On March 24 in NYR history: Two hat tricks in one game

What happened on March 24 in the history of the New York Rangers

When Mika Zibanejad scored a hat trick and Pavel Buchnevich had two goals against the Philadelphia Flyers last week, the question was whether the Rangers ever had two players get a hat trick in the same game.  It happened on this date in 1978.

The Rangers were in Washington to face the Capitals and they destroyed them 11-4.  It was the 10th time the team had scored in double figures in their history and the highlight was the two hat tricks, one by Phil Esposito and the other by Ron Duguay.

For Esposito it was his 29th career hat trick and with it he passed Bobby Hull for the most in NHL history.  For Duguay it was only his second career three goal game, a feat he would accomplish 10 times in his career.

Esposito would finish with an NHL record 32 hat tricks,but that record now belongs to Wayne Gretzky with 50. Mario Lemieux (40), Mike Bossy (39) and Brett Hull (33) all passed Espo as well.

50 goals for Jagr

On this date in 2006, Jaromir Jagr became the third Ranger in franchise history to reach the 50 goal mark.   It came in a 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on the road.   Jagr would go on to score four more times to finish with 54 goals, the most every tallied by a New York Ranger.

Two fastest goals

On this date in 1982, Mike Rogers and Eddie Johnstone score goals within 33 seconds of the start of the second period to set a Rangers record for the  fastest two goals at start of a period. While 33 is pretty fast, it was six seconds longer than the NHL record of 27 seconds set by the 1929 Montreal Maroons.

While it stands as the Rangers’ club record, just four days after Rogers and Johnstone’s heroics, Mark Messier and Dave Lumley set a new NHL record by scoring two goals in the first 24 seconds of the start of a game between the Oilers and the Kings.  That record was broken six months later when Ken Yaremchuk and Darryl Sutter scored within 21 seconds of the start of the second period for the Chicago Blackhawks to set the NHL standard that still stands.

The Rangers have scored twice within the first minute of a period only five times, the most recent when Jimmy Vesey and Neal Pionk scored in the first minute of the second period of a win over Buffalo in 2018.

Righting a wrong

On July 7,  1997, the Rangers held a press conference to unveil their latest free agent prizes. forwards Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland.  They were two signings that went in absolutely the wrong direction. Keane scored only eight goals in 70 games while Skrudland, a defensive specialist, produced only five goals.  The Rangers shocked the hockey world, giving Keane a four year deal worth $8 million and Skrudland a three year, $5 million deal.

On this date in 1988, after less than a full season with the Rangers, they were traded to the Dallas Stars for Todd Harvey and Bob Errey in a trade deadline deal.  You have to give Neil Smith credit for realizing that he had made an awful mistake signing the two third line forwards to top six money and he was able to get a young, skilled forward in return in Harvey.

Today’s birthdays

Only 20 players who have toiled in the NHL have been born on March 24 and two of them have played for the Blueshirts.

P.A. Parenteau was born on this date in 1983 in Hull, Quebec.   Drafted by Anaheim, he was swapped first to Chicago and then to the Rangers.  Although he was not a factor with the Rangers in his one season in 2009-10, scoring three goals in 22 games, he signed as a free agent with the Islanders and showed  knack for scoring in stints with the Isles, Avalanche and four other teams.  He does have the distinction of being one of the few players who has played for the Rangers, Islanders and Devils.

Pat Price was a defenseman born on this date in 1955 in Nelson, British Columbia.  Drafted 11th overall by the Islanders in the first round of the 1975 he had a 13 year NHL career, most notably with the Islanders and Nordiques.   He played 13 games for the Rangers in 1987, his second to last season, coming over in a trade deadline deal from the Nordiques.

The numbers

A positive record for the Rangers on March 23.  They have also played four games that ended in shootouts.

Games: 29
Regulation wins: 13
Regulation losses: 9
Ties: 1
Overtime wins:  1
Overtime losses: 1
Shootout wins: 2
Shootout losses: 2
Points percentage: .621

Playoffs games: 8
Wins: 4
Losses: 4
Winning percentage: 50%