1987–88 New York Rangers season
| 1987–88 New York Rangers | |
|---|---|
| Division | 5th Patrick |
| Conference | T-7th Wales |
| 1987–88 record | 36–34–10 |
| Goals for | 300 |
| Goals against | 283 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Phil Esposito |
| Coach | Michel Bergeron |
| Captain |
Ron Greschner (Oct–Dec) Kelly Kisio (Dec–Apr) |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Walt Poddubny (38) |
| Assists | Kelly Kisio (55) |
| Points | Walt Poddubny (88) |
| Penalties in minutes | Michel Petit (223) |
| Wins | John Vanbiesbrouck (27) |
| Goals against average | John Vanbiesbrouck (3.38) |
The 1987–88 New York Rangers season was the 62nd season for the team in the National Hockey League. The Rangers compiled a 36–34–10 record during the regular season, 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.
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.
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.
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.
The Rangers failed to qualify for the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs. They finished with 82 points, the same as the New Jersey Devils. However, the Devils had 38 wins to the Rangers' 36. Since wins are the first tiebreaker, the Devils qualified for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division. After a 6–6 tie against the Winnipeg Jets in the second-to-last game of the season, the Rangers and Devils went into the final game of the season with 80 points each. If the Rangers and Devils won, the Devils would go to the playoffs on the tiebreaker. 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.
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