1976–77 New York Rangers season

1976–77 New York Rangers
Division	4th Patrick
Conference	5th Campbell
1976–77 record	29–37–14
Goals for	272
Goals against	310
Team information
General manager	John Ferguson
Coach	John Ferguson
Captain	Phil Esposito
Alternate captains	None
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Team leaders
Goals	Phil Esposito (34)
Assists	Rod Gilbert (48)
Points	Phil Esposito (80)
Penalty minutes	Nick Fotiu (174)
Wins	John Davidson (14)
Goals against average	Doug 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

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 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.

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)

External links

• Rangers on Hockey Database