Why this season resembles the 1988-90 New York Rangers
By Jim Madden
The 1989-90 season
The youth movement continued into the 1989-90 season as the composition of the Rangers roster was more than half first and second year players. Turcotte and Richter led the next surge of Ranger rookies to make their way to stardom. Turcotte led all NHL rookies with 32 goals and his 66 points placing him third in team scoring. He set a rookie Rangers record of scoring goals in seven straight games that stands to this day. He finished sixth in the Calder balloting.
Richter, taken in the second round in 1986 had a stellar freshman season with the Rangers moving into the back up role to John Vanbiesbrouck forming a solid U.S. goaltending tandem. Richter had a 12-5-5 record and a goals against of 3.00 and save percentage of .904 in 23 games. He finished fourth for the Calder and his dazzling start resulted in a seventh place finish in voting for the Vezina.
Two other rookie players cracked the Rangers lineup that season with tough checking center Mark Janssens and big bruising winger Troy Mallette. Janssens would play in all 80 Rangers games as a top faceoff guy who wasn’t shy about mixing it up as evidenced by his 161 in penalty minutes third most on the club. Mallette took over the protector role and set a Rangers team and rookie record of 305 penalty minutes which remain as all-time season records. The combative duo made certain no opposition would take liberties with the Rangers budding stars who helped the club earn their first Patrick Division title.