New York Rangers vs Minnesota North Stars
Regular season · Saturday, January 31, 1981 · Metropolitan Sports Center
Game summary
The New York Rangers beat the Minnesota North Stars 7–3 on Saturday, January 31, 1981 at Metropolitan Sports Center. The Rangers outshot the North Stars 30–27.
Ulf Nilsson scored twice. Dean Talafous, Mike Eaves, Don Maloney, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Kent-Erik Andersson, Steve Christoff and Ron Greschner also scored.
Steve Baker made 24 saves on 27 shots for the win; Gilles Meloche stopped 23 of 30.
Scoring
1st period
Dean Talafous (6)Barry Beck (15), Walt Tkaczuk (20)1–000:25 NYR
Mike Eaves (9)Al MacAdam (31), Gordie Roberts (24)1–103:18 MNS
Don Maloney (13)Mike Allison (20), Carol Vadnais (13)2–106:50 NYR · 
Ulf Nilsson (5)Ron Duguay (9), Ed Hospodar (9)3–111:10 NYR
2nd period
- Ulf Nilsson (6)Carol Vadnais (14), Barry Beck (16)4–104:50 NYR
Ron Duguay (6)Walt Tkaczuk (21)5–109:31 NYR
Nick Fotiu (6)Anders Hedberg (24), Ron Greschner (24)6–114:31 NYR · 
Kent-Erik Andersson (12)Mike Eaves (17), Craig Hartsburg (17)6–217:38 MNS ·
3rd period
Steve Christoff (14)Curt Giles (14), Al MacAdam (32)6–311:30 MNS · 
Ron Greschner (18)Mike Allison (21)7–314:46 NYR
Team stats
NYRMNS
3027
0%0%
2/51/5
2222
00
00
00
00
Penalties
- 5:05 into the first period
Tom McCarthy · holding2 min - 13:01 into the first period
Tom Laidlaw · cross checking2 min - 16:57 into the first periodMike Allison · hooking2 min
- 19:38 into the first periodFred Barrett · tripping2 min
- 12:23 into the second periodBarry Beck · tripping2 min
- 13:55 into the second periodSteve Payne · tripping2 min
- 16:40 into the second periodPaul Shmyr · tripping2 min
- 19:06 into the second periodBobby Smith · fighting5 min
- 19:06 into the second periodTom Laidlaw · fighting5 min
- 6:39 into the third periodNick Fotiu · slashing2 min
- 7:53 into the third periodCraig Hartsburg · tripping2 min
- 9:22 into the third periodPaul Shmyr · roughing2 min
- 9:22 into the third periodMike Allison · high sticking2 min
- 11:16 into the third periodEd Hospodar · interference2 min
- 18:38 into the third periodAl MacAdam · fighting5 min
- 18:38 into the third periodTom Laidlaw · fighting5 min
Season series
New York Rangers
| 10Ron DuguayC | 1 | 1 | 2 | +2 | 4 | – |
| 11Ulf NilssonC | 2 | 0 | 2 | +1 | 2 | – |
| 14Mike AllisonR | 0 | 2 | 2 | +1 | 0 | – |
| 18Walt TkaczukC | 0 | 2 | 2 | +1 | 1 | – |
| 3Barry BeckD | 0 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 1 | – |
| 4Ron GreschnerD | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 2 | – |
| 5Carol VadnaisD | 0 | 2 | 2 | +2 | 3 | – |
| 12Don MaloneyL | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 2 | – |
| 15Anders HedbergR | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 19Dean TalafousC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 22Nick FotiuL | 1 | 0 | 1 | +2 | 3 | – |
| 23Ed HospodarD | 0 | 1 | 1 | +2 | 4 | – |
| 6Jere GillisL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 8Steve VickersL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – |
| 17Eddie JohnstoneR | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 1 | – |
| 2Tom LaidlawD | 0 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 1 | – |
| 26Dave MaloneyD | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 1 | – |
| Goalie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Doug SoetaertG | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 35Steve BakerG | W | 27 | 3 | .889 |
Minnesota North Stars
| 18Mike EavesC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 25Al MacAdamR | 0 | 2 | 2 | −2 | 0 | – |
| 8Kent-Erik AnderssonR | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | – |
| 28Steve ChristoffC | 1 | 0 | 1 | −2 | 4 | – |
| 2Curt GilesD | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 4Craig HartsburgD | 0 | 1 | 1 | +1 | 3 | – |
| 10Gordie RobertsD | 0 | 1 | 1 | −2 | 1 | – |
| 11Tom McCarthyL | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | – |
| 14Brad PalmerL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | – |
| 15Bobby SmithC | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 5 | – |
| 16Mike PolichC | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | – |
| 21Jack CarlsonL | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | – |
| 26Steve PayneL | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 2 | – |
| 29Tom YounghansR | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 1 | – |
| 3Fred BarrettD | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 | – |
| 6Paul ShmyrD | 0 | 0 | 0 | −1 | 0 | – |
| 23Greg SmithD | 0 | 0 | 0 | −2 | 0 | – |
| Goalie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27Gilles MelocheG | L | 30 | 7 | .767 |
| 33Don BeaupreG | 0 | 0 | – |