Today in NYR history: A big night for the Captain

What happened on December 4 in the history of the New York Rangers

In 1995, this was a big night for a New York Rangers legend.  Mark Messier registered the 1,400th point of his career, becoming only the seventh player in NHL history to hit that milestone.  Today, 20 players have achieved that feat as Messier joined hockey immortals like Gordie Howe, Stan Mikita and Phil Esposito.  Both Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby are nearing the milestone and could achieve it this season.

It was an easy win at Madison Square Garden as the Blueshirts beat the Might Ducks of Anaheim, 5-1.   Messier scored a third period power play goal and added two assists to reach that milepost.

Messier would go to add an additional 487 points to finish with 1,887 points, third all time behind fellow Rangers Wayne Gretzky and Jaromir Jagr.  He should hold on to that position for quite a while.  Among active players, 42-year-old Joe Thornton is closest with 1,533 points.

A goal explosion

On December 4, 1976 the Ranger traveled to Minnesota and blew out the North Stars by an 11-4 score.  It was only the ninth time that the Rangers had scored in double figures in franchise history.

What made this night unusual was the fact that on October 12 the Blueshirts had beaten the North Stars by a 10-4 score.   That meant that they had scored 21 goals in two consecutive road games against the same team, a franchise record that may never be duplicated.

Nine different Rangers scored in the game, led by Rod Gilbert and Don Murdoch who each scored twice.  For Murdoch, he had scored five times in the first game in Minnesota, giving him seven goals in two consecutive road games in Minnesota, another team record.

Gilbert added three assists for five points and 15 different Rangers made the scoresheet. The only players who didn’t were the two Daves,  defensemen Farrish and Maloney.

The Rangers have hit double figures twice in a season only two times, the first with this game and once again in 1992.

When is Detroit not Detroit?

On this date in 1926 the Rangers played their first game on the road against the Detroit Cougars.   The only fact was that they didn’t play the game in Detroit as the Olympia was still under construction.  So, the game was played just across the border in the Border Cities Arena in Windsor, Ontario.  They dropped a 1-0 decision.

Exactly one year later, on December 4, 1927 the Rangers had their real Detroit debut, playing at the Olympia and winning 3-1.

The team remained the Cougars until 1930 when for two years they were known as the Detroit Falcons.  They became the Detroit Red Wings in the 1932-33 season.

Two notable achievements

On December 4, 1988 the Rangers played the Edmonton Oilers at the Northlands Coliseum and were losers by a 10-6 score.   Goalie Bob Froese was pulled after allowing nine goals in the first two periods.

For the Rangers, it was a special night for Guy Lafleur who tied his career high with four assists.  But it was a bigger night for Jimmy Carson of Edmonton who notched a hat trick.  In doing it, be became only the third NHL player to have six hat tricks before he turned 21.   Carson finished his career with ten hat tricks in nine seasons.

The Numbers

All-time on December 4, the Rangers have had a losing record and the second worst points percentage of any day in the month of December.  It’s one of only three days in December when they have never had a game go to overtime.

Regulation wins:  14
Regulation losses:  18
Ties:  4
Points percentage:   .444

Today’s birthdays

20 NHL players were born on December 4 with three former Rangers among them including the player the Rangers gave up in arguably, the worst trade in their history.

Rick Middleton was born on this date in 1953 in Toronto, Ontario.  The Rangers first round selection in the 1973 Amateur Draft (14th overall),  he joined the team in 1974 and scored 46 goals in his first 124 games.  The right winger was destined for great things which he did accomplish, but he did as a Boston Bruin and Rangers GM John Ferguson traded him to Boston for an aging Ken Hodge.   He went on to score 448 goals and 998 points in 1,005 NHL games while Hodge played 96 games with the Rangers, scoring 23 goals before retiring.   As we said, the worst trade in franchise history.

Irv Spencer was born on this date in 1937 in Sudbury, Ontario.  A defenseman, he played six seasons in the NHL and two in the WHA, including his first three campaigns with the Rangers starting in 1959.

Ron Howell was born on this date in 1935 in Hamilton, Ontario. He played only three games in the NHL, with the Rangers in 1954-56.   The defenseman made his debut as a 19 year old in 1954.  Howell is the brother of Ranger immortal Harry Howell, but is even better known as one of the best running backs in the Canadian Football League.   He played both hockey and football for a number of years including the two seasons he appeared in the NHL.