1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season

The 1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season was the team's 12th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The North Stars finished 4th in the Adams Division and didn't qualify for the playoffs.
==Off-season==
In the off-season, the North Stars were on the verge of folding, and were merged with the Cleveland Barons, another team on the brink of collapse. The merged franchise continued as the Minnesota North Stars, with that team's logo and colors. The changes for the franchise were new ownership and new management. Former Cleveland Barons General Manager Harry Howell assumed the coaching duties, and former Barons owner George Gund became a co-owner of the North Stars. http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nhl/minnystars/northstars.html
===NHL Draft===
Round	# 	Player 	Position	Nationality	College/junior/club team (League)
1 	6 	Craig Hartsburg	(D) 	 	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL)
1 	10	Tom McCarthy 	(LW) 	 	Oshawa Generals (OHL)
2 	42	Neal Broten 	(C) 	 	University of Minnesota
National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book 2006, p. 234, Dan Diamond & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-920445-98-5
==Regular Season==
Another result of the merger saw the North Stars take the Barons' place in the tough Adams Division. The North Stars finished in last place and missed the playoffs for the 5th time in 6 years. One of the highlights was Bobby Smith winning the Calder Memorial Trophy]]. 
===Final Standings===
===Game Log===
Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results	Regular Season Results 	Regular Season Results
No. 	R 	Date 	Score 	Opponent 	Record
1 	L 	October 11, 1978 	2–5 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1978–79) 	0–1–0
2 	L 	October 14, 1978 	2–5 	Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	0–2–0
3 	W 	October 18, 1978 	7–2 	Vancouver Canucks (1978–79) 	1–2–0
4 	L 	October 19, 1978 	2–6 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	1–3–0
5 	T 	October 21, 1978 	4–4 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1978–79) 	1–3–1
6 	T 	October 25, 1978 	2–2 	Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	1–3–2
7 	L 	October 28, 1978 	0–1 	Colorado Rockies (1978–79) 	1–4–2
8 	W 	November 1, 1978 	9–1 	St. Louis Blues (1978–79) 	2–4–2
9 	W 	November 4, 1978 	2–1 	Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	3–4–2
10 	L 	November 5, 1978 	1–2 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	3–5–2
11 	L 	November 7, 1978 	2–5 	@ New York Islanders (1978–79) 	3–6–2
12 	W 	November 8, 1978 	5–3 	@ New York Rangers (1978–79) 	4–6–2
13 	W 	November 10, 1978 	3–2 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79) 	5–6–2
14 	L 	November 11, 1978 	1–8 	@ Los Angeles Kings (1978–79) 	5–7–2
15 	L 	November 15, 1978 	2–3 	Washington Capitals (1978–79) 	5–8–2
16 	L 	November 18, 1978 	2–7 	New York Rangers (1978–79) 	5–9–2
17 	L 	November 19, 1978 	2–9 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	5–10–2
18 	L 	November 22, 1978 	1–4 	New York Islanders (1978–79) 	5–11–2
19 	L 	November 24, 1978 	3–4 	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	5–12–2
20 	L 	November 25, 1978 	1–4 	Los Angeles Kings (1978–79) 	5–13–2
21 	L 	November 29, 1978 	3–5 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79) 	5–14–2
22 	W 	December 1, 1978 	4–3 	@ Atlanta Flames (1978–79) 	6–14–2
23 	W 	December 2, 1978 	5–3 	Atlanta Flames (1978–79) 	7–14–2
24 	W 	December 6, 1978 	4–0 	Los Angeles Kings (1978–79) 	8–14–2
25 	W 	December 9, 1978 	3–0 	Colorado Rockies (1978–79) 	9–14–2
26 	T 	December 10, 1978 	4–4 	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	9–14–3
27 	L 	December 13, 1978 	2–3 	Montreal Canadiens (1978–79) 	9–15–3
28 	W 	December 15, 1978 	6–1 	@ Washington Capitals (1978–79)	10–15–3
29 	L 	December 16, 1978 	2–5 	Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	10–16–3
30 	W 	December 19, 1978 	5–3 	Vancouver Canucks (1978–79) 	11–16–3
31 	L 	December 20, 1978 	2–4 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	11–17–3
32 	W 	December 23, 1978 	5–3 	Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79) 	12–17–3
33 	W 	December 26, 1978 	6–4 	@ St. Louis Blues(1978–79) 	13–17–3
34 	W 	December 27, 1978 	6–1 	Washington Capitals (1978–79) 	14–17–3
35 	L 	December 30, 1978 	2–7 	@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79) 	14–18–3
36 	T 	January 3, 1979 	3–3 	St. Louis Blues (1978–79) 	14–18–4
37 	L 	January 6, 1979 	2–5 	Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	14–19–4
38 	L 	January 8, 1979 	1–3 	@ Montreal Canadiens (1978–79) 	14–20–4
39 	T 	January 10, 1979 	2–2 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	14–20–5
40 	L 	January 11, 1979 	4–6 	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	14–21–5
41 	W 	January 13, 1979 	4–3 	Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79) 	15–21–5
42 	W 	January 15, 1979 	8–1 	@ New York Rangers (1978–79) 	16–21–5
43 	L 	January 16, 1979 	0–5 	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)	16–22–5
44 	L 	January 19, 1979 	3–5 	@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79) 	16–23–5
45 	T 	January 20, 1979 	3–3 	Colorado Rockies (1978–79) 	16–23–6
46 	T 	January 24, 1979 	2–2 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79) 	16–23–7
47 	W 	January 27, 1979 	3–1 	Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79) 	17–23–7
48 	W 	January 28, 1979 	3–1 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	18–23–7
49 	W 	January 30, 1979 	5–4 	@ New York Islanders (1978–79) 	19–23–7
50 	W 	February 1, 1979 	6–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1978–79) 	20–23–7
51 	L 	February 3, 1979 	1–2 	Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	20–24–7
52 	W 	February 4, 1979 	6–4 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79) 	21–24–7
53 	W 	February 14, 1979 	8–1 	Vancouver Canucks (1978–79) 	22–24–7
54 	L 	February 15, 1979 	5–6 	@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79)	22–25–7
55 	T 	February 17, 1979 	3–3 	Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	22–25–8
56 	L 	February 18, 1979 	2–3 	@ Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79)	22–26–8
57 	W 	February 21, 1979 	5–1 	Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79) 	23–26–8
58 	T 	February 23, 1979 	2–2 	@ Atlanta Flames (1978–79) 	23–26–9
59 	L 	February 24, 1979 	3–6 	Atlanta Flames (1978–79) 	23–27–9
60 	T 	February 28, 1979 	4–4 	New York Rangers (1978–79) 	23–27–10
61 	T 	March 1, 1979 	5–5 	@ Buffalo Sabres (1978–79) 	23–27–11
62 	L 	March 3, 1979 	0–5 	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	23–28–11
63 	L 	March 4, 1979 	4–5 	@ Washington Capitals (1978–79)	23–29–11
64 	W 	March 7, 1979 	5–1 	Detroit Red Wings (1978–79) 	24–29–11
65 	L 	March 10, 1979 	3–4 	Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	24–30–11
66 	L 	March 11, 1979 	2–8 	@ St. Louis Blues (1978–79) 	24–31–11
67 	W 	March 14, 1979 	4–3 	Montreal Canadiens (1978–79) 	25–31–11
68 	L 	March 17, 1979 	4–6 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	25–32–11
69 	L 	March 18, 1979 	3–5 	New York Islanders (1978–79) 	25–33–11
70 	W 	March 21, 1979 	7–3 	Philadelphia Flyers (1978–79) 	26–33–11
71 	W 	March 24, 1979 	3–1 	@ Colorado Rockies (1978–79) 	27–33–11
72 	L 	March 25, 1979 	1–2 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79) 	27–34–11
73 	L 	March 27, 1979 	1–5 	Pittsburgh Penguins (1978–79) 	27–35–11
74 	L 	March 29, 1979 	4–7 	@ Boston Bruins (1978–79) 	27–36–11
75 	L 	March 31, 1979 	2–6 	@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1978–79)	27–37–11
76 	L 	April 1, 1979 	1–3 	@ Detroit Red Wings (1978–79) 	27–38–11
77 	W 	April 3, 1979 	4–3 	Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79) 	28–38–11
78 	L 	April 4, 1979 	1–7 	@ Chicago Black Hawks (1978–79)	28–39–11
79 	T 	April 6, 1979 	2–2 	@ Vancouver Canucks (1978–79) 	28–39–12
80 	L 	April 7, 1979 	1–7 	@ Los Angeles Kings (1978–79) 	28–40–12
==Playoffs==
*The North Stars did not qualify for the post season.
==Player Stats==
===Skaters===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
Player 	GP	G 	A 	Pts	+/-	PIM
Bobby Smith	80	30	44	74 	-8 	39
http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/MNS/1979.html
===Goaltenders===
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average
Player	GP	TOI	W	L	OT	GA	SO	SV%	GAA
==Awards and Records==
*Calder Memorial Trophy: Bobby Smith
==Transactions==
==References==
* North Stars on Hockey Database
 
Category:Minnesota North Stars seasons
Category:1978 in hockey
Category:1979 in hockey