The Rangers’ Dozen

The 1971-72 season was a record-setting one for the Rangers, both for the team collectively and several players individually. And even though there were several memorable contests during the 78-game regular season, the night of November 21, 1971, was certainly one for the record books.

The Blueshirts entered that contest against the California Golden Seals with a 12-2-4 record, and their .778 points percentage at the time was the best in the NHL. In addition, the Rangers had the most goals scored (78) and goals per game average (4.33) in the league, and they were led by the line of left wing Vic Hadfield, center Jean Ratelle, and right wing Rod Gilbert, who had 29, 26, and 28 points, respectively, through the first 18 games of the season.

Hadfield, Gilbert, and Ratelle ranked third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in the league in points heading into the Rangers’ game on November 21. During the trio’s offensive outburst to begin the season, they were called the “Hot Line” by members of the media. Shortly after the contest against the Golden Seals, they would have a new nickname.

Ratelle opened the scoring 4:11 into the contest, and he helped set up a goal by Hadfield before the end of the first period to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead. Ted Irvine – one of the unsung heroes on the early-1970s Rangers teams as an indispensable left wing on a checking line, primarily with center Pete Stemkowski and right wing Bruce MacGregor – scored early in the second period to give the Blueshirts a 3-0 lead, and Ratelle added his second goal of the contest before the middle frame was over. After 40 minutes, the Rangers held a 4-1 lead and were outshooting California, 31-13.

The third period turned into the most dominating 20 minutes of hockey the Rangers have played in franchise history. It began with Ratelle completing a hat trick, scoring his third goal of the game (on his third shot of the game) in the opening minute of the period. Irvine added his second goal of the game 75 seconds after that, and before the period was four minutes old, Ratelle scored his fourth goal of the game to give the Rangers a 7-1 lead.

Just over three minutes after Ratelle scored, Gene Carr, who was playing in his first home game as a Ranger after being acquired less than a week earlier from the St. Louis Blues, tallied his first goal as a Ranger to add to the lead. Pierre Jarry, who was a first-round draft pick of the Rangers in 1969, scored his first career NHL goal at 11:03 of the third period to give New York a 9-1 advantage and end the night of California goaltender Gilles Meloche. Eight seconds later, with Lyle Carter now in net for the Golden Seals, Jarry scored his second career goal to give the Rangers a 10-1 lead. Before the night was over, Carr scored another goal and Bill Fairbairn put the finishing touches on the record-setting night with a goal in the final minute of the contest. The Blueshirts outscored California, 8-0, in the third period and held a 21-3 shots on goal edge in the final 20 minutes.

The Rangers’ 12-1 victory over the Golden Seals set a new single-game franchise record for goals, one that remains to this day. In addition, the Blueshirts’ eight goals in the third period of the game also remain a single-period franchise record.

As the calendar turned to December, the Hadfield-Ratelle-Gilbert line had a new nickname – the “Goal-A-Game Line” (or “G-A-G Line”). The trio became the first linemates in NHL history to all score 40 or more goals in the same season, and their new nickname stuck from that point on. Hadfield became the first Ranger to score 50 goals in a season in 1971-72, reaching the milestone on the final day of the regular season. Ratelle set a single-season franchise record at the time with 109 points, and he won the Lester B. Pearson Award (the Most Outstanding Player in the NHL as chosen by the NHLPA) and the Lady Byng Trophy (the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability) in 1971-72. Gilbert, meanwhile, set career-highs with 43 goals and 97 points that season, and he was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team.

1971-72 will always be remembered for the offense that the team – led by the “G-A-G Line” – showcased on a consistent basis. And on one night in November of 1971, they turned on the red light a dozen times, setting a benchmark that still stands in a century of franchise history.