1973–74 New York Rangers season

The 1973–74 New York Rangers season was the 48th season for the team in the National Hockey League (NHL).[1] The Rangers compiled 94 points during the regular season and finished third in the East Division.[2] The team made the Stanley Cup playoffs, where New York defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–2 in the quarter-finals. The Rangers then lost in a seven-game semi-finals series to the Philadelphia Flyers, who went on to win the Stanley Cup that season.[3]

1973–74 New York Rangers
Division	3rd East
1973–74 record	40–24–14
Goals for	300
Goals against	251
Team information
General Manager	Emile Francis
Coach	Larry Popein Emile Francis
Captain	Vic Hadfield
Alternate captains	Brad Park
Arena	Madison Square Garden
Team leaders
Goals	Rod Gilbert (36)
Assists	Brad Park (57)
Points	Brad Park (82)
Penalty minutes	Brad Park (148)
Wins	Ed Giacomin (30)
Goals against average	Ed Giacomin (3.07)

Offseason

• On July 27, 1973, E. Michael Burke handed in his resignation to the New York Yankees, so that he could become president of Madison Square Garden.[4] This would make Burke the president of the New York Rangers hockey club and the New York Knicks basketball club.[5]

Regular season

Final standings

East Division[6]

		GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	DIFF	Pts
1	Boston Bruins	78	52	17	9	349	221	+128	113
2	Montreal Canadiens	78	45	24	9	293	240	+53	99
3	New York Rangers	78	40	24	14	300	251	+49	94
4	Toronto Maple Leafs	78	35	27	16	274	230	+44	86
5	Buffalo Sabres	78	32	34	12	242	250	−8	76
6	Detroit Red Wings	78	29	39	10	255	319	−64	68
7	Vancouver Canucks	78	24	43	11	224	296	−72	59
8	New York Islanders	78	19	41	18	182	247	−65	56

Schedule and results

1973–74 Game Log
October: 3–4–2 (Home: 2–2–1; Road: 1–2–1) Game October Opponent Score Record 1 10 Detroit Red Wings 4–1 1–0–0 2 13 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 8–2 2–0–0 3 14 Los Angeles Kings 1–1 2–0–1 4 17 St. Louis Blues 4–0 3–0–1 5 20 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 3–2 3–1–1 6 21 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 3–2–1 7 27 @ New York Islanders 3–2 3–3–1 8 28 Pittsburgh Penguins 7–2 3–4–1 9 30 @ Vancouver Canucks 3–3 3–4–2
November: 7–3–4 (Home: 5–0–2; Road: 2–3–2) Game November Opponent Score Record 10 1 @ Los Angeles Kings 2–1 3–5–2 11 4 @ Chicago Black Hawks 4–1 3–6–2 12 7 Boston Bruins 7–3 4–6–2 13 9 @ Atlanta Flames 3–3 4–6–3 14 11 New York Islanders 5–2 5–6–3 15 14 Chicago Black Hawks 4–4 5–6–4 16 15 @ Boston Bruins 10–2 5–7–4 17 17 @ Minnesota North Stars 6–3 6–7–4 18 18 Pittsburgh Penguins 7–0 7–7–4 19 21 California Golden Seals 3–0 8–7–4 20 22 @ Buffalo Sabres 7–6 9–7–4 21 24 Los Angeles Kings 5–5 9–7–5 22 25 Vancouver Canucks 5–0 10–7–5 23 29 @ Philadelphia Flyers 2–2 10–7–6
December: 7–4–3 (Home: 6–1–1; Road: 1–3–2) Game December Opponent Score Record 24 1 @ St. Louis Blues 4–4 10–7–7 25 2 Toronto Maple Leafs 6–4 11–7–7 26 5 St. Louis Blues 5–1 12–7–7 27 6 @ Buffalo Sabres 8–4 12–8–7 28 9 California Golden Seals 6–3 13–8–7 29 12 Buffalo Sabres 1–1 13–8–8 30 15 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 2–2 13–8–9 31 16 Chicago Black Hawks 6–1 13–9–9 32 20 Detroit Red Wings 5–2 14–9–9 33 22 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 4–1 15–9–9 34 23 @ Atlanta Flames 3–1 15–10–9 35 26 Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 16–10–9 36 29 @ Montreal Canadiens 7–1 16–11–9 37 30 Minnesota North Stars 4–3 17–11–9
January: 7–4–1 (Home: 3–1–0; Road: 4–3–1) Game January Opponent Score Record 38 3 @ Philadelphia Flyers 4–2 17–12–9 39 4 Boston Bruins 4–2 17–13–9 40 6 Atlanta Flames 5–2 18–13–9 41 10 @ Buffalo Sabres 7–2 18–14–9 42 12 @ Vancouver Canucks 6–1 19–14–9 43 13 @ California Golden Seals 7–2 20–14–9 44 16 @ Detroit Red Wings 4–4 20–14–10 45 17 @ St. Louis Blues 3–2 20–15–10 46 19 @ Chicago Black Hawks 3–2 21–15–10 47 23 Atlanta Flames 4–1 22–15–10 48 27 Los Angeles Kings 5–3 23–15–10 49 30 @ Pittsburgh Penguins 4–2 24–15–10
February: 8–1–2 (Home: 4–0–1; Road: 4–1–1) Game February Opponent Score Record 50 2 @ Minnesota North Stars 3–1 25–15–10 51 3 Minnesota North Stars 5–5 25–15–11 52 6 New York Islanders 6–0 26–15–11 53 9 @ Montreal Canadiens 7–2 26–16–11 54 10 St. Louis Blues 4–2 27–16–11 55 14 @ Philadelphia Flyers 4–4 27–16–12 56 16 @ Vancouver Canucks 9–4 28–16–12 57 21 @ Los Angeles Kings 5–3 29–16–12 58 22 @ California Golden Seals 4–3 30–16–12 59 24 Philadelphia Flyers 3–2 31–16–12 60 27 Vancouver Canucks 4–2 32–16–12
March: 6–7–2 (Home: 4–3–1; Road: 2–4–1) Game March Opponent Score Record 61 2 @ Minnesota North Stars 3–1 33–16–12 62 3 California Golden Seals 8–2 34–16–12 63 6 Montreal Canadiens 9–2 35–16–12 64 9 @ Montreal Canadiens 4–2 35–17–12 65 10 New York Islanders 4–2 36–17–12 66 14 Chicago Black Hawks 5–2 36–18–12 67 16 @ New York Islanders 3–1 37–18–12 68 17 @ Boston Bruins 5–2 37–19–12 69 20 Vancouver Canucks 7–5 37–20–12 70 21 @ Atlanta Flames 5–5 37–20–13 71 23 @ Detroit Red Wings 5–3 37–21–13 72 24 Buffalo Sabres 5–3 38–21–13 73 27 Boston Bruins 3–2 38–22–13 74 30 @ Toronto Maple Leafs 7–3 38–23–13 75 31 Toronto Maple Leafs 3–3 38–23–14
April: 2–1–0 (Home: 2–0–0; Road: 0–1–0) Game April Opponent Score Record 76 3 Detroit Red Wings 5–3 39–23–14 77 6 @ Detroit Red Wings 8–3 39–24–14 78 7 Montreal Canadiens 6–4 40–24–14

Playoffs

Key:      Win      Loss

1974 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Quarter-finals: vs. Montreal Canadiens – New York Rangers win series 4–2 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Series 1 April 10 New York Rangers 4–1 Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers lead series 1–0 2 April 11 New York Rangers 1–4 Montreal Canadiens Series tied 1–1 3 April 13 Montreal Canadiens 4–2 New York Rangers Montreal leads series 2–1 4 April 14 Montreal Canadiens 4–6 New York Rangers Series tied 2–2 5 April 16 New York Rangers 3–2 Montreal Canadiens OT New York Rangers lead series 3–2 6 April 18 Montreal Canadiens 2–5 New York Rangers New York Rangers win series 4–2 Semi-finals: vs. Philadelphia Flyers – Philadelphia wins series 4–3 # Date Visitor Score Home OT Series 1 April 20 New York Rangers 0–4 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia leads series 1–0 2 April 23 New York Rangers 2–5 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia leads series 2–0 3 April 25 Philadelphia Flyers 3–5 New York Rangers Philadelphia leads series 2–1 4 April 28 Philadelphia Flyers 1–2 New York Rangers OT Series tied 2–2 5 April 30 New York Rangers 1–4 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia leads series 3–2 6 May 2 Philadelphia Flyers 1–4 New York Rangers Series tied 3–3 7 May 5 New York Rangers 3–4 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia wins series 4–2

Player statistics

Skaters

Regular Season Player GP G A Pts PIM Brad Park 78 25 57 82 148 Rod Gilbert 75 36 41 77 20 Pete Stemkowski 78 25 45 70 74 Jean Ratelle 68 28 39 67 16 Walt Tkaczuk 71 21 42 63 58 Bill Fairbairn 78 18 44 62 12 Steve Vickers 75 34 24 58 18 Vic Hadfield 77 27 28 55 75 Bobby Rousseau 72 10 41 51 4 Ted Irvine 75 26 20 46 105 Bruce MacGregor 66 17 27 44 6 Rod Seiling 68 7 23 30 32 Gilles Marotte^† 46 2 17 19 28 Jerry Butler 26 6 10 16 24 Dale Rolfe 48 3 12 15 56 Ron Harris 63 2 12 14 25 Jim Neilson 72 4 7 11 38 Larry Sacharuk 23 2 4 6 4 Gene Carr^‡ 29 1 5 6 15 Sheldon Kannegiesser^‡ 12 1 3 4 6 Jack Egers^† 28 1 3 4 6 Mike Murphy^‡ 16 2 1 3 0 Tom Williams^‡ 14 1 2 3 4 Bert Wilson 5 1 1 2 2 Glen Sather^‡ 2 0 0 0 0 Real Lemieux^†‡ 7 0 0 0 0

Playoffs Player GP G A Pts PIM Pete Stemkowski 13 6 6 12 35 Brad Park 13 4 8 12 38 Dale Rolfe 13 1 8 9 23 Bobby Rousseau 12 1 8 9 4 Bruce MacGregor 13 6 2 8 2 Ted Irvine 13 3 5 8 16 Steve Vickers 13 4 4 8 17 Bill Fairbairn 13 3 5 8 6 Rod Gilbert 13 3 5 8 4 Jean Ratelle 13 2 4 6 0 Walt Tkaczuk 13 0 5 5 22 Ron Harris 11 3 0 3 14 Jerry Butler 12 0 2 2 25 Rod Seiling 13 0 2 2 19 Jack Egers 8 1 0 1 4 Jim Neilson 12 0 1 1 4 Gilles Marotte 12 0 1 1 6 Vic Hadfield 6 1 0 1 0

Goaltenders

Regular Season

Player	GP	TOI	W	L	T	GA	GAA	SO
Ed Giacomin	56	3286	30	15	10	168	3.07	5
Gilles Villemure	21	1054	7	7	3	62	3.53	0
Peter McDuffe	6	340	3	2	1	18	3.18	0

Playoffs

Player	GP	TOI	W	L	GA	GAA	SO
Ed Giacomin	13	788	7	6	37	2.82	0
Gilles Villemure	1	1	0	0	0	0.00	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.

[7]

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

Transactions

Roster

Draft picks

New York's picks at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[8][9]

Round	#	Player	Position	Nationality	College/Junior/Club Team (League)
1	14	Rick Middleton	RW	Canada	Oshawa Generals (OHA)
2	30	Pat Hickey	LW	Canada	Hamilton Red Wings (OHA)
3	46	John Campbell	LW	Canada	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHA)
4	62	Brian Molvik	D	Canada	Calgary Centennials (WCHL)
5	78	Pierre Laganiere	RW	Canada	Sherbrooke Beavers (QMJHL)
6	94	Dwayne Pentland	D	CAN	Brandon Wheat Kings (WCHL)

Farm teams

References

1. "New York Rangers". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved 2019-06-20.
2. "1973–74 New York Rangers Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
3. "1974 NHL Playoff Summary". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
4. Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball, pp.47–48, Bill Madden, Harper Collins Publishing, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-06-169031-0
5. "War hero dies". The Bryan Times. United Press International. 1987-02-06. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
6. "1973–1974 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
7. "1973–74 New York Rangers". hockeydb.com. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
8. "1973 NHL Amateur Draft". Hockey-Reference. Retrieved 2012-04-21.
9. "NHL Draft History". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2001-01-28. Retrieved 2017-06-15.

External links