Stats

Introducing… The Caps Goal and Point Streak Database

Caps Outsider today is introducing its latest database, searchable lists of the Washington Capitals’ longest point and goal streaks. For points, we’re limiting it to ten games or more, and goals are capped off at five, and we include the team’s record during those games and other information.

With one notable exception, the Capitals in their history haven’t made major marks on the NHL’s all-time streak lists, as Mike Gartner’s original 17-game point streak has led the team for nearly 40 years. Recent hot streaks for other teams include Chicago’s Patrick Kane with a 20-game point streak in 2018-19 and New Jersey’s Taylor Hall with a 19-game point streak in 2017-18. But most of the leaders on the all-time list, which you can find here, are from the high-flying 1980s. Overall, Gartner’s team record is currently 80th overall, while Wayne Gretzky, predictably, is the all-time leader with a 51-game point streak. Gartner also has the Caps record with a nine-game goal-scoring streak.

The Caps stand out on one all-time streak list: Mike Green’s eight-game goal-scoring streak (10 goals total), a record for a defenseman, in 2008-09.

Scoring streaks can be fluky. Even Gretzky admitted that some of his streaks only continued due to a lucky assist, or a last-second empty-netter. Also, the streaks sometimes aren’t as impressive as scoring splurges, like when Alex Ovechkin had 14 goals in 7 games earlier this season – but also zero points in one of them.

As for Ovechkin, he currently has 11 streaks of five or more games with a goal, his longest coming in his rookie season with seven, which is also a Caps record for a rookie. His longest points streak came in 2018-19, with 14 games in a row.

The Caps only have one player on the 10+ consecutive games with an assist list, which is Adam Oates in 2001-02 (which was Oates’ third-longest streak of his career).

The streaks don’t carry over from one season to the next, and are cut short if the player misses a game. For instance, Peter Bondra once had points in 15 straight games that he played but missed three after his 11th game.

We plan on adding point streaks less than 10 games, and goal streaks less than 5 games, and playoff streaks, at a later date.

Check out the data here, plus the Caps’ streak records from the start of the season:

Washington Capitals Goal and Point Streak Records

Ben Sumner

Ben Sumner is the editor of Capitals Outsider. He also works for The Washington Post and contributes there when he gets a scoop.

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