This Week In NHL Numbers: We're Going Streaking!

The Islanders are riding a season-best 17-game point streak and Patrick Kane has hit the scoresheet in 12 straight games. Not bad, but the all-time records aren't in jeopardy yet.

The New York Islanders lost in overtime to San Jose on Saturday, but managed to extend their NHL-best point streak to 17 games (15-0-2) in the process. And that’s all the excuse we need to go streaking.

Let’s take a look at some of the NHL’s most impressive streaks this season – as well as some of the greatest streaks of all-time:

5
Four rookies – two forwards and two blueliners – have had five-game point streaks this season: Chicago center Kirby Dach, Columbus center Emil Bemstrom, Colorado defenseman Cale Makar and Rangers defenseman Adam Fox. Dach, the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NHL draft, had the most productive five-game run among the four freshman, with four goals and seven points from Nov. 10-19. The longest rookie point streak of all-time? We’ll get to that in a moment, but here’s a hint: it’s a lot longer than five games and it involves a son (who’s still active) usurping his legendary father.

9
It’s no surprise to see Washington’s John Carlson with the longest point streak among NHL defensemen this season. Carlson, the league’s leading blueline scorer by a healthy margin, had a nine-game run in the opening weeks of the season in which he racked up five goals and 18 points. But wait, there’s more. The Caps rearguard also owns the second-longest point streak by a NHL defenseman this season – a recently completed eight-gamer in which he collected 13 points. Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman is currently on a seven-game streak, while Carolina’s Joel Edmundson and Columbus’ Zach Werenski have active six-game runs on the go.

12
Patrick Kane’s current point streak is the NHL’s longest active scoring streak. The Blackhawks star has amassed eight goals and 21 points during the run. Kane can’t slow down, though – Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is right behind him on a 10-game streak (12 goals, 23 points).

13
Four different players have had 13-game point streaks this season: Boston’s David Pastrnak (30 points) and Brad Marchand (28 points), Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (28 points) and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (18 points). Draisaitl also had an eight-game streak this season.

14
Four goalies in NHL history have had 14-game winning streaks, most recently Sergei Bobrovsky with Columbus in 2016-17. Also: Jonas Hiller with Anaheim in 2013-14, Tom Barrasso with Pittsburgh in 1992-93 and Tiny Thompson with Boston back in 1929-30.

17
The Islanders’ 17 game point streak is the longest by any NHL team this season and the longest in franchise history. After starting the season 1-3-0, the Isles haven’t lost in regulation time since Oct. 11. Streak stats: they’ve had nine comeback wins, including three multi-goal rallies in the third period, and 17 different players have scored a goal, with Mathew Barzal pacing the offense with 19 points in the 17 games.

17
The Pittsburgh Penguins, coming off back-to-back Stanley Cups, set the NHL record with a 17-game win streak in 1992-93. They couldn’t win a third straight Cup that season, though, getting upset by the Islanders in the second round of the playoffs. More recently, Columbus won 16 consecutive games in 2016-17, while the 2012-13 Penguins and 1981-82 Isles had 15-game win streaks.

17
On the flip side, the 1974-75 Capitals and 1992-93 Sharks had 17-game losing streaks, tied for the longest in NHL history.

20
Paul Stastny set the NHL rookie record with a 20-game point streak in 2006-07, scoring 11 goals and 29 points for the Colorado Avalanche. In doing so, he bested his father, Peter Stastny, who had a 16-gamer (nine goals, 27 points) with the Quebec Nordiques in 1980-81. Teemu Selanne sits between the Stastny clan with a 17-game point streak (20 goals, 34 points) during his rookie season with (your father’s) Winnipeg Jets in 1992-93.

24
Chicago owns the longest point streak in the past four decades with a season-opening 24-game run (21-0-3) in 2012-13, which featured a lockout-shortened schedule of only 48 games. The Blackhawks ultimately rode their blazing start to a Stanley Cup title.

26
Kane’s 26-game point streak in 2015-16 (16 goals, 40 points) is the longest scoring streak in more than 25 years, just beating out Sidney Crosby’s 25-gamer in 2010-11 (26 goals, 50 points). Kane also had a 20-gamer last season (17 goals, 43 points) and has had a total of six streaks of at least 10 games. Crosby leads all active NHL players with nine point streaks of 10-plus games. Wayne Gretzky, in case you’re wondering, is the all-time NHL leader with 31 point streaks of at least 10 games.

28
Paul Coffey, best known for streaking up the ice, owns the NHL record for longest point streak among NHL defensemen. He piled up 55 points during his 28-game streak in 1985-86, and no other blueliner has come close to touching Coffey’s mark. Ray Bourque has the second-longest run by a defenseman, notching a point in 19 consecutive games (27 points) with Boston in 1987-88. Another Bruins defenseman, the one and only Bobby Orr, had an 18-gamer (35 points) in 1970-71. The longest point streak by an active defenseman was accomplished by Philadelphia’s Shayne Gostisbehere, when he introduced himself to the NHL with a 15-game point streak (18 points) as a rookie in 2015-16.

32
Gerry Cheevers set the standard for NHL goalies with a 32-game undefeated streak (24-0-8) with Boston in 1971-72. Another Bruins goalie, Pete Peeters, nearly matched the mark when he went 31 games without a loss (26-0-5) in 1982-83, and Peeters also owns the third-longest undefeated run (27 games) with Philadelphia in 1979-80.

35
Speaking of Philadelphia in 1979-80, the Flyers went 35 games without a loss to establish the NHL record for longest undefeated streak. (It’s the longest undefeated streak in North American pro sports history, in fact.) After losing the second game of the ’79-80 season by a 9-2 score to the Atlanta Flames, Philadelphia won 25 games along with 10 ties before getting blown out 7-2 by the Minnesota North Stars. Despite their incredible run, the Flyers didn’t end the season on a winning note, falling to the Islanders in six games in the 1980 Cup final.

51
It was ‘The Streak’ to end all streaks. Gretzky’s 51-game scoring run from the start of the 1983-84 season stands above all others. In the end, No. 99 scored 61 goals and 153 points – an average of three points per game -- during the streak. As mentioned, Gretzky had a total of 31 scoring streaks of 10-plus games, including three of the four longest point streaks in NHL history (51 games in ’83-84, 39 games in ’85-86 and 30 games in ’82-83). Mario Lemieux had a 46-game streak in 1989-90 (103 points), while Mats Sundin went 30 straight games with a point for Quebec in 1992-93.