19 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5–5 || 7–9–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 19 || 20 || Vancouver Canucks || 3–0 || 7–10–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 20 || 23 || Colorado Rockies || 6–3 || 8–10–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 21 || 26 || @ Boston Bruins || 3–2 || 8–11–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 22 || 27 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 3–2 || 8–12–2|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 23 || 30 || @ St. Louis Blues || 4–0 || 9–12–2|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 24 || 3 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 4–0 || 10–12–2|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 25 || 4 || Minnesota North Stars || 4–4 || 10–12–3|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 26 || 7 || Philadelphia Flyers || 3–3 || 10–12–4|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 27 || 8 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 7–4 || 10–13–4|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 28 || 11 || Boston Bruins || 8–2 || 10–14–4|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 29 || 14 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 2–2 || 10–14–5|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 30 || 15 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 5–5 || 10–14–6|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 31 || 17 || @ Cleveland Barons || 4–2 || 10–15–6|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 32 || 18 || Detroit Red Wings || 6–2 || 11–15–6|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 33 || 21 || Washington Capitals || 5–5 || 11–15–7|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 34 || 23 || Cleveland Barons || 5–4 || 12–15–7|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 35 || 28 || Philadelphia Flyers || 4–3 || 12–16–7|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 36 || 30 || @ Washington Capitals || 3–3 || 12–16–8|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 37 || 31 || Buffalo Sabres || 2–2 || 12–16–9|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 38 || 4 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 5–3 || 13–16–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 39 || 7 || @ Colorado Rockies || 3–1 || 13–17–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 40 || 9 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 5–3 || 13–18–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 41 || 10 || @ Boston Bruins || 3–2 || 14–18–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 42 || 14 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4–1 || 14–19–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 43 || 17 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 5–4 || 15–19–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 44 || 18 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 3–0 || 16–19–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 45 || 20 || @ Atlanta Flames || 5–3 || 16–20–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 46 || 22 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 3–1 || 16–21–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 47 || 25 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–3 || 16–22–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 48 || 28 || @ New York Islanders || 6–2 || 16–23–9|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 49 || 29 || Los Angeles Kings || 4–1 || 16–24–9|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 50 || 1 || New York Islanders || 7–6 || 16–25–9|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 51 || 4 || @ St. Louis Blues || 2–2 || 16–25–10|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 52 || 5 || Colorado Rockies || 6–3 || 17–25–10|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 53 || 8 || Minnesota North Stars || 3–0 || 18–25–10|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 54 || 9 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 2–0 || 18–26–10|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 55 || 11 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 3–2 || 18–27–10|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 56 || 12 || Montreal Canadiens || 5–3 || 18–28–10|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 57 || 15 || Vancouver Canucks || 6–3 || 19–28–10|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 58 || 19 || Colorado Rockies || 4–4 || 19–28–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 59 || 22 || @ Chicago Black Hawks || 3–2 || 19–29–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 60 || 23 || Chicago Black Hawks || 6–2 || 20–29–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 61 || 25 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 6–3 || 21–29–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 62 || 27 || Atlanta Flames || 5–3 || 21–30–11|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 63 || 1 || Detroit Red Wings || 3–2 || 22–30–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 64 || 5 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 4–1 || 22–31–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 65 || 8 || Cleveland Barons || 6–1 || 23–31–11|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 66 || 12 || Washington Capitals || 8–2 || 24–31–11|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 67 || 15 || Philadelphia Flyers || 2–2 || 24–31–12|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 68 || 18 || Boston Bruins || 6–3 || 24–32–12|- align="center" bgcolor="white"| 69 || 19 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 7–7 || 24–32–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 70 || 22 || @ St. Louis Blues || 6–1 || 25–32–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 71 || 24 || @ Washington Capitals || 11–4 || 26–32–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 72 || 25 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 5–2 || 27–32–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 73 || 27 || St. Louis Blues || 5–2 || 28–32–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 74 || 29 || New York Islanders || 5–1 || 29–32–13|-|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 75 || 1 || @ Atlanta Flames || 6–0 || 29–33–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 76 || 2 || @ Boston Bruins || 8–3 || 29–34–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 77 || 5 || Atlanta Flames || 4–2 || 29–35–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 78 || 6 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 3–0 || 29–36–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#FFBBBB"| 79 || 8 || @ New York Islanders || 7–2 || 29–37–13|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| 80 || 9 || Chicago Black Hawks || 3–2 || 30–37–13|-

Playoffs

See main article: article.

Key: Win Loss

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.

^[1]

Awards and records

• Phil Esposito, Lester Patrick Trophy^[2]

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

External links

• Rangers on Hockey Database

Notes and References

1. Web site: hockeydb.com . 2010-08-08 . 1977–78 New York Rangers .
2. Collins gem Hockey Facts and Stats 2009–10, p.425, Andrew Podnieks, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,