The National Hockey League (NHL) held its first season in 1917 with a founding membership of the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Arenas, and the Quebec Bulldogs. Since that time the league has expanded to include 32 teams in the United States and Canada. Over the course of more than a century, these teams have recorded a number of notable win streaks, including seven win streaks of 13 or more.
The Philadelphia Flyers approached the NHL record for consecutive wins early during the 1985-1986 season. The team, coached by defensive guru Mike Keenan, finished the season with the fewest goals scored against it in league history, but it was the Flyers' offense that powered the 13 game winning streak, two short of the league record at the time. A 3-0 victory over the Hartford Whalers was the only game in which Philadelphia did not score at least five goals. The streak ended with an 8-6 loss to the New York Islanders.
The New Jersey Devils matched the Flyers' streak of 13 consecutive wins during the 2000-2001 season. The run included an impressive sweep of a five-game road trip. The Devils finished the season with 19 wins during the team’s final 21 games to clinch the best record in the Eastern Conference, but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final.
The Boston Bruins held the NHL record for longest win streak for over 50 years. The Bruins opened the 1929-1930 season with a 5-2 record, then proceeded to run off 14 unanswered victories. Boston’s winning streak ended with a narrow 3-2 defeat to the New York Americans, the third of just five losses all season. The Bruins ended their campaign with a record of 38-5-1, but lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Canadiens.
The Washington Capitals recorded the league’s second 14-game winning streak in 2010. The run began with a hard fought 5-4 shootout win over the Florida Panthers. Washington carried the momentum into the mid-season, climbing to the top of the Southeast Division before eventually falling to the Canadiens in overtime, the Capitals' first loss in nearly a month.
Boston’s record of 14 wins in a row was finally broken in 1982. The streak came as part of a historic run that saw the New York Islanders win four consecutive Stanley Cup Finals. Midway through the Islanders' championship streak, the team picked up 15 consecutive regular season wins. A John Tonelli goal in the final minute of regulation against the Colorado Rockies broke the tie with the Bruins, but the Islanders lost their following game in Pittsburgh.
Only two teams have surpassed the Islanders' 15-game win streak. The record was first broken during the 1992-1993 NHL season. Like the 1981-1982 Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. The team had enjoyed a strong regular season with four 100-point scorers, but truly coalesced down the stretch, winning 17 of the final 18 games. The streak ended with the last game of the season, a 6-6 tie against the Devils.
The Columbus Blue Jackets nearly matched the Penguins' record during the 2016-2017 season, winning 16 straight. The streak included a victory over the Minnesota Wild, ending Minnesota’s franchise-best 12-game win streak.
