Rangers Top 5 single-season goal scorers

[JesseAtATB]

With Nash on pace for almost 60 goals, I put together a look at the Rangers' top five single-season goal scorers.

Which one do you think was the most impressive, given the era and the talent around them?

New York Rangers' top 5 single-season goal scorers

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[Giacomin]

I would say Jagr just because of the team he played on. Hadfield was impressive because he was not the best goal scorer on that Rangers team he was the third best offensive player on his own line.

 

[Roo Returns]

Jagr because of the situation. No one expected it. He was thought of as washed up and his personal problems were sometimes more highlighted then his game. He came into camp that year with a mission and was one of the players that carried that team. A disagree that it was a bad team. They were so much fun to watch nearly won the division.

Gartner in 1990-91 was just filthy. He probably could've scored 50 but Kissio had a Charlie Horse that turned that team into a one line team, Miller was traded for Kocur, and Richter got hurt for a stretch so Gartner could be singled out by checkers, and Beezer who could be inconsistent had some bad nights.

 

[bernmeister]

Great thread, posts.

I would say Larouche cause his team like Jagr's was also nothing special, but being Jagr was the better player, it makes Guy's comparable achievement all the more impressive.

 

[Chief]

Larouche's most impressive season might have been 85/86. I still don't know what led to Larouche's banishment to the minors in 85/86 but there he was and rather than pout he put in 22 goals in 32 games. He got called up by the Rangers and proceeded to put in 20 goals in 28 games.

Jagr was the most dominant in his record-breaking season. I wonder what would have been if the Rangers kept building around him rather than dismantling the team that was successful around him.

I almost wish Graves had been more of a jerk off the ice. All of his off-ice charity work has overshadowed the force he was on the ice. He wasn't as "skilled" as some of the others but he was skillful in putting pucks in the net. His record-setting season was huge. In 10 seasons, he scored 52, 38, 36, 33, 26, 23, 23, 22, 17 (in 47 games), and 10. He basically had one crapper of a season at the end of his Ranger career but otherwise had a 52 goal season, 3 where he scored over 30, another where he put up 17 in 47 games, and 4 seasons at over 20. That's a lot more impressive than I think the writer of the article gave him credit for.

 

[JesseAtATB]

All these guys put together impressive seasons but I have to personally go with Jagr's.

I agree with White Plains Batman, his year was really exciting to watch, especially coming off some of those horrible seasons in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Chief - I definitely thought Graves was a really talented player and I may have downplayed his career a little, however I think 30 goals is a lot more impressive in today's NHL than it was for the majority of his time in the league. Although his 38 in '98-'99 deserves some acknowledgment.

 

[AWall THE CLAW]

All these guys put together impressive seasons but I have to personally go with Jagr's.

I agree with White Plains Batman, his year was really exciting to watch, especially coming off some of those horrible seasons in the late 90's and early 2000's.

Chief - I definitely thought Graves was a really talented player and I may have downplayed his career a little, however I think 30 goals is a lot more impressive in today's NHL than it was for the majority of his time in the league. Although his 38 in '98-'99 deserves some acknowledgment.

Dead puck era. Bad team. No Mess. Yea, a very impressive showing by Gravy in 98-99.

 

[Vinny]

What disturbs me is that Nash seems to come in perfect shape this season. Shouldn't he, for the bucks he makes, show up like that in any career year he has in the NHL? So what did he do last year? Disturbs me, and for that he can score 60 goals but it makes me wonder if it is he came in a bad shape last year then he still owes the Rangers a years salary and a apology to the fans. I wish we had this Nash in the finals.

That on a side note.

 

[Roo Returns]

What disturbs me is that Nash seems to come in perfect shape this season. Shouldn't he, for the bucks he makes, show up like that in any career year he has in the NHL? So what did he do last year? Disturbs me, and for that he can score 60 goals but it makes me wonder if it is he came in a bad shape last year then he still owes the Rangers a years salary and a apology to the fans. I wish we had this Nash in the finals.

That on a side note.

That concussion set him back for the entire year.

He's also 30 now and finally changed his diet. You can tell. The years before he looked beefier and was quoted as saying he love steak and potatoes. I don't know if he went full vegan or anything but he clearly looks leaner but just as strong.

 

[Thordic]

This thread brings up a really interesting question - how the hell did Larouche end up in the minors? He was point per game player in the NHL. Granted those were a lot more common in the 80s, but still nothing to sneeze at.

 

[Roo Returns]

This thread brings up a really interesting question - how the hell did Larouche end up in the minors? He was point per game player in the NHL. Granted those were a lot more common in the 80s, but still nothing to sneeze at.

Larouche ended up in the minors because of Ted Sator who wanted to put his stamp on the team. He was sort of like Torts in that he was hard on the players and did the whole dump and chase thing. The Rangers had some pretty good teams in the early 80s with some decent success of going to what would have been the Conference Finals in 1981 and winning playoff series in 82, 83 (vs. the Flyers). By the time Sator got there he viewed them team as complacent fatcats and wanted to cut ties with many of the vets. He viewed Larouche as one dimensional. Remember they had an awful injury plagues year in 1984-85 where Brooks was fired and many of those guys like Mike Allison, Pavelich, etc. were already showing signs of wear and tear.

He sent Larouche, Hanlon, Rogers, and Fotiu to the minors and eventually three of the four were traded.

He alienated Routsoulanien, Pavelich, and didn't let Beck play the rest of the year following his shoulder injury (even though Beck has said in interviews that the team doctors cleared him to play for the Montreal ECF).

They sort of went through year one of a rebuild with Ridley, Miller, Helminen getting prominent minutes up front and Melnyk who came from Edmonton and became a regular. Funny that by the next season all of those forwards were gone.

 

[Tawnos]

Even though it was a shorter year, Bill Cook's 33 goals in 1926-27 is the most impressive goal scoring season in Rangers history. He did it in 44 games, but those 44 games were the entire year then. Besides that one, he had 3 other full seasons where his goals per game was higher than Jagr's. 29 in 44 in 1929-30, 30 in 44 in 1930-31, 33 in 48 in 1931-32.

Lynn Patrick's 41-42 season was 32 in 47, which is just under 56 in 82 (48 game season).

These players always get punished when people do this kind of look back.

 

[Thordic]

Larouche ended up in the minors because of Ted Sator who wanted to put his stamp on the team. He was sort of like Torts in that he was hard on the players and did the whole dump and chase thing. The Rangers had some pretty good teams in the early 80s with some decent success of going to what would have been the Conference Finals in 1981 and winning playoff series in 82, 83 (vs. the Flyers). By the time Sator got there he viewed them team as complacent fatcats and wanted to cut ties with many of the vets. He viewed Larouche as one dimensional. Remember they had an awful injury plagues year in 1984-85 where Brooks was fired and many of those guys like Mike Allison, Pavelich, etc. were already showing signs of wear and tear.

He sent Larouche, Hanlon, Rogers, and Fotiu to the minors and eventually three of the four were traded.

He alienated Routsoulanien, Pavelich, and didn't let Beck play the rest of the year following his shoulder injury (even though Beck has said in interviews that the team doctors cleared him to play for the Montreal ECF).

They sort of went through year one of a rebuild with Ridley, Miller, Helminen getting prominent minutes up front and Melnyk who came from Edmonton and became a regular. Funny that by the next season all of those forwards were gone.

Sounds about par for the course for the Rangers. The 80s are a bit of a lost decade for us - stuck between the great teams of the 70s and the Cup team.

And considering I was born in '80, I wasn't paying too much attention at the time

 

[Roo Returns]

Sounds about par for the course for the Rangers. The 80s are a bit of a lost decade for us - stuck between the great teams of the 70s and the Cup team.

And considering I was born in '80, I wasn't paying too much attention at the time

I didn't start following until the late 80s but that decade in Rangers history has fascinated me because unlike the 70s and 90s when the Rangers had stacked team, they were so blue collar. They weren't operated like a NY team that decade, more like the Predators would today. They didn't even really have an first liners other than Hedberg and maybe Sandstrom for pretty much the entire decade. Plus those hideous "New York" roads jerseys.

 

[Tawnos]

I didn't start following until the late 80s but that decade in Rangers history has fascinated me because unlike the 70s and 90s when the Rangers had stacked team, they were so blue collar. They weren't operated like a NY team that decade, more like the Predators would today. They didn't even really have an first liners other than Hedberg and maybe Sandstrom for pretty much the entire decade. Plus those hideous "New York" roads jerseys.

Mike Rogers and Walt Poddubny would like to have a word with you.

 

[Vickers8]

My favorite scorer was Steve Vickers, skill and a very good fighter too

 

[McDonagh]

The Jagr-era was the era where I was most die-hard of a fan, and I was at the game where he broke the record in Boston so I say him.

 

[Roo Returns]

Mike Rogers and Walt Poddubny would like to have a word with you.

Tawnos you're definitely right but I was comparing them to the true superstars of the 80s. The Gretzky's, Lemiuex's, Bossy's, even the Loob's of the world.

They had some great seasons but weren't on the same level as the true stars of the 80s.

Also, Poddubny (RIP) had two great seasons with the Rangers before his knees gave out and was traded to Quebec.

Rogers was weird, he gets no love from Rangers fans. I know he missed a bunch of playoffs series also with various injuries.

 

[Leetch66]

Vic Hadfield...awesome Ranger and Captain and would fight when needed and score goals....could not ask for any more in a tough era when there were far less teams and you ate or were eaten !