The Whalers then slumped by going winless in their next four games (0-3-1), dropping them back into last place. Hartford ended their winless skid with a 4-3 overtime win over the New York Rangers on November 26 as Blaine Stoughton scored the winning goal. In their final game of November, the Whalers lost to the Vancouver Canucks 6-2. Hartford has a record of 5-6-1 during November, bringing their overall record to 9-11-2 through the month. The Whalers were in last place, three points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the fourth and final playoff position in the Adams Division. December The Whalers opened December with two straight victories, including a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on December 3 in which Mark Johnson recorded the Whalers first hat trick of the season. With the two victories, the Whalers improved to 11-11-5 on the season, earning 27 points, climbing to within one point of the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot. Hartford fell into a slump, going winless in their next seven games (0-6-1), dropping their record to 11-17-6, before snapping their slump with a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on December 22. The next night, the Whalers won their second in a row, defeating the Minnesota North Stars 5-3. Following the Christmas break, Hartford lost their remaining three games in December, including a 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on December 30. Hartford struggled to a 4-9-1 record in December. The Whalers had an overall record of 13-20-3, earning 29 points, as the club fell nine points behind the fourth place Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot. January Hartford began January the same way they ended December, with a blowout loss, as the Detroit Red Wings destroyed the Whalers 7-1 on January 3. In their next game, the Whalers ended their four-game losing skid with a 4-2 over the defending Stanley Cup champions, the New York Islanders. The Whalers embarked on a five-game Western road trip, in which they opened it with a 5-3 loss against the Edmonton Oilers, followed by a 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. The Whalers managed to defeat the Minnesota North Stars in the third game of the trip, followed by a 3-3 tie against the Calgary Flames, however, the trip concluded with a 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The Whalers returned home for a three-game home stand, as the