Nitpickers can quibble about shootout wins all they want, but the Detroit Red Wings’ run of home dominance is now unmatched in NHL history.
Detroit extended its winning streak at Joe Louis Arena to an astounding 21 games, passing the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and 1975-76 Philadelphia Flyers in the process. It was a tight game with the Dallas Stars, but the Red Wings pulled out a 3-1 win after taking an early 2-0 lead.
The natural next step is to compare the Red Wings’ run to the best that have occurred in other sports. In case you’re wondering, here are the all-time leaders in the “Big Four.” (H/T to Greg Wyshynski)
NBA
1995-96 Chicago Bulls
37 wins
NFL
1971-74 Miami Dolphins
27 wins*
MLB
1978 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1988 Boston Red Sox
24 wins
NHL
2011-12 Red Wings
21 wins (and counting?)
Stay tuned for more on this impressive achievement, including a look at how the Red Wings could make their already-amazing streak that much tougher to top.
* - Beat up those Dolphins teams for drinking champagne whenever the last undefeated NFL team loses if you want, but they had a ridiculous run. Their streak might be the most amazing of all since it was one game short of two full seasons in those days.