The Hockeycentric Top 10: NHL Streaks of All Time

Streaks come in many forms, from winning and losing, to goal-scoring and goal-less. When a team or a player really gets into a streak, they almost don’t acknowledge it, for fear that it will end (if it’s a winning or goal-scoring streak) or will keep going (a losing or goal-less streak).

There have been some pretty remarkable streaks in the NHL this season. Beginning on January 5th, the Washington Capitals won 14 straight games, a streak that ended on February 10th in overtime against the Montreal Canadiens.

Just last week, Steven Stamkos’ 17-game point scoring streak ended — a stretch that saw him notch 17 goals and 33 points from January 19th to March 11th.

And the Carolina Hurricanes have endured a 14-game losing streak as well as a seven game winning streak during the 09-10 regular season.

As astonishing as those streaks are, they don’t even crack our top 10. Here are the top 10 NHL streaks of all time:




10. Doug Jarvis’ 964 Consecutive Games
Considered the ultimate ironman, centre Doug Jarvis played in 964 consecutive games, breaking the previous record set by Gary Unger of 914 games. Jarvis didn’t miss a single game from the start of the 1975-76 season until the end of the 1984-85 season. Playing with the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals, he won four Stanley Cups with the Habs during the nine season playing streak.

9. The Washington Capitals’ 17 Game Losing Skid
The 1974-75 Washington Capitals are widely considered the worst team in NHL history. They finished the regular season with a record of 8-67-5, a full 20 points behind the next worst team, the Kansas City Scouts (who would go on a 27-game winless streak just one season later). Washington set the record for fewest wins in a season (8), fewest wins on the road (1), fewest points (21), most consecutive losses (17) and most goals allowed (446).

8. The Bruins’ Playoff Streak
As incredible as it is that the Detroit Red Wings have qualified for the playoffs every season since the 1989-1990 season, the Boston Bruins competed in the post-season from 1967-68 until 1995-96. They won two cups during the streak, 1969-70 and 1971-72. Their streak of post-season appearances is a North American major professional record, and the Detroit Red Wings will need to compete in the spring for another 11 seasons just to tie this record.

7. The Philadelphia Flyers Go Unbeaten in 35
The Broad Street Bullies were a mean and talented group in the late 70s and early 80s. In 1979-80, they strung together 25 wins and 10 ties for the longest undefeated streak for not only the NHL but all professional sports. Simply known as “The Streak” it lasted from October 16, 1979 until January 6th 1980. The Flyers took first overall in the NHL that year and lost two playoff games on the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the New York Islanders.

6. Brian Boucher’s Shutout Streak
Yes, the same Brian Boucher that plays backup to Michael Leighton on the Philadelphia Flyers, recorded the NHL’s longest shutout streak in 2005 while with the Phoenix Coyotes. Boucher recorded an amazing five straight shutouts, a total of 332 minutes without allowing a single goal. The streak ended on a fluky goal 6:16 into the first period of the Coyotes’ next game against the Atlanta Thrashers.

5. Bobby Orr’s 8 Consecutive Norris Trophies
Bobby Orr is one of a handful of NHL players that changed the way hockey is played. Orr racked up a remarkable eight consecutive Norris Trophies, a record that will never be beaten. In 1969-70, he not only captured the Norris trophy, but also the Hart, Art Ross, Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup. After 12 seasons — many of which were affected by injury — he was forced to retire due to knee problems. This streak may have been longer had Bobby been blessed with healthy knees.

4. Montreal Canadiens’ 10 Consecutive Overtime Playoff Wins
The playoffs are a time when clutch goaltending is a necessity, and no one did clutch better than Patrick Roy in the 1993 playoffs. The Habs strung together 10 consecutive overtime wins en route to the 1993 Stanley Cup. They won game 3 in Quebec in OT; games 2,3 and 4 in OT vs. Buffalo; Two overtime wins vs. the New York Islanders, and three overtime wins vs. Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings to capture the franchise’s 24th Stanley Cup.

3. The Penguins’ 17-Game Winning Streak
Coming off consecutive Cup wins, the Pittsburgh Penguins were dealt a huge blow when Mario Lemieux was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease. After missing only 24 games, Super Mario returned to take the Penguins along on the longest winning streak in NHL history. Lemieux won the Art Ross Trophy with 160 points and the Penguins won their first President’s Trophy.

2. Glenn Hall’s Consecutive Games for a Goalie
Glenn Hall’s 502 consecutive games as a goalie is considered the most unbeatable record in all of sports. Hall’s streak stretches from 1955 to 1962, and during those seven years he perfected his butterfuly style and racked up numerous NHL records, including most games played, most minutes, most wins and most shutouts (these last two have been broken). Hall was famous for his nerves, and during the 502 game streak he vomited before every single game.

1. Gretzky’s 51 Gamer
It is difficult to narrow down just which streak is Gretzky’s greatest. His eight consecutive Hart trophies? What about his 14 consecutive 100+ point seasons? In the end, his 51-game point streak from the start of the 1983-84 season takes the cake. Gretzky recorded a mind-boggling 61 goals and 92 assists from October 4th, 1983 to January 28th 1984 for 153 points. Not only is this the longest point-scoring streak from the start of the regular season, it is also the longest and most productive point-scoring streak in NHL history. The Great One would finish with 87 goals and 118 assist for 205 points on the way to his very first Stanley Cup.

This website uses IntenseDebate comments, but they are not currently loaded because either your browser doesn't support JavaScript, or they didn't load fast enough.