1988–89 New York Rangers season

The 1988–89 New York Rangers season was the franchise's 63rd season. The team returned to the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons. A major storyline of the season was Guy Lafleur's comeback from retirement.

Regular season

Guy Lafleur After being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Guy Lafleur returned to the NHL during the 1988–89 season with the New York Rangers. Lafleur remained one of the few players that did not wear protective helmets due to the Grandfather clause. A highlight of Lafleur's season was the opportunity to be on the same team with Marcel Dionne. During his first game back in the Montreal Forum, he scored twice against Patrick Roy during the Rangers' 7–5 loss to the Canadiens. Although his high-scoring days were well behind him, his stint with the Rangers was moderately successful and he helped the team to first place in the Patrick Division until being knocked out by a knee injury. The Rangers would finish the season in third place.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

| 1 || 6 || @ Chicago Blackhawks || 2 – 2 OT || 0–0–1

| 2 || 8 || @ St. Louis Blues || 4 – 2 || 1–0–1

| 3 || 10 || New Jersey Devils || 5 – 0 || 1–1–1

| 4 || 12 || Hartford Whalers || 4 – 3 || 1–2–1

| 5 || 16 || Vancouver Canucks || 3 – 2 || 2–2–1

| 6 || 19 || Washington Capitals || 5 – 1 || 3–2–1

| 7 || 21 || @ Washington Capitals || 4 – 1 || 4–2–1

| 8 || 23 || Quebec Nordiques || 8 – 2 || 5–2–1

| 9 || 26 || Philadelphia Flyers || 4 – 3 || 6–2–1

| 10 || 29 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 6 – 5 || 7–2–1

| 11 || 30 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 9 – 2 || 8–2–1

| 12 || 2 || @ Buffalo Sabres || 6 – 4 || 8–3–1

| 13 || 6 || @ New Jersey Devils || 6 – 5 || 8–4–1

| 14 || 8 || @ New York Islanders || 4 – 3 || 8–5–1

| 15 || 9 || Philadelphia Flyers || 5 – 3 || 9–5–1

| 16 || 11 || Boston Bruins || 4 – 4 OT || 9–5–2

| 17 || 13 || Detroit Red Wings || 5 – 3 || 9–6–2

| 18 || 15 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 3 – 3 OT || 9–6–3

| 19 || 17 || @ Los Angeles Kings || 6 – 5 || 10–6–3

| 20 || 19 || @ Minnesota North Stars || 4 – 1 || 11–6–3

| 21 || 21 || Montreal Canadiens || 4 – 2 || 11–7–3

| 22 || 23 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 8 – 2 || 11–8–3

| 23 || 26 || @ New York Islanders || 6 – 4 || 12–8–3

| 24 || 27 || New York Islanders || 5 – 3 || 13–8–3

| 25 || 29 || @ Winnipeg Jets || 4 – 3 || 14–8–3

| 26 || 1 || @ Calgary Flames || 6 – 3 || 14–9–3

| 27 || 4 || @ Edmonton Oilers || 10 – 6 || 14–10–3

| 28 || 6 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 5 – 3 || 15–10–3

| 29 || 8 || @ Hartford Whalers || 5 – 4 || 15–11–3

| 30 || 10 || @ Boston Bruins || 1 – 1 OT || 15–11–4

| 31 || 12 || Los Angeles Kings || 5 – 2 || 15–12–4

| 32 || 14 || New York Islanders || 2 – 1 || 16–12–4

| 33 || 17 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 6 – 3 || 16–13–4

| 34 || 19 || Washington Capitals || 3 – 1 || 17–13–4

| 35 || 21 || Buffalo Sabres || 5 – 2 || 17–14–4

| 36 || 23 || @ Washington Capitals || 2 – 2 OT || 17–14–5

| 37 || 26 || New Jersey Devils || 5 – 1 || 18–14–5

| 38 || 27 || @ New Jersey Devils || 7 – 5 || 19–14–5

| 39 || 31 || Chicago Blackhawks || 4 – 1 || 20–14–5

| 40 || 2 || Hartford Whalers || 5 – 4 || 21–14–5

| 41 || 4 || Washington Capitals || 3 – 3 OT || 21–14–6

| 42 || 7 || @ New York Islanders || 5 – 1 || 22–14–6

| 43 || 9 || New Jersey Devils || 5 – 4 || 22–15–6

| 44 || 14 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 4 – 4 OT || 22–15–7

| 45 || 15 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 6 – 4 || 23–15–7

| 46 || 18 || @ Chicago Blackhawks || 6 – 4 || 24–15–7

| 47 || 19 || @ St. Louis Blues || 5 – 0 || 25–15–7

| 48 || 21 || @ Vancouver Canucks || 5 – 4 OT || 26–15–7

| 49 || 23 || @ Edmonton Oilers || 3 – 2 || 27–15–7

| 50 || 26 || @ Calgary Flames || 5 – 3 || 27–16–7

| 51 || 28 || @ Toronto Maple Leafs || 1 – 1 OT || 27–16–8

| 52 || 30 || New York Islanders || 7 – 3 || 28–16–8

| 53 || 1 || Washington Capitals || 4 – 3 OT || 28–17–8

| 54 || 4 || @ Montreal Canadiens || 7 – 5 || 28–18–8

| 55 || 5 || Minnesota North Stars || 5 – 3 || 28–19–8

| 56 || 9 || Winnipeg Jets || 4 – 3 || 29–19–8

| 57 || 12 || Edmonton Oilers || 3 – 1 || 29–20–8

| 58 || 14 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 3 – 1 || 29–21–8

| 59 || 17 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 10 – 6 || 29–22–8

| 60 || 18 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5 – 3 || 30–22–8

| 61 || 20 || New Jersey Devils || 7 – 4 || 31–22–8

| 62 || 22 || Philadelphia Flyers || 6 – 4 || 31–23–8

| 63 || 25 || @ Quebec Nordiques || 7 – 2 || 32–23–8

| 64 || 27 || Los Angeles Kings || 6 – 4 || 33–23–8

| 65 || 1 || Toronto Maple Leafs || 7 – 4 || 34–23–8

| 66 || 3 || @ New Jersey Devils || 6 – 3 || 34–24–8

| 67 || 5 || Boston Bruins || 5 – 0 || 34–25–8

| 68 || 8 || Buffalo Sabres || 2 – 0 || 34–26–8

| 69 || 9 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 3 – 2 || 34–27–8

| 70 || 11 || @ Washington Capitals || 4 – 2 || 34–28–8

| 71 || 13 || Calgary Flames || 4 – 3 || 35–28–8

| 72 || 15 || Winnipeg Jets || 6 – 3 || 35–29–8

| 73 || 18 || @ Quebec Nordiques || 8 – 3 || 35–30–8

| 74 || 20 || St. Louis Blues || 7 – 4 || 36–30–8

| 75 || 22 || Minnesota North Stars || 3 – 1 || 37–30–8

| 76 || 25 || @ Philadelphia Flyers || 6 – 1 || 37–31–8

| 77 || 26 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 6 – 4 || 37–32–8

| 78 || 29 || @ Detroit Red Wings || 4 – 3 || 37–33–8

| 79 || 1 || @ Pittsburgh Penguins || 5 – 2 || 37–34–8

| 80 || 2 || New York Islanders || 6 – 4 || 37–35–8

Legend:

Playoffs

| 1 || April 5 || New York Rangers || 1 – 3 || Pittsburgh Penguins || || Pittsburgh leads series 1-0

| 2 || April 6 || New York Rangers || 4 – 7 || Pittsburgh Penguins || || Pittsburgh leads series 2-0

| 3 || April 8 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 5 – 4 || New York Rangers || OT || Pittsburgh leads series 3-0

| 4 || April 9 || Pittsburgh Penguins || 4 – 3 || New York Rangers || || Pittsburgh wins series 4-0

Legend:

Player statistics Skaters

Regular season Player 79 32 56 88 5 148 68 23 48 71 8 50 78 29 35 64 7 60 78 36 27 63 17 140 70 26 36 62 14 91 † 41 21 34 55 1 45 68 11 36 47 3 41 67 18 27 45 1 12 56 24 19 43 -6 50 60 13 29 42 0 14 73 9 24 33 -6 107 69 8 25 33 -15 154 38 8 16 24 -3 6 37 7 16 23 -6 20 ‡ 30 7 10 17 -2 39 63 6 11 17 14 88 44 4 11 15 -3 27 38 7 7 14 -8 177 † 45 2 12 14 -8 45 ‡ 31 4 9 13 2 16 58 1 10 11 9 94 20 7 3 10 0 4 ‡ 26 0 10 10 -3 14 24 3 5 8 -1 2 ‡ 10 2 5 7 1 15 11 1 5 6 0 18 † 13 0 5 5 -6 31 52 0 2 2 -8 199 ‡ 1 1 0 1 1 0 6 0 1 1 -1 2 6 0 1 1 -2 0 ‡ 16 0 1 1 -1 40 20 0 1 1 -3 84 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 -1 0 1 0 0 0 -1 0 †‡ 3 0 0 0 -3 0 5 0 0 0 -4 0 9 0 0 0 2 0 12 0 0 0 2 6

Playoffs Player 4 3 2 5 2 4 3 2 5 12 4 1 2 3 2 4 0 2 2 30 4 0 2 2 27 3 2 0 2 0 4 1 1 2 21 4 0 1 1 6 4 0 1 1 31 4 0 1 1 28 4 0 1 1 2 4 1 0 1 0 4 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 1 4 2 0 0 0 17 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 17 4 0 0 0 4 4 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 9

Goaltenders Regular season Player 56 3207 28 21 4 197 3.69 1662 .881 0 30 1621 9 14 4 102 3.78 787 .870 1

Playoffs Player 2 107 0 1 6 3.36 55 .891 0 2 72 0 2 8 6.67 51 .843 0 1 58 0 1 4 4.14 30 .867 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.

Awards and records Brian Leetch, Calder Memorial Trophy Brian Leetch, Most Goals by a Rookie Defenseman in One Season (23)National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 184, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, Most goals by rookie, season – Tony Granato (1988–89) – 36

Draft picks New York's picks at the 1988 NHL entry draft in Montreal, Canada at the Montreal Forum. Round # Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) 2 22 Troy Mallette LW Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 2 26 Murray Duval D Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 4 68 Tony Amonte RW Thayer Academy (Massachusetts) 5 99 Martin Bergeron C Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 6 110 Dennis Vial D Hamilton Steelhawks (OHL) 7 131 Mike Rosati G Hamilton Steelhawks (OHL) 8 152 Eric Couvrette LW Saint-Jean Castors (QMJHL) 10 194 Paul Cain C Cornwall Royals (OHL) 10 202 Eric Fenton RW N. Yarmouth Academy (Maine) 11 215 Peter Fiorentino D Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 12 236 Keith Slifstein RW Choate Academy (Connecticut)

Supplemental Draft New York's picks at the 1988 NHL supplemental draft. Player Position Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League) Mike Hurlbut D St. Lawrence University (ECAC) Ron Lecinskas LW Salem State College (NCAA)

References

External links Rangers on Hockey Database