Playoff Winning Streaks

The Tampa Bay Lightning have now won eight consecutive playoff games in 2011 and are three away from the all-time record of eleven straight playoff wins. Over the stretch, Tampa have out-scored their opposition by a 33-17 margin. A look at the teams that have won 10 and 11 straight matches:



  1. Montreal, 1993. 11 consecutive wins. After dropping the first two playoff games of 1993 to Quebec, The Habs reeled off 11 in a row. They pushed aside the Nords, swept Buffalo and went up three games to none on the Islanders before losing. Over their streak they scored 42 goals and surrendered 26 as well, seven of the eleven victories were in overtime. The Habs of course won the Cup over Los Angeles that year and after losing their first two games went 16-2 the rest of the way.

  2. Pittsburgh, 1992. 11 consecutive wins. The Penguins run came later in the playoffs and carried them all the way to the Cup win, they also snuffed out Chicago's own 11 game streak in the first game of the finals. Down three games to one to the Rangers in the Patrick Division finals, Pittsburgh won the last three to take the series. They then swept Boston in the Semi-Finals before sweeping Chicago to take the Cup. The Pens just about doubled their opponents in goals scoring 47 and giving up 24.

  3. Chicago, 1992. 11 consecutive wins. The Hawks were down two games to one to St.Louis in the opening round of the playoffs before winning three in a row, then sweeping Detroit and Edmonton to reach the finals. Game one of the final pitted a team on an 11 game streak in Chicago against a team on a 7 game streak in Pittsburgh. The Pens quickly burst Chicago's bubble. The Hawks destroyed their opponents by a cumulative score of 45-22 over their 11 game streak.

  4. Boston, 1970. 10 consecutive wins. In the first round, Boston was tied two games apiece with the Rangers before winning the next ten games to take the Cup. The B's swept Chicago to reach the final and swept St.Louis to cap their run in which they outscored opponents by a ridiculous 47-20.

Three of the four teams to win at least 10 straight playoff games in a year also won the Cup. If Tampa manages to get to 10 this year they should very well at least have a chance to play for the Cup.


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