The Florida Panthers were as dominant as they ever have been in winning a franchise-best 12 games, a streak that ended Monday with a 3-2 loss in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks on the second night of a back-to-back swing through Western Canada.
During the dozen-game run, the Panthers scored three or more goals eight times, allowed one or fewer goals eight times, posted two shutouts, won six one-goal games and won six games on the road. Yet, Florida still came up five short of the record for the League's longest winning streak, a 17-game run by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins.
In fact, despite all their dominance, the Panthers only got 70 percent of the way to the record win streak, becoming one of nine teams to reach the 12 consecutive win threshold.
The Penguins' mark has stood the test of time for 23 years now. Since it was set, the 2012-13 Penguins came closest by winning 15 in a row; that was also the mark the '92-93 Penguins broke, originally reached by the 1981-82 New York Rangers. Two other teams (the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and 2009-2010 Washington Capitals) won 14 consecutive games.
While the consecutive-wins record has been approached on a few occasions, NHL history is filled with team records that will likely never be challenged.
Here are five of those seemingly unassailable records:
Consecutive games with a point
The mark stands at 35 games, set by the Philadelphia Flyers from Oct. 14 1979 to Jan. 6, 1980. During that stretch, the Flyers won 25 games and tied 10 more, taking 60 of a potential 70 points in the process. Since then a few teams have put together impressive streaks, but the Chicago Blackhawks have come the closest, starting the 2012-13 season with at least a point in 24 straight games, not even 70 percent of the way to the mark set by the Flyers, who lost in the Stanley Cup Final that season.
Fewest home losses (minimum 70-game schedule)
The Montreal Canadiens lost one of the 40 games they played at the Montreal Forum during the 1976-77 season, putting together a 33-1-6 mark to take 72 out of a possible 80 points during the regular season before winning 12 of 14 playoff games to claim the Stanley Cup.
Since the start of the 2005-06 season, no team has lost fewer than four home games in regulation during a full 82-game season; that was accomplished by the 2006-07 Detroit Red Wings. Those Red Wings, however, lost another eight games in overtime or the shootout to finish 29-4-8 in 41 games at Joe Louis Arena, taking 66 out of a possible 82 points to claim 80.4 of the home points available. The '76-77 Canadiens claimed 90 percent of the home points available.
Most points in a season
Again, the star-studded Canadiens of 1976-77 are responsible for this mark (132). Not only did they lose once at home, they only lost eight times all season (60-8-12) and had a team points percentage of .825. Plus, they finished 20 points better than their closest competitor (Philadelphia) and had a plus-219 goals differential.
Since that season, only four other teams in NHL history have topped 120 points. Detroit came closest, compiling 131 points in 1995-96, but the closest since was the Red Wings from a decade ago, who put together a 124-point season in 2005-06.
Most goals in a season
The Edmonton Oilers scored 446 in the 80-game 1983-84 season. In fact, the dynastic Oilers of the 1980s are the only teams to ever break the 400-goal mark, doing it five times in a stretch of five seasons. But that '83-84 team, which featured eight 20-goal scorers, led by the 87 scored by Wayne Gretzky, was the most prolific of them all.
Since 2005-06, only three teams have topped 300 goals with the 2009-10 Washington Capitals scoring 318, or 128 short of the Edmonton total.
Worst points percentage in a season
The 1974-75 Washington Capitals went 8-67-5 for 21 points in 80 games, a point percentage of .131, during their first NHL season. It was a trying time for a team that went through three different coaches and was outscored by 265 goals. It is also a mark of futility unlikely to ever be broached again.
Expansion rules have changed dramatically since the Capitals entered the League and the result has been much more competitive first-year franchises during the past three decades. The 1992-93 Ottawa Senators came closest to breaking this record, going 10-70-4 for 24 points, or .143 of the points available. Since then, seven other teams have entered the League and six have compiled first-year points percentages of .384 or better.
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