1976–77 New York Rangers season

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 for the second year in a row for the first time since the 1964–65 season and the 1965–66 season. 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

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 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

| 79 || 2 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 4–1 || 29–36–14

| 80 || 3 || New York Islanders || 5–2 || 29–37–14

Legend:

Player statistics Skaters

Regular season Player 80 34 46 80 52 77 27 48 75 50 78 21 41 62 43 59 32 24 56 47 75 22 31 53 26 80 12 38 50 38 74 11 37 48 131 80 11 36 47 89 78 17 29 46 33 80 14 29 43 38 80 23 17 40 35 77 16 23 39 44 † 61 10 12 22 43 66 3 18 21 100 80 2 17 19 102 41 9 8 17 37 61 2 13 15 8 70 4 8 12 174 ‡ 9 1 2 3 0 19 1 0 1 31 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 ‡ 9 0 0 0 2 9 0 0 0 4

Goaltenders Regular season Player 41 2034 11 18 7 143 4.22 0 39 2116 14 14 6 125 3.54 1 12 570 3 4 1 28 2.95 1 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.

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 Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL) 2 24 Dave Farrish D Sudbury Wolves (OHA) 3 42 Mike McEwen D Toronto Marlboros (OHA) 4 60 Claude Periard LW Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) 5 78 Doug Caines C St. Catharines Black Hawks (OHA) 6 96 Barry Scully RW Kingston Canadians (OHA) 7 112 Remi Levesque C Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

References

External links Rangers on Hockey Database