The Chicago Blackhawks went half of the strike shortened season without losing a game in regulation. But they started the second half of the season with a 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks came into the game with a 21-0-3 record. The 3 representing overtime or shootout losses. Those aren’t counted as regular losses, and both teams get a point for going into overtime. So the Blackhawks received a team point in all of their previous 24 games. This is a new NHL record to start a season. They had gone 30 games without a regulation loss going back to last season, which was 5 short of the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers, who still have the record at 35 games.
The Avalanche, who are only 9-10-4 after the win, received scoring from 6 different players in the game. Blackhawks’ goalie Corey Crawford obviously received his first loss, and was replaced by Ray Emery, as Chicago trailed 5-1 after 2 periods. Don’t feel too bad for the Blackhawks. They still have a 17 point lead in their division over the Detroit Red Wings, and an 8 point conference lead over the Anaheim Ducks, who have played 2 less games.
On the other hand, in the NBA, the defending champion Miami Heat have a streak of their own. They have now won 17 games in a row, after beating the Philadelphia 76ers 102-93 on Friday night. With the win, the Heat have also clinched a playoff spot, with 22 games remaining. LeBron James led them with 25 points and 10 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade added 22 points. The Heat are still a long way from the longest winning streak in NBA history. The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers hold that record, with an incredible 33 games won in a row. However, the Heat are closing in on the second longest winning streak. The 2007-08 Houston Rockets won 22 games in a row. So Miami isn’t too far from the second longest winning streak.
The Heat’s next game is against another division leader, the Indiana Pacers. This could be a tough test for the Heat, but it is in Miami. After that, they seem to have a smooth ride to tying the second longest winning streak. However, they will need to beat the Celtics, in Boston, to get their 23rd straight win. I’m sure the NBA will build up that game big. The Heat have an 8 game lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference. It’s not very difficult to see this winning streak continuing for a while. But to break the Lakers’ record, they will have to double the number they have now. It’s tough for the team to stay healthy, and keep their focus for that many games in a row. But we shall see how long this winning streak goes.
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