1976–77 New York Rangers season

NHL hockey team season

1976–77 New York Rangers
Division4th Patrick
Conference5th Campbell
1976–77 record29–37–14
Goals for272
Goals against310
Team information
General managerJohn Ferguson
CoachJohn Ferguson
CaptainPhil Esposito
Alternate captainsNone
ArenaMadison Square Garden
Team leaders
GoalsPhil Esposito (34)
AssistsRod Gilbert (48)
PointsPhil Esposito (80)
Penalty minutesNick Fotiu (174)
WinsJohn Davidson (14)
Goals against averageDoug Soetaert (2.95)

The 1976–77 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 51st season. The Rangers placed fourth in the Patrick Division and did not qualify for the playoffs. The Rangers had a better regular season record than two playoff teams and the league would change the rules in the following season to place the top twelve teams in the playoffs, regardless of division.

Regular season

Season standings

Patrick Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
Philadelphia Flyers 80 48 16 16 323 213 112
New York Islanders 80 47 21 12 288 193 106
Atlanta Flames 80 34 34 12 264 265 80
New York Rangers 80 29 37 14 272 310 72

[1]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.

Record vs. opponents

Patrick Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Campbell Conference

Vs. Wales Conference

Vs. Patrick Division

1976–77 NHL records
Team ATL NYI NYR PHI Total
Atlanta — 0–6 4–1–1 2–2–2 6–9–3
N.Y. Islanders 6–0 — 4–1–1 3–2–1 13–3–2
N.Y. Rangers 1–4–1 1–4–1 — 0–2–4 2–10–6
Philadelphia 2–2–2 2–3–1 2–0–4 — 6–5–7

Vs. Smythe Division

1976–77 NHL records
Team CHI COL MIN STL VAN Total
Atlanta 3–2 3–1–1 2–1–2 4–1 1–3–1 13–8–4
N.Y. Islanders 3–1–1 5–0 3–1–1 3–1–1 4–1 18–4–3
N.Y. Rangers 2–2–1 3–1–1 5–0 2–2–1 3–2 15–7–3
Philadelphia 3–0–2 5–0 3–0–2 5–0 4–0–1 20–0–5

Vs. Adams Division

1976–77 NHL records
Team BOS BUF CLE TOR Total
Atlanta 2–2 1–2–1 1–2–1 1–4 5–10–2
N.Y. Islanders 2–1–1 3–1–1 3–0–1 1–2–1 9–4–4
N.Y. Rangers 0–4–1 0–4 3–0–1 2–1–1 5–9–3
Philadelphia 3–1 2–2 3–1–1 2–1–1 10–5–2

Vs. Norris Division

1976–77 NHL records[2]
Team DET LAK MTL PIT WSH Total
Atlanta 2–1–1 2–2 0–3–1 3–0–1 3–1 10–7–3
N.Y. Islanders 2–2 2–2 0–4 2–2 1–0–3 7–10–3
N.Y. Rangers 3–1 0–3–1 1–3 1–2–1 2–2 7–11–2
Philadelphia 3–1 4–0 0–4 3–1 2–0–2 12–6–2


Schedule and results

1976–77 Game Log
October: 5–7–1 (Home: 2–5–0; Road: 3–2–1)
Game October Opponent Score Record
1 6 Minnesota North Stars 6–5 1–0–0
2 8 @ Colorado Rockies 5–3 2–0–0
3 9 @ St. Louis Blues 2–1 2–1–0
4 12 @ Minnesota North Stars 10–4 3–1–0
5 13 Boston Bruins 5–1 3–2–0
6 16 @ Montreal Canadiens 7–4 3–3–0
7 17 Colorado Rockies 4–3 4–3–0
8 20 Los Angeles Kings 4–2 4–4–0
9 24 Vancouver Canucks 5–4 4–5–0
10 26 @ Cleveland Barons 5–2 5–5–0
11 27 Boston Bruins 4–3 5–6–0
12 30 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 2–2 5–6–1
13 31 Detroit Red Wings 6–5 5–7–1
November: 5–4–3 (Home: 2–3–0; Road: 3–1–3)
Game November Opponent Score Record
14 3 @ Vancouver Canucks 6–1 6–7–1
15 6 @ Los Angeles Kings 3–3 6–7–2
16 10 Washington Capitals 7–5 6–8–2
17 13 Buffalo Sabres 6–2 6–9–2
18 14 Pittsburgh Penguins 5–1 6–10–2
19 17 Chicago Black Hawks 3–2 7–10–2
20 20 @ St. Louis Blues 3–1 7–11–2
21 22 @ Vancouver Canucks 3–2 8–11–2
22 24 @ Philadelphia Flyers 2–2 8–11–3
23 27 @ Detroit Red Wings 5–0 9–11–3
24 28 Minnesota North Stars 4–1 10–11–3
25 30 @ Atlanta Flames 2–2 10–11–4
December: 5–4–6 (Home: 3–2–3; Road: 2–2–3)
Game December Opponent Score Record
26 1 Washington Capitals 4–1 11–11–4
27 4 @ Minnesota North Stars 11–4 12–11–4
28 5 Toronto Maple Leafs 5–5 12–11–5
29 8 St. Louis Blues 4–4 12–11–6
30 11 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 4–1 12–12–6
31 12 Montreal Canadiens 5–2 13–12–6
32 14 @ New York Islanders 4–4 13–12–7
33 16 @ Buffalo Sabres 7–2 13–13–7
34 18 @ Chicago Black Hawks 3–3 13–13–8
35 19 Cleveland Barons 3–2 14–13–8
36 22 Philadelphia Flyers 3–3 14–13–9
37 23 @ Boston Bruins 3–3 14–13–10
38 26 New York Islanders 2–1 14–14–10
39 28 @ Washington Capitals 5–2 15–14–10
40 31 Atlanta Flames 4–2 15–15–10
January: 3–6–3 (Home: 2–2–1; Road: 1–4–2)
Game January Opponent Score Record
41 2 Vancouver Canucks 5–3 16–15–10
42 5 Philadelphia Flyers 4–4 16–15–11
43 7 @ Colorado Rockies 4–4 16–15–12
44 9 Los Angeles Kings 5–4 16–16–12
45 12 @ Atlanta Flames 6–1 16–17–12
46 13 @ Buffalo Sabres 7–5 16–18–12
47 16 @ Chicago Black Hawks 5–2 17–18–12
48 19 @ Cleveland Barons 3–3 17–18–13
49 22 @ Los Angeles Kings 6–0 17–19–13
50 23 @ Vancouver Canucks 6–2 17–20–13
51 27 Pittsburgh Penguins 3–0 17–21–13
52 30 St. Louis Blues 5–2 18–21–13
February: 5–7–0 (Home: 3–2–0; Road: 2–5–0)
Game February Opponent Score Record
53 1 @ Colorado Rockies 5–2 18–22–13
54 3 @ New York Islanders 6–3 18–23–13
55 6 New York Islanders 4–0 19–23–13
56 9 Buffalo Sabres 2–1 19–24–13
57 10 @ Detroit Red Wings 5–4 20–24–13
58 13 Toronto Maple Leafs 8–3 21–24–13
59 17 @ Philadelphia Flyers 7–1 21–25–13
60 19 @ New York Islanders 5–2 21–26–13
61 20 Detroit Red Wings 3–2 22–26–13
62 23 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 5–4 23–26–13
63 26 @ Chicago Black Hawks 2–1 23–27–13
64 27 Montreal Canadiens 8–1 23–28–13
March: 6–7–1 (Home: 5–3–1; Road: 1–4–0)
Game March Opponent Score Record
65 3 Boston Bruins 4–1 23–29–13
66 5 @ Montreal Canadiens 7–2 23–30–13
67 6 Cleveland Barons 4–3 24–30–13
68 9 Minnesota North Stars 6–4 25–30–13
69 10 @ Boston Bruins 10–3 25–31–13
70 12 @ Atlanta Flames 6–3 25–32–13
71 13 Atlanta Flames 5–3 25–33–13
72 16 Philadelphia Flyers 4–4 25–33–14
73 19 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 5–2 26–33–14
74 20 St. Louis Blues 5–3 27–33–14
75 23 Colorado Rockies 5–3 28–33–14
76 25 @ Washington Capitals 7–2 28–34–14
77 27 Chicago Black Hawks 5–3 28–35–14
78 30 Atlanta Flames 4–3 29–35–14
April: 0–2–0 (Home: 0–1–0; Road: 0–1–0)
Game April Opponent Score Record
79 2 @ Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 29–36–14
80 3 New York Islanders 5–2 29–37–14

Playoffs

The Rangers failed to qualify for the 1977 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Player statistics

Skaters
Regular Season
Player GP G A Pts PIM
Phil Esposito 80 34 46 80 52
Rod Gilbert 77 27 48 75 50
Ken Hodge 78 21 41 62 43
Don Murdoch 59 32 24 56 47
Steve Vickers 75 22 31 53 26
Walt Tkaczuk 80 12 38 50 38
Carol Vadnais 74 11 37 48 131
Ron Greschner 80 11 36 47 89
Wayne Dillon 78 17 29 46 33
Mike McEwen 80 14 29 43 38
Pat Hickey 80 23 17 40 35
Greg Polis 77 16 23 39 44
Bill Goldsworthy† 61 10 12 22 43
Dave Maloney 66 3 18 21 100
Dave Farrish 80 2 17 19 102
Dan Newman 41 9 8 17 37
Pete Stemkowski 61 2 13 15 8
Nick Fotiu 70 4 8 12 174
Bill Fairbairn‡ 9 1 2 3 0
Mark Heaslip 19 1 0 1 31
Larry Huras 2 0 0 0 0
Larry Sacharuk 2 0 0 0 0
John Bednarski 5 0 0 0 0
Greg Holst 5 0 0 0 0
Nick Beverley‡ 9 0 0 0 2
Doug Jarrett 9 0 0 0 4

Goaltenders
Regular Season
Player GP TOI W L T GA GAA SO
Gilles Gratton 41 2034 11 18 7 143 4.22 0
John Davidson 39 2116 14 14 6 125 3.54 1
Doug Soetaert 12 570 3 4 1 28 2.95 1
Dave Tataryn 2 80 1 1 0 10 7.50 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.

[3]

Note:
Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

Draft picks

New York's picks at the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft in Montreal, Canada.

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 6 Don Murdoch RW  Canada Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL)
2 24 Dave Farrish D  Canada Sudbury Wolves (OHA)
3 42 Mike McEwen D  Canada Toronto Marlboros (OHA)
4 60 Claude Periard LW  Canada Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL)
5 78 Doug Caines C  Canada St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA)
6 96 Barry Scully RW  Canada Kingston Canadians (OHA)
7 112 Remi Levesque C  Canada Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

References

  1. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 151. ISBN 9781894801225.
  2. ^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  3. ^ "1976–77 New York Rangers". hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 8, 2010.

External links

  • Rangers on Hockey Database
  • v
  • t
  • e
1920s
1930s1940s1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Highlighted seasons indicate Stanley Cup championship