Blackhawks' Undefeated Streak in Regulation Time Comes to End

The Chicago Blackhawks' season-opening streak of 24 games without a regulation-time loss ended last night in a 6-2 defeat at Colorado. (NHL teams normally would have played more than 24 games by now, but the current season was shortened by an owners' lockout.) During these 24 games, the Blackhawks won 14 games in regulation and seven games after the regulation 60 minutes ended in a tie (either in the five-minute sudden-death overtime period or in a shootout after a scoreless OT). Chicago also lost three games in shootouts after tying in regulation (click here for Hawks' 2013 game-by-game log).

In fact, Chicago finished the 2011-12 regular season with no regulation losses in its final six games, putting the combined-season streak at 30 games. The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers hold the record at 35 games (25 wins, 10 ties, with no overtime then). In the following table, I list all 30 of the Blackhawks' undefeated regulation games.

Opponent (@ = Away)	Score After Regulation (Hawks-Opp.)	Hawks' OT Result (If Applicable)
2012	(Last Season)	...
@New Jersey	1-1	Lost 2-1 in shootout
St. Louis	3-3	Won 4-3 in shootout
@Nashville	5-4	...
Minnesota	4-4	Lost 5-4 in shootout
@Minnesota	1-1	Lost 2-1 in shootout
@Detroit	2-2	Won 3-2 in shootout
2013	(This Season)	...
@L.A.	5-2	...
@Phoenix	6-4	...
St. Louis	3-2	...
@Dallas	2-2	Won 3-2 in 5-min. OT
@Columbus	3-2	...
Detroit	1-1	Won 2-1 in 5-min OT
@Minnesota	2-2	Lost 3-2 in shootout
@Vancouver	1-1	Lost 2-1 in shootout
@Calgary	2-2	Won 3-2 in shootout
@San Jose	5-3	...
@Phoenix	6-2	...
@Nashville	3-0	...
Anaheim	2-2	Lost 3-2 in shootout
San Jose	4-1	...
L.A.	3-2	...
Vancouver	3-3	Won 4-3 in shootout
San Jose	2-1	...
Columbus	1-0	...
Edmonton	2-2	Won 3-2 in 5-min OT
@St. Louis	3-0	...
Columbus	3-3	Won 4-3 in 5-min OT
@Detroit	1-1	Won 2-1 in shootout
Minnesota	5-3	...
Colorado	3-2	...
@Colorado	2-6	END OF STREAK

HTML Tables

Typically, teams that go on long streaks of success blow away most of their opponents -- a sign of their superior talent and coaching -- and perhaps rely on luck in a few games to keep their streaks alive. One example is the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, who won 33 straight NBA basketball games. Other than one overtime game, the Lakers always won by at least four points during the streak. Further, 23 of the 33 wins were by double digits.

Although a direct comparison of basketball and hockey is necessarily imprecise, the Blackhawks clearly did not annihilate many opponents during their 30-game regulation undefeated streak. In only eight of the 30 games did regulation play end with Chicago ahead by two or more goals. Counting only regulation time during the 30 games, the Blackhawks averaged 2.90 goals per game, whereas their opponents averaged 1.93, a difference of less than a goal per game. In this way, Chicago's streak was an unusual one.