1987–88 New Jersey Devils season
| 1987–88 New Jersey Devils | |
|---|---|
| Division | 4th Patrick |
| Conference | 7th Wales |
| 1987–88 record | 38–36–6 |
| Goals for | 295 |
| Goals against | 296 |
| Team information | |
| General Manager | Lou Lamoriello |
| Coach |
Doug Carpenter (Oct-Jan) Jim Schoenfeld (Jan-Apr) |
| Captain | Kirk Muller |
| Alternate captains |
Aaron Broten Joe Cirella |
| Arena | Brendan Byrne Arena |
| Team leaders | |
| Goals | Pat Verbeek (46) |
| Assists | Kirk Muller and Aaron Broten (57) |
| Points | Kirk Muller (94) |
| Penalties in minutes | Ken Daneyko (239) |
| Plus/minus | Pat Verbeek (+29) |
| Wins | Alain Chevrier (18) |
| Goals against average | Sean Burke (3.05) |
The 1987–88 New Jersey Devils season was the team's sixth season in the National Hockey League since the franchise relocated to New Jersey. The Devils finished fourth in the Patrick Division with a record of 38 wins, 36 losses, and 6 ties for 82 points, garnering the first winning record in the franchise's 14-year history.
On the final day of the regular season, the Devils were tied with their nemesis, the New York Rangers, for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division. After New York defeated the Quebec Nordiques 3–0, all eyes were on the Devils, who were playing the Blackhawks in Chicago. The Devils trailed 3–2 midway through the third period, but John MacLean scored to tie the game, and with two minutes left in overtime, he added the winning goal. Although the Rangers and Devils both finished with 82 points, the Devils had two more wins, sending them to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history, but the first time in New Jersey.[1]
The Devils rode the momentum of this victory into a surprisingly deep playoff run, ousting the New York Islanders in six games in the Division Semi-finals and the Washington Capitals in seven games in the Division Finals. They then met the Boston Bruins in the Wales Conference Finals and stretched the series to seven games, but finally fell short in the seventh game (see below).
Offseason
Hoping to light a spark under the team, team owner John McMullen hired Providence College coach and athletic director Lou Lamoriello as team president in April 1987. Lamoriello appointed himself general manager shortly before the 1987–88 season. This move came as a considerable surprise to NHL circles; although Lamoriello had been a college coach for 19 years, he had never played, coached, or managed in the NHL and was almost unknown outside the American college hockey community.
Regular season
On November 25, 1987, Aaron Broten scored just 13 seconds into overtime to give the Devils an 8-7 road win over the Edmonton Oilers.[2] It would prove to be the fastest overtime goal scored during the 1987–88 NHL regular season.[3]
On the last day of the season, Sunday, April 3, 1988, the Devils were scheduled to play the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium. Going into the game, the Devils were tied with the New York Rangers with 80 points for the last playoff spot in the Patrick Division. On April 3, the Rangers were scheduled to play the Quebec Nordiques at home. The Rangers shut out the Nordiques, 3-0, to finish their season with 82 points. When the game ended, the Devils-Blackhawks game was still in progress. Both teams skated to a 3-3 tie after 60 minutes. For the Devils to qualify for the playoffs, they would have to score in overtime to get the win and the two points to keep pace with the Rangers. An overtime loss would keep them at 80 points and a 3-3 tie would move them up only to 81 points, handing the last playoff berth to the Rangers. At 2:21 of the overtime period, John MacLean scored the game-winning goal on a rebound slap-shot past Blackhawks netminder Darren Pang to give the Devils a 4-3 win. Both the Devils and Rangers finished with 82 points. However, since the Devils had more wins during the regular season, they ended up taking the Patrick Division's 4th playoff spot and thereby sealed the first ever playoff berth for the franchise in New Jersey.
Gary Thorne called MacLean's overtime, playoff-berth-clinching goal on SportsChannel New York:
MacLean...off the boards, Sundstrom, he's alone, Sundstrom...Murray on him, shot...that was deflected, went off the skate of Bob Murray the defenseman. Flipped up by Chicago, not out...kept in by MacLean, good job, MacLean centered Sundstrom. Sundstrom back to the point...Joe Cirella...Cirella got in, Cirella takes a shot, save by Pang, rebound...SCORES!!! THEY DID IT!!! THEY DID IT!!! THE DEVILS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY! JOHN MACLEAN THE OVERTIME GOAL! AND THEY WIN IT 4-3!
Season standings
| GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Islanders | 80 | 39 | 31 | 10 | 308 | 267 | 88 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 292 | 292 | 85 |
| Washington Capitals | 80 | 38 | 33 | 9 | 281 | 249 | 85 |
| New Jersey Devils | 80 | 38 | 36 | 6 | 295 | 296 | 82 |
| New York Rangers | 80 | 36 | 34 | 10 | 300 | 283 | 82 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 80 | 36 | 35 | 9 | 319 | 316 | 81 |
[4]Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Sean Burke
Sean Burke was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He earned national attention from his international play. He backstopped Canada's junior team to a silver medal in the 1986 World Junior Championships and a fourth-place finish for the national men's team at the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
Burke went from the Olympics to the Devils. He started 11 games for the Devils in the 1987–88 NHL season, including an overtime victory against the Chicago Blackhawks on the final night of the season that qualified the Devils for their first playoff series.
Dubbed a "rookie sensation", Burke helped the Devils go on a playoff roll, defeating the division-leader New York Islanders in the first round in six games and then the Washington Capitals in seven games. Burke was one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals but lost in Game 7 of the Wales Conference finals to the Boston Bruins.
Schedule and results
| # | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W | October 9, 1987 | 6–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 1–0–0 |
| 2 | L | October 10, 1987 | 2–5 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (season) | 1–1–0 |
| 3 | W | October 14, 1987 | 3–1 | Hartford Whalers (season) | 2–1–0 |
| 4 | W | October 16, 1987 | 4–3 | Montreal Canadiens (season) | 3–1–0 |
| 5 | L | October 17, 1987 | 3–4 OT | @ Hartford Whalers (season) | 3–2–0 |
| 6 | W | October 21, 1987 | 5–4 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 4–2–0 |
| 7 | W | October 23, 1987 | 5–3 | New York Islanders (season) | 5–2–0 |
| 8 | L | October 24, 1987 | 1–2 | @ New York Islanders (season) | 5–3–0 |
| 9 | W | October 27, 1987 | 4–0 | Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 6–3–0 |
| 10 | W | October 31, 1987 | 6–5 | Edmonton Oilers (season) | 7–3–0 |
| 11 | L | November 3, 1987 | 3–6 | @ New York Islanders (season) | 7–4–0 |
| 12 | W | November 5, 1987 | 5–3 | St. Louis Blues (season) | 8–4–0 |
| 13 | W | November 7, 1987 | 4–1 | Washington Capitals (season) | 9–4–0 |
| 14 | T | November 8, 1987 | 3–3 OT | @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 9–4–1 |
| 15 | W | November 10, 1987 | 3–2 | @ New York Rangers (season) | 10–4–1 |
| 16 | T | November 12, 1987 | 1–1 OT | Winnipeg Jets (season) | 10–4–2 |
| 17 | L | November 14, 1987 | 4–6 | Detroit Red Wings (season) | 10–5–2 |
| 18 | W | November 18, 1987 | 4–3 | Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 11–5–2 |
| 19 | W | November 20, 1987 | 5–2 | Chicago Blackhawks (season) | 12–5–2 |
| 20 | L | November 21, 1987 | 1–2 | @ Montreal Canadiens (season) | 12–6–2 |
| 21 | L | November 23, 1987 | 2–9 | @ Calgary Flames (season) | 12–7–2 |
| 22 | W | November 25, 1987 | 8–7 OT | @ Edmonton Oilers (season) | 13–7–2 |
| 23 | L | November 27, 1987 | 2–4 | @ Vancouver Canucks (season) | 13–8–2 |
| 24 | T | November 29, 1987 | 2–2 OT | @ Los Angeles Kings (season) | 13–8–3 |
| 25 | W | December 3, 1987 | 4–2 | St. Louis Blues (season) | 14–8–3 |
| 26 | L | December 5, 1987 | 2–3 | @ Quebec Nordiques (season) | 14–9–3 |
| 27 | T | December 6, 1987 | 1–1 OT | @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 14–9–4 |
| 28 | W | December 9, 1987 | 2–1 | Los Angeles Kings (season) | 15–9–4 |
| 29 | L | December 11, 1987 | 1–5 | Calgary Flames (season) | 15–10–4 |
| 30 | L | December 12, 1987 | 3–5 | @ New York Islanders (season) | 15–11–4 |
| 31 | L | December 16, 1987 | 3–9 | @ New York Rangers (season) | 15–12–4 |
| 32 | L | December 17, 1987 | 4–7 | Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 15–13–4 |
| 33 | W | December 19, 1987 | 3–1 | @ Minnesota North Stars (season) | 16–13–4 |
| 34 | L | December 20, 1987 | 1–4 | @ Winnipeg Jets (season) | 16–14–4 |
| 35 | W | December 23, 1987 | 6–2 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 17–14–4 |
| 36 | L | December 26, 1987 | 3–5 | New York Rangers (season) | 17–15–4 |
| 37 | W | December 28, 1987 | 6–4 | New York Islanders (season) | 18–15–4 |
| 38 | L | December 30, 1987 | 3–4 | Washington Capitals (season) | 18–16–4 |
| 39 | T | January 2, 1988 | 1–1 OT | @ Hartford Whalers (season) | 18–16–5 |
| 40 | L | January 4, 1988 | 3–6 | Los Angeles Kings (season) | 18–17–5 |
| 41 | L | January 7, 1988 | 3–6 | Vancouver Canucks (season) | 18–18–5 |
| 42 | W | January 9, 1988 | 4–3 | @ Minnesota North Stars (season) | 19–18–5 |
| 43 | W | January 10, 1988 | 7–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 20–18–5 |
| 44 | L | January 13, 1988 | 3–5 | Quebec Nordiques (season) | 20–19–5 |
| 45 | W | January 15, 1988 | 7–3 | Toronto Maple Leafs (season) | 21–19–5 |
| 46 | L | January 16, 1988 | 2–4 | @ New York Islanders (season) | 21–20–5 |
| 47 | L | January 19, 1988 | 4–6 | @ Washington Capitals (season) | 21–21–5 |
| 48 | L | January 21, 1988 | 2–3 OT | Detroit Red Wings (season) | 21–22–5 |
| 49 | L | January 22, 1988 | 3–7 | @ Buffalo Sabres (season) | 21–23–5 |
| 50 | L | January 25, 1988 | 2–5 | Buffalo Sabres (season) | 21–24–5 |
| 51 | W | January 28, 1988 | 6–3 | Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 22–24–5 |
| 52 | W | January 29, 1988 | 3–2 OT | Chicago Blackhawks (season) | 23–24–5 |
| 53 | W | February 1, 1988 | 5–4 | @ Calgary Flames (season) | 24–24–5 |
| 54 | L | February 3, 1988 | 5–8 | @ Edmonton Oilers (season) | 24–25–5 |
| 55 | L | February 5, 1988 | 1–5 | @ Vancouver Canucks (season) | 24–26–5 |
| 56 | L | February 7, 1988 | 3–6 | @ Boston Bruins (season) | 24–27–5 |
| 57 | W | February 11, 1988 | 4–2 | Montreal Canadiens (season) | 25–27–5 |
| 58 | L | February 12, 1988 | 3–4 | @ Detroit Red Wings (season) | 25–28–5 |
| 59 | W | February 14, 1988 | 7–2 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (season) | 26–28–5 |
| 60 | L | February 17, 1988 | 3–4 | Washington Capitals (season) | 26–29–5 |
| 61 | W | February 19, 1988 | 6–3 | New York Rangers (season) | 27–29–5 |
| 62 | L | February 21, 1988 | 1–4 | Boston Bruins (season) | 27–30–5 |
| 63 | L | February 24, 1988 | 1–3 | Winnipeg Jets (season) | 27–31–5 |
| 64 | L | February 26, 1988 | 1–2 | New York Rangers (season) | 27–32–5 |
| 65 | W | February 28, 1988 | 8–6 | Minnesota North Stars (season) | 28–32–5 |
| 66 | L | March 1, 1988 | 3–5 | @ Washington Capitals (season) | 28–33–5 |
| 67 | L | March 2, 1988 | 1–6 | Washington Capitals (season) | 28–34–5 |
| 68 | W | March 5, 1988 | 7–6 OT | @ Boston Bruins (season) | 29–34–5 |
| 69 | W | March 6, 1988 | 4–2 | Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 30–34–5 |
| 70 | L | March 8, 1988 | 4–7 | @ New York Rangers (season) | 30–35–5 |
| 71 | W | March 12, 1988 | 6–5 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (season) | 31–35–5 |
| 72 | L | March 17, 1988 | 3–4 | Quebec Nordiques (season) | 31–36–5 |
| 73 | W | March 20, 1988 | 4–2 | @ Washington Capitals (season) | 32–36–5 |
| 74 | W | March 24, 1988 | 8–2 | @ St. Louis Blues (season) | 33–36–5 |
| 75 | T | March 25, 1988 | 2–2 OT | @ Buffalo Sabres (season) | 33–36–6 |
| 76 | W | March 27, 1988 | 7–2 | New York Rangers (season) | 34–36–6 |
| 77 | W | March 29, 1988 | 4–0 | Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 35–36–6 |
| 78 | W | March 31, 1988 | 7–2 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (season) | 36–36–6 |
| 79 | W | April 2, 1988 | 5–2 | New York Islanders (season) | 37–36–6 |
| 80 | W | April 3, 1988 | 4–3 OT | @ Chicago Blackhawks (season) | 38–36–6 |
Playoffs
The team made it all the way to the conference finals, but lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games. In that series, head coach Jim Schoenfeld verbally abused referee Don Koharski, screaming obscenities and hollering, "Have another doughnut, you fat pig!" The incident resulted in a suspension for Schoenfeld, which the franchise appealed to the New Jersey Superior Court. This unprecedented appeal to authority outside the NHL gave the Devils a preliminary stay of the coach's suspension. In protest, referee Dave Newell and the assigned linesmen boycotted the next game. After more than an hour's delay, amateur officials were tracked down in the stands and worked the game wearing yellow practice sweaters. To resolve the incident, the NHL suspended Schoenfeld for the next game. Schoenfeld later admitted he regretted his comments.[5]
Patrick Division semi-finals vs. New York Islanders
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | OT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 6 | New Jersey | 3 | New York | 4 | (OT) |
| April 7 | New Jersey | 3 | New York | 2 | |
| April 9 | New York | 0 | New Jersey | 3 | |
| April 10 | New York | 5 | New Jersey | 4 | (OT) |
| April 12 | New Jersey | 4 | New York | 2 | |
| April 14 | New York | 5 | New Jersey | 6 |
New Jersey wins series 4-2
Patrick Division finals vs. Washington Capitals
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | New Jersey | 1 | Washington | 3 |
| April 20 | New Jersey | 5 | Washington | 2 |
| April 22 | Washington | 4 | New Jersey | 10 |
| April 24 | Washington | 4 | New Jersey | 1 |
| April 26 | New Jersey | 3 | Washington | 1 |
| April 28 | Washington | 7 | New Jersey | 2 |
| April 30 | New Jersey | 3 | Washington | 2 |
New Jersey wins series 4-3.
Prince of Wales Conference Finals vs. Boston Bruins
| Date | Away | Score | Home | Score | OT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | New Jersey | 3 | Boston | 5 | |
| May 4 | New Jersey | 3 | Boston | 2 | (OT) |
| May 6 | Boston | 6 | New Jersey | 1 | |
| May 8 | Boston | 1 | New Jersey | 3 | |
| May 10 | New Jersey | 1 | Boston | 7 | |
| May 12 | Boston | 3 | New Jersey | 6 | |
| May 14 | New Jersey | 2 | Boston | 6 |
New Jersey loses series 3-4.
Player statistics
Forwards
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Muller | 80 | 37 | 57 | 94 | 114 |
| Aaron Broten | 80 | 26 | 57 | 83 | 80 |
| Pat Verbeek | 73 | 46 | 31 | 77 | 227 |
| Patrik Sundström | 78 | 15 | 36 | 51 | 42 |
| John MacLean | 76 | 23 | 16 | 39 | 147 |
| Claude Loiselle | 68 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 121 |
| Mark Johnson | 54 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 14 |
| Doug Sulliman | 59 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 22 |
| Brendan Shanahan | 65 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 131 |
| Doug Brown | 70 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 20 |
| Andy Brickley | 45 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 14 |
Defensemen
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes
| Player | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce Driver | 74 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 68 |
| Joe Cirella | 80 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 191 |
| Tom Kurvers | 56 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 46 |
| Craig Wolanin | 78 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 170 |
| Jack O'Callahan | 50 | 7 | 19 | 26 | 97 |
| Jim Korn | 52 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 140 |
| Randy Velischek | 51 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 66 |
| Ken Daneyko | 80 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 239 |
Goaltending
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average
| Player | GP | W | L | T | SO | GAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alain Chevrier | 45 | 18 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 3.77 |
| Bob Sauvé | 34 | 10 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 3.56 |
| Sean Burke | 13 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.05 |
Draft picks
| Rd # | Pick # | Player | Nat | Pos | Team (League) | Notes | |||
| 1 | 2 | Brendan Shanahan |  |
LW | London Knights (OHL) | ||||
| 2 | 23 | Ricard Persson |  |
D | Leksands IF (Elitserien) | ||||
| 3 | 44 | No third-round pick[6] | |||||||
| 4 | 65 | Brian Sullivan |  |
RW | Springfield Olympics (NEJHL) | ||||
| 5 | 86 | Kevin Dean | |
D | Culver Military Academy (Indiana) | ||||
| 6 | 107 | Ben Hankinson | |
RW | Edina H.S. (Minnesota) | ||||
| 7 | 128 | Tom Neziol | |
LW | Miami University (CCHA) | ||||
| 8 | 149 | Jim Dowd | |
C | Brick Township H.S. (New Jersey) | [7] | |||
| 9 | 170 | John Blessman | |
D | Toronto Marlboros (OHL) | ||||
| 10 | 191 | Pete Fry | |
G | Victoria Cougars (WHL) | ||||
| 11 | 212 | Alain Charland | |
C | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) | ||||
| 12 | 233 | No twelfth-round pick[8] | |||||||
| S | 10 | Johnny Walker | | LW | Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (CIAU) | ||||
| S | 11 | Jeff Madill | | RW | Ohio State University (CCHA) | ||||
References
- ↑ New Jersey Devils on SportsEcyclopedia
- ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/26/sports/devils-top-oilers-in-overtime-nhl.html
- ↑ https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1988_games.html
- ↑ Dinger, Ralph, ed. (2011). The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book 2012. Dan Diamond & Associates. p. 153. ISBN 9781894801225.
- ↑ "Jim Schoenfeld: The Koharski Incident". HockeyDraftCentral.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
- ↑ The Devils traded their 1987 third-round pick (used on Mathieu Schneider) to Montreal for David Maley on June 13, 1987.
- ↑ First New Jersey native to play for the Devils; scored game-winning goal in Game 2 of the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals against Detroit. Jim Dowd's profile on the official New Jersey Devils site
- ↑ The Devils traded their 1987 12th-round pick (used on Neil Eisenhut) to Vancouver for Shane Doyle on June 1, 1987. Shane Doyle's career statistics at the Internet Hockey Database.