1977–78 Washington Capitals season

The 1977–78 Washington Capitals season was the Washington Capitals fourth season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Capitals still had several years to go before they would win enough games to qualify for the playoffs. The 1977–78 season was the fourth season in a row that the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

Regular season

Final standings

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

|1||W||October 14, 1977||2–1 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–78) ||1–0–0

|2||L||October 15, 1977||2–4 || align="left"| @ Cleveland Barons (1977–78) ||1–1–0

|3||L||October 19, 1977||3–5 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1977–78) ||1–2–0

|4||L||October 24, 1977||1–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1977–78) ||1–3–0

|5||W||October 26, 1977||6–2 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1977–78) ||2–3–0

|6||L||October 28, 1977||1–8 || align="left"| @ Colorado Rockies (1977–78) ||2–4–0

|7||L||October 29, 1977||4–7 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1977–78) ||2–5–0

|8||T||November 2, 1977||2–2 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1977–78) ||2–5–1

|9||L||November 3, 1977||1–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1977–78) ||2–6–1

|10||L||November 5, 1977||1–3 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1977–78) ||2–7–1

|11||L||November 8, 1977||1–5 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1977–78) ||2–8–1

|12||T||November 9, 1977||1–1 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1977–78) ||2–8–2

|13||L||November 11, 1977||1–3 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1977–78) ||2–9–2

|14||L||November 13, 1977||0–6 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1977–78) ||2–10–2

|15||T||November 15, 1977||2–2 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1977–78) ||2–10–3

|16||L||November 16, 1977||2–5 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1977–78) ||2–11–3

|17||L||November 19, 1977||6–7 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1977–78) ||2–12–3

|18||L||November 20, 1977||2–5 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1977–78) ||2–13–3

|19||T||November 23, 1977||2–2 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1977–78) ||2–13–4

|20||L||November 24, 1977||0–6 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1977–78) ||2–14–4

|21||T||November 26, 1977||4–4 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1977–78) ||2–14–5

|22||L||November 29, 1977||2–4 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1977–78) ||2–15–5

|23||L||December 2, 1977||2–3 || align="left"| Cleveland Barons (1977–78) ||2–16–5

|24||L||December 4, 1977||2–4 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–78) ||2–17–5

|25||L||December 6, 1977||2–5 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1977–78) ||2–18–5

|26||W||December 7, 1977||5–3 || align="left"| @ Cleveland Barons (1977–78) ||3–18–5

|27||L||December 10, 1977||1–5 || align="left"| @ Atlanta Flames (1977–78) ||3–19–5

|28||W||December 11, 1977||2–1 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1977–78) ||4–19–5

|29||L||December 13, 1977||1–3 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1977–78) ||4–20–5

|30||W||December 17, 1977||2–1 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1977–78) ||5–20–5

|31||T||December 21, 1977||5–5 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1977–78) ||5–20–6

|32||W||December 23, 1977||3–2 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1977–78) ||6–20–6

|33||L||December 27, 1977||3–6 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1977–78) ||6–21–6

|34||T||December 28, 1977||2–2 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–78) ||6–21–7

|35||T||December 30, 1977||3–3 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1977–78) ||6–21–8

|36||W||January 2, 1978||3–2 || align="left"| Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–78) ||7–21–8

|37||W||January 4, 1978||4–0 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1977–78) ||8–21–8

|38||T||January 7, 1978||4–4 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1977–78) ||8–21–9

|39||L||January 8, 1978||1–3 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1977–78) ||8–22–9

|40||L||January 11, 1978||3–6 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1977–78) ||8–23–9

|41||T||January 13, 1978||2–2 || align="left"| @ Minnesota North Stars (1977–78) ||8–23–10

|42||L||January 14, 1978||0–4 || align="left"| New York Islanders (1977–78) ||8–24–10

|43||L||January 18, 1978||2–5 || align="left"| @ Chicago Black Hawks (1977–78) ||8–25–10

|44||L||January 19, 1978||1–4 || align="left"| @ Boston Bruins (1977–78) ||8–26–10

|45||W||January 21, 1978||5–2 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–78) ||9–26–10

|46||L||January 22, 1978||3–6 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1977–78) ||9–27–10

|47||T||January 25, 1978||3–3 || align="left"| Colorado Rockies (1977–78) ||9–27–11

|48||L||January 27, 1978||2–5 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1977–78) ||9–28–11

|49||L||January 29, 1978||0–4 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1977–78) ||9–29–11

|50||L||January 31, 1978||2–4 || align="left"| @ Vancouver Canucks (1977–78) ||9–30–11

|51||L||February 1, 1978||3–8 || align="left"| @ Los Angeles Kings (1977–78) ||9–31–11

|52||L||February 4, 1978||1–6 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1977–78) ||9–32–11

|53||L||February 5, 1978||1–4 || align="left"| @ Buffalo Sabres (1977–78) ||9–33–11

|54||W||February 10, 1978||4–1 || align="left"| @ Cleveland Barons (1977–78) ||10–33–11

|55||L||February 12, 1978||1–4 || align="left"| @ Philadelphia Flyers (1977–78) ||10–34–11

|56||L||February 14, 1978||2–4 || align="left"| Vancouver Canucks (1977–78) ||10–35–11

|57||L||February 17, 1978||2–8 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1977–78) ||10–36–11

|58||W||February 19, 1978||2–1 || align="left"| Minnesota North Stars (1977–78) ||11–36–11

|59||L||February 21, 1978||1–4 || align="left"| Los Angeles Kings (1977–78) ||11–37–11

|60||L||February 23, 1978||1–4 || align="left"| @ Detroit Red Wings (1977–78) ||11–38–11

|61||L||February 25, 1978||0–4 || align="left"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1977–78) ||11–39–11

|62||L||February 26, 1978||1–6 || align="left"| Philadelphia Flyers (1977–78) ||11–40–11

|63||W||February 28, 1978||7–4 || align="left"| Colorado Rockies (1977–78) ||12–40–11

|64||T||March 4, 1978||3–3 || align="left"| @ St. Louis Blues (1977–78) ||12–40–12

|65||L||March 8, 1978||3–4 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1977–78) ||12–41–12

|66||L||March 12, 1978||2–8 || align="left"| @ New York Rangers (1977–78) ||12–42–12

|67||L||March 15, 1978||2–5 || align="left"| Toronto Maple Leafs (1977–78) ||12–43–12

|68||W||March 18, 1978||8–3 || align="left"| Cleveland Barons (1977–78) ||13–43–12

|69||L||March 19, 1978||2–3 || align="left"| St. Louis Blues (1977–78) ||13–44–12

|70||L||March 22, 1978||2–6 || align="left"| Chicago Black Hawks (1977–78) ||13–45–12

|71||L||March 24, 1978||4–11 || align="left"| New York Rangers (1977–78) ||13–46–12

|72||L||March 25, 1978||0–5 || align="left"| @ Montreal Canadiens (1977–78) ||13–47–12

|73||L||March 26, 1978||1–4 || align="left"| Detroit Red Wings (1977–78) ||13–48–12

|74||T||March 28, 1978||4–4 || align="left"| Boston Bruins (1977–78) ||13–48–13

|75||W||March 30, 1978||4–3 || align="left"| @ Colorado Rockies (1977–78) ||14–48–13

|76||L||April 1, 1978||2–3 || align="left"| @ New York Islanders (1977–78) ||14–49–13

|77||T||April 2, 1978||4–4 || align="left"| Montreal Canadiens (1977–78) ||14–49–14

|78||W||April 4, 1978||4–3 || align="left"| Buffalo Sabres (1977–78) ||15–49–14

|79||W||April 8, 1978||6–4 || align="left"| @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–78) ||16–49–14

|80||W||April 9, 1978||4–2 || align="left"| Atlanta Flames (1977–78) ||17–49–14

Legend:

Player statistics

Regular season Scoring Player Pos GP G A Pts PIM +/- PPG SHG GWG C 80 38 35 73 12−25403 RW 72 24 37 61 6−11501 C 78 19 24 43 10−41702 D 75 10 27 37 101−26204 RW 57 13 12 25 125−15500 LW 52 9 14 23 6−3102 LW 77 11 11 22 119−34000 RW 63 13 8 21 82−18100 RW 74 10 9 19 18−32011 LW 40 7 12 19 28−12002 D 60 5 14 19 67−35401 C 44 2 13 15 22−6000 D 79 3 11 14 167−12010 D 80 4 7 11 78−20001 D 49 3 8 11 79−19000 D 69 2 9 11 195−19000 D 16 3 7 10 0−12300 D 29 1 8 9 4−13000 LW 46 4 4 8 1011000 RW 44 1 7 8 4−8100 D 22 0 8 8 410000 RW 18 3 3 6 6−14000 C 67 1 5 6 16−18000 C 16 4 1 5 0−14100 C 11 2 1 3 0−3000 RW/C 18 2 1 3 8−5000 G 43 0 2 2 40000 LW 5 1 0 1 8−3000 RW 2 0 1 1 01000 C 8 0 1 1 9−3000 G 17 0 0 0 60000 LW 1 0 0 0 0−4000 G 25 0 0 0 00000 Goaltending Player MIN GPW LTGAGAA SO 2492 43 11 23 7 152 3.66 1 1328 25 4 14 4 94 4.25 0 980 17 2 12 3 68 4.16 0 Team: 4800 80 17 49 14 314 3.92 1

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG=Power-play goals; SHG=Short-handed goals; GWG=Game-winning goals       MIN=Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SO = Shutouts; Draft picks Washington's draft picks at the 1977 NHL amateur draft held at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal.

Round # Player Nationality College/Junior/Club team (League)13Robert Picard Montreal Juniors (QMJHL)221Mark Lofthouse New Westminster Bruins (WCHL)339Eddy Godin Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)457Nelson Burton Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)575Denis Turcotte Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)693Perry Schnarr University of Denver (WCHA)7111Rollie Boutin Lethbridge Broncos (WCHL)8127Brent Tremblay Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL)9143Don Micheletti University of Minnesota (WCHA)10156Archie Henderson Victoria Cougars (WCHL)

See also 1977–78 NHL season

References