On October 8 in Rangers history: An amazing start for Rod Gilbert

What happened on October 8 in the history of the New York Rangers

On this date in 1976, the New York Rangers played their first game in the state of Colorado, beating the Colorado Rockies 5-3.  It was the second game of the new season for the Rangers, coming two days after a 6-5 win over the Minnesota North Stars.

In the opener, Ranger right winger Rod Gilbert had chipped in with three assists, but did even better in the second game.  He tied a franchise record with five assists as he got a helper on all five Ranger goals.  That’s not all.

No Ranger had ever totaled eight points in the first two games of the season and no NHL player had ever had eight assists in the first two games.  Both of those records still stand, though they have been tied.

The record of eight points was equaled by Mika Zibanejad in 2019, but the eight assists still stands as a franchise and NHL record.  In fact, only one other player has been able to replicate that feat in NHL history.  John Cullen of the Pittsburgh Penguins had eight assists in the first two games of the 1990-91 season.

With 406 career goals, Gilbert is best known as the top goal scorer in Blueshirts’ history, but he was no slouch when it came to setting up goals as he stands in second place with 615 assists, behind only Brian Leetch.

Henrik Lundqvist’s debut

On this date in 2005, a 23-year-old rookie Swedish goalie named Henrik Lundqvist made his first start for the Rangers, losing 3-2 in overtime to the New Jersey Devils at the Continental Airlines Arena. It was the Rangers’ third game of the season and Lundqvist made 24 saves while surrendering the winning goal to Brian Rafalski 3:17 into overtime.

Kevin Weekes had started the season as the number one goalie and was back in net the next game, a 3-2 loss to Washington. It then was Lundqvist’s turn and he took off, starting eight of the next nine and going 5-3-1 while allowing only 15 goals in those eight starts.

Weekes and Lundqvist continued to split the goaltending duties until late December when Lundqvist was anointed as the top netminder.   The highlight of the season for Lundqvist was leading Sweden to a gold medal at the 2006 Olympics.

Lundqvist wasn’t exactly an unknown coming in to the 2005-06 season.  In 2002-03 with Frölunda in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) he set records for the lowest goals against average  (GAA) of 1.45 and best save percentage (Sv%) of .948.  The previous season he led the SHL with a 1.79 GAA, .936 Sv%, six shutouts while going 33-8-3 and winning the league championship.

2005-06 was the only season in his career as a Ranger that he didn’t start opening night going 8-5-1 the next 14 years.

Playing a team for the first time….twice

We’ve mentioned that in 1976 the Rangers played their first game in Colorado, playing and beating the Rockies for the first time since the team relocated from Kansas City after two seasons as the Scouts.

Fast forward six years and it is 1982 and on this date the Rangers played the New Jersey Devils for the first time, at the Brendan Byrne Arena.   The Devils had relocated from Colorado that season so the Rangers had the distinction of making their debuts against the same franchise twice on the same day, six years apart.

Things didn’t go as well against the Devils as it did in Denver as New Jersey won their first game with their new name.  Merlin Malinowski scored a power play goal 17:06 into the third period to break a 2-2 tie and seal the win for the Devils.  Former Islander Glenn “Chico” Resch was in net for New Jersey.

Who scored the first goal for the Rangers against the New Jersey Devils?  It was Anders Hedberg on assists from Olympians Rob McClanahan and Bill Baker.   It was nasty game,  a harbinger of things to come as the teams took a combined 92 minutes in penalties including game misconducts to Dave and Don Maloney  in the third period scrum with Dave Hutchison.

Today’s birthdays

16 NHL players have been born on October 8 with one a former Ranger.

Art Stratton was born on this date in 1935 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  He was a forward who played 18 games for the Rangers in the 1959-60 season. His NHL career lasted 95 games over four seasons from 1959 to 1968. The well-traveled Stratton played for 21 teams in various leagues in a hockey career that last 23 years.