Wikipedia

1987–88 New York Rangers season

The 1987–88 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 62nd season. The Rangers compiled a 36–34–10 record during the regular season,[1] but despite having 82 points, they were eliminated from playoff contention after their last game when the New Jersey Devils beat the Chicago Blackhawks. This would be the only time in the 1980s in which the Rangers missed the playoffs.[2]

1987–88 New York Rangers
Division5th Patrick
ConferenceT-7th Wales
1987–88 record36–34–10
Goals for300
Goals against283
Team information
General managerPhil Esposito
CoachMichel Bergeron
CaptainRon Greschner (Oct–Dec)
Kelly Kisio (Dec–Apr)
ArenaMadison Square Garden
Team leaders
GoalsWalt Poddubny (38)
AssistsKelly Kisio (55)
PointsWalt Poddubny (88)
Penalty minutesMichel Petit (223)
WinsJohn Vanbiesbrouck (27)
Goals against averageJohn Vanbiesbrouck (3.38)

Offseason

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Rangers General Manager Phil Esposito was part of the four man committee that would select players and coaches for Team Canada at the 1987 Canada Cup.[3]

Regular season

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The Rangers led the league in power-play goals scored, with 111. They also scored the fewest short-handed goals during the regular season out of all 21 teams, with just 6.[4]

Final standings

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Patrick Division
GP W L T GF GA Pts
New York Islanders 80 39 31 10 308 267 88
Philadelphia Flyers 80 38 33 9 292 292 85
Washington Capitals 80 38 33 9 281 249 85
New Jersey Devils 80 38 36 6 295 296 82
New York Rangers 80 36 34 10 300 283 82
Pittsburgh Penguins 80 36 35 9 319 316 81

[5]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

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Patrick Division record vs. opponents

Vs. Wales Conference

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Vs. Campbell Conference

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Schedule and results

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1987–88 Game Log
October: 4–5–3 (Home: 2–3–2; Road: 2–2–1)
Game October Opponent Score Record
1 8 Pittsburgh Penguins 4 – 4 OT 0–0–1
2 10 @ Hartford Whalers 6–2 1–0–1
3 12 Minnesota North Stars 4–2 2–0–1
4 15 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 6 – 6 OT 2–0–2
5 17 @ Washington Capitals 4–3 2–1–2
6 19 Washington Capitals 4–2 2–2–2
7 21 Calgary Flames 5–4 2–3–2
8 23 Chicago Blackhawks 7–3 3–3–2
9 24 @ Philadelphia Flyers 5–3 4–3–2
10 26 Philadelphia Flyers 2 – 2 OT 4–3–3
11 28 Los Angeles Kings 4–3 4–4–3
12 31 @ New York Islanders 8–2 4–5–3
November: 4–8–0 (Home: 3–2–0; Road: 1–6–0)
Game November Opponent Score Record
13 1 Edmonton Oilers 7–6 4–6–3
14 3 @ Calgary Flames 5–3 4–7–3
15 4 @ Edmonton Oilers 7–2 4–8–3
16 7 @ Los Angeles Kings 5–4 4–9–3
17 10 New Jersey Devils 3–2 4–10–3
18 14 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 3 – 2 OT 4–11–3
19 15 Winnipeg Jets 6–4 5–11–3
20 19 @ Minnesota North Stars 4–3 5–12–3
21 20 @ Winnipeg Jets 4–3 6–12–3
22 25 Toronto Maple Leafs 5–3 7–12–3
23 28 @ New York Islanders 5–4 7–13–3
24 29 New York Islanders 3–1 8–13–3
December: 6–6–2 (Home: 4–2–1; Road: 2–4–1)
Game December Opponent Score Record
25 3 @ Boston Bruins 4–3 8–14–3
26 5 @ St. Louis Blues 3–2 9–14–3
27 9 Montreal Canadiens 2 – 2 OT 9–14–4
28 10 @ Philadelphia Flyers 5–3 9–15–4
29 12 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 9–16–4
30 14 Detroit Red Wings 4–3 10–16–4
31 16 New Jersey Devils 9–3 11–16–4
32 19 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 4–3 11–17–4
33 20 Pittsburgh Penguins 8–4 11–18–4
34 22 Philadelphia Flyers 6–4 11–19–4
35 26 @ New Jersey Devils 5–3 12–19–4
36 27 Boston Bruins 4–1 13–19–4
37 29 @ New York Islanders 3 – 3 OT 13–19–5
38 31 Quebec Nordiques 6–1 14–19–5
January: 6–6–1 (Home: 2–2–1; Road: 4–4–0)
Game January Opponent Score Record
39 2 @ Minnesota North Stars 5–3 15–19–5
40 4 St. Louis Blues 6–2 16–19–5
41 6 Vancouver Canucks 4–2 17–19–5
42 8 @ Washington Capitals 8–4 17–20–5
43 10 @ Buffalo Sabres 4–3 17–21–5
44 11 Chicago Blackhawks 2 – 2 OT 17–21–6
45 13 Detroit Red Wings 7–4 17–22–6
46 16 @ Montreal Canadiens 4–3 17–23–6
47 17 Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 17–24–6
48 19 @ Los Angeles Kings 6–3 17–25–6
49 22 @ Vancouver Canucks 6–3 18–25–6
50 28 @ Philadelphia Flyers 5–2 19–25–6
51 30 @ Boston Bruins 4–2 20–25–6
February: 7–4–2 (Home: 5–2–1; Road: 2–2–1)
Game February Opponent Score Record
52 2 @ New York Islanders 2 – 2 OT 20–25–7
53 4 @ Quebec Nordiques 3–2 20–26–7
54 6 @ Washington Capitals 3–0 21–26–7
55 7 Pittsburgh Penguins 6–3 22–26–7
56 11 Washington Capitals 5–3 22–27–7
57 14 New York Islanders 4 – 4 OT 22–27–8
58 15 Montreal Canadiens 3–1 23–27–8
59 17 Calgary Flames 5–3 24–27–8
60 19 @ New Jersey Devils 6–3 24–28–8
61 21 Vancouver Canucks 6–4 24–29–8
62 25 Pittsburgh Penguins 2–1 25–29–8
63 26 @ New Jersey Devils 2–1 26–29–8
64 29 St. Louis Blues 5–2 27–29–8
March: 8–5–1 (Home: 5–2–0; Road: 3–3–1)
Game March Opponent Score Record
65 2 New York Islanders 3–1 28–29–8
66 4 @ Buffalo Sabres 6–3 28–30–8
67 5 @ Hartford Whalers 3–1 28–31–8
68 8 New Jersey Devils 7–4 29–31–8
69 12 @ Washington Capitals 4–2 30–31–8
70 15 Philadelphia Flyers 3–1 31–31–8
71 16 Washington Capitals 8–4 31–32–8
72 19 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 4–3 32–32–8
73 20 Hartford Whalers 2–1 33–32–8
74 22 Buffalo Sabres 3–2 33–33–8
75 24 Edmonton Oilers 6–1 34–33–8
76 26 @ Detroit Red Wings 4 – 4 OT 34–33–9
77 27 @ New Jersey Devils 7–2 34–34–9
78 30 @ Chicago Blackhawks 4–3 35–34–9
April: 1–0–1 (Home: 1–0–0; Road: 0–0–1)
Game April Opponent Score Record
79 1 @ Winnipeg Jets 6 – 6 OT 35–34–10
80 3 Quebec Nordiques 3–0 36–34–10

Playoffs

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The Rangers failed to qualify for the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs.[4] After a 6–6 tie against the Winnipeg Jets in the second-to-last game of the season,[7] the Rangers and New Jersey Devils entered their final game of the season with 80 points each. If the Rangers and Devils won, the Devils would go to the playoffs on a tiebreaker.[8] The Rangers defeated the Quebec Nordiques 3–0. Later that night, however, the Devils defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime to win the tiebreaker and the final Patrick Division spot. Both the Rangers and Devils finished tied with 82 points. However, the Devils had 38 wins to the Rangers' 36, so the Devils qualified for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division.[4][9][10]

Player statistics

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Skaters
Goaltenders
Regular Season
Player GP TOI W L T GA GAA SA SV% SO
John Vanbiesbrouck 56 3319 27 22 7 187 3.38 1697 .890 2
Bob Froese 25 1443 8 11 3 85 3.53 695 .878 0
Ron Scott 2 90 1 1 0 6 4.00 41 .854 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.

[11]

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;

Awards and records

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Transactions

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Draft picks

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New York's picks at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft in Detroit, Michigan at the Joe Louis Arena.[12][13]

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
1 10 Jayson More D   Canada New Westminster Bruins (WHL)
2 31 Daniel Lacroix LW   Canada Granby Bisons (QMJHL)
3 46 Simon Gagne RW   Canada Laval Titan (QMJHL)
4 69 Mike Sullivan C   United States Boston University (NCAA)
5 94 Eric O'Borsky C   United States Yale University (NCAA)
6 115 Ludek Cajka D   Czechoslovakia Dukla Jihlava (Czech Extraliga)
7 136 Clint Thomas D   United States Bartlett H.S. (Alaska)
8 157 Chuck Wiegand RW   United States Essex Junction H.S. (Vermont)
9 178 Eric Burrill RW   United States Tartan H.S. (Massachusetts)
10 199 Dave Porter F   United States Northern Michigan University (NCAA)
10 205 Brett Barnett LW   Canada Wexford Raiders (OPJHL)
11 220 Lance Marciano D   United States Choate Academy (Connecticut)

Supplemental Draft

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New York's picks at the 1987 NHL Supplemental Draft.[14]

Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)
2 12 Joe Lockwood RW   United States University of Michigan (CCHA)

Farm teams

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1987–88 New York Rangers Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  2. ^ "New York Rangers Franchise Index". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  3. ^ Gretzky to Lemieux: The Story of the 1987 Canada Cup, p.8, Ed Willies, McLelland and Stewart, Toronto, Canada, 2007, ISBN 978-0-7710-8942-8
  4. ^ a b c "1987–88 NHL Season Summary". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved March 3, 2012.
  5. ^ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.
  6. ^ "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  7. ^ Elliott, Helene (April 2, 1988). "A Point Not Well-Taken: Tie against Jets puts Rangers at mercy of the Devils". Newsday. p. 31.
  8. ^ Hafner, Dan (April 3, 1988). "NHL Roundup: Devils Need One More Win to Gain Playoffs". Los Angeles Times. p. 9.
  9. ^ Masi, Vince (April 9, 2011). "Drama in New York NHL season finales". ESPN. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  10. ^ Hafner, Dan (April 4, 1988). "NHL Roundup: Devils Need Overtime to Make the Playoffs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  11. ^ "1987–88 New York Rangers". hockeydb.com. Retrieved August 8, 2010.
  12. ^ "1987 NHL Entry Draft". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  13. ^ "NHL Draft History". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on January 28, 2001. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  14. ^ "1987 NHL Supplemental Draft". hockeydb.com. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
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