Kings Must Do What’s Never Been Done Before To Win the Cup
The 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings were sitting on top of the world before Christmas, their 25-8-4 start putting them just four points from the league’s pole position. Seven weeks and three extended pointless streaks later—one five-game and two four-gamers—the Kings are staring up at a peak never scaled by 94 previous Stanley Cup winners. Consider these facts:
- No Stanley Cup-winning squad has endured three four-game or more pointless streaks in a season.
- Only two champions have suffered two four-game or more pointless streaks in a season (1986 Montreal Canadiens, 1938 Chicago Blackhawks).
- Just eight Cup winners have gone through a five-game or more pointless streak (2012 Los Angeles Kings, 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, 1986 Montreal Canadiens, 1984 Edmonton Oilers, 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1965 Montreal Canadiens, 1938 Chicago Blackhawks, 1921 Ottawa Senators).
The 2011-12 Kings defied history to swipe the crown. Can this season’s regime do the same?
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports)
Stanley Cup Champions’ Longest Pointless Streak in Regular Season
Here’s the full list of Stanley Cup champions and their longest in-season pointless streaks. Unbelievably, the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs somehow turned a ten-game losing slump into a championship!
