1973–74 New York Rangers season explained

The 1973–74 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 48th season.^[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]

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

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

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

Playoffs

Key: Win Loss

Player statistics

Skaters

Regular Season

Player
	78	25	57	82	148
	75	36	41	77	20
	78	25	45	70	74
	68	28	39	67	16
	71	21	42	63	58
	78	18	44	62	12
	75	34	24	58	18
	77	27	28	55	75
	72	10	41	51	4
	75	26	20	46	105
	66	17	27	44	6
	68	7	23	30	32
†	46	2	17	19	28
	26	6	10	16	24
	48	3	12	15	56
	63	2	12	14	25
	72	4	7	11	38
	23	2	4	6	4
‡	29	1	5	6	15
‡	12	1	3	4	6
†	28	1	3	4	6
‡	16	2	1	3	0
‡	14	1	2	3	4
	5	1	1	2	2
‡	2	0	0	0	0
†‡	7	0	0	0	0

Playoffs

Player
	13	6	6	12	35
	13	4	8	12	38
	13	1	8	9	23
	12	1	8	9	4
	13	6	2	8	2
	13	3	5	8	16
	13	4	4	8	17
	13	3	5	8	6
	13	3	5	8	4
	13	2	4	6	0
	13	0	5	5	22
	11	3	0	3	14
	12	0	2	2	25
	13	0	2	2	19
	8	1	0	1	4
	12	0	1	1	4
	12	0	1	1	6
	6	1	0	1	0

Goaltenders

Regular Season

Player
	56	3286	30	15	10	168	3.07	5
	21	1054	7	7	3	62	3.53	0
	6	340	3	2	1	18	3.18	0

Playoffs

Player
	13	788	7	6	37	2.82	0
	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.

^[6]

Draft picks

New York's picks at the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft in Montreal, Canada.^{[7] [8]}

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: New York Rangers. Hockey-Reference. 2019-06-20.
2. Web site: 1973–74 New York Rangers Roster and Statistics. Hockey-Reference. 2010-09-04.
3. Web site: 1974 NHL Playoff Summary. Hockey-Reference. 2010-09-04.
4. Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball, pp.47–48, Bill Madden, Harper Collins Publishing, New York, 2010,
5. News: War hero dies. The Bryan Times. United Press International. 1987-02-06. 2010-09-04.
6. Web site: hockeydb.com . 2010-08-08 . 1973–74 New York Rangers .
7. Web site: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. Hockey-Reference. 2012-04-21.
8. Web site: NHL Draft History . National Hockey League . 2017-06-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20010128131400/http://nhl.com/futures/drafthistory.html . 2001-01-28 .