POINT OF FACT
? What team went the longest without winning during the regular season?
•The New York Rangers were winless in 25 straight games, tying four and losing 21. The streak stretched from January 1944 through November of the following season.
? What was the most prolific scoring team in NHL history?
•The Montreal Canadiens, in the 1959 season, scored a record 697 points on 258 goals and a record 439 assists.
? What were the most consecutive goals scored by a team in one game?
•On January 23, 1944 the Detroit Red Wings scored 15 straight goals against the New York Rangers to win the game 15-0. Detroit set another high in that game by scoring eight times in the third period. (This, fittingly, was the game that started the Rangers on their record 25-game nonwinning streak.) The most goals by a team in one game, however, is 16. The Canadiens scored them on March 3, 1920 against the Quebec Bulldogs.
? What is the shortest length of time a rookie player has gone before scoring his first goal in league play?
•It took Gus Bodnar of the Toronto Maple Leafs just 15 seconds of his first game to score a goal against the New York Rangers on October 30, 1943. Bodnar ended the season with 62 points (50-game schedule), a record for a rookie.
? Three players have scored exactly 50 goals in one season. Who are they?
•Maurice Richard of the Canadiens (1945) was the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season. Bernie Geoffrion of the Canadiens and Bobby Hull of the Black Hawks equaled his record in 1961 and 1962, respectively. Richard scored his 50 goals in a 50-game season while Geoffrion and Hull did it over a 70-game schedule.
? Who played the most consecutive seasons in the NHL?
•Dit Clapper, a forward with the Boston Bruins, played 20 straight years (1927-1947).
? What was the longest modern shutout streak by a goalie?
•Bill Durnan of the Montreal Canadiens had four consecutive shutouts during the 1949 season.
? Who scored the most points in one season? The most assists?
•Dickie Moore of the Canadiens amassed 96 points on 41 goals and 55 assists in the 1959 season. Jean Beliveau, also of the Canadiens, had 58 assists during the 1961 season.
? What team compiled the most points in one season?
•In 1951 the Detroit Red Wings won 44 games and tied 13 (lost 13) for 101 points.
? Did Detroit win the most games in one season?
•No. The Montreal Canadiens, in 1956, won 45 games (tied 10, lost 15).
? Has any team lost more than 50 games in one season?
•Only one. In 1954 the Chicago Black Hawks lost 51 games (won 12, tied 7).
? What team won the most consecutive games in one season?
•From December 3, 1929 to January 12, 1930 the Boston Bruins won 14 straight games.
ILLUSTRATION