Since Jan. 19, the Chicago Blackhawks took hockey fans not just in the Windy City but in all parts of the world on an extraordinary ride following the lockout.
On Friday, that ride that saw the Blackhawks go 24 games to begin the season without a regulation loss and a franchise best 11-game winning streak, came to an end with a 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Dating back to last March, the Blackhawks had actually gone 30 consecutive regular season games without a regulation defeat, making it the second longest streak of its kind in NHL history. The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers’ record of 35 games without a regulation loss remains intact.
“We’re not happy we didn’t get two points but we’re certainly proud of the start we had,” defenseman Duncan Keith told the Chicago Tribune.
“It wasn’t easy playing that many games in a short period of time and doing what we did. We’re proud of it but it will be nice to move on now and look forward to Sunday’s game.”
The Blackhawks are now on a modest one-game losing skid, although they still lead the league with a 21-1-3 record and 45 points.
Behind the Blackhawks in the Western Conference standings are the Anaheim Ducks, winners tonight against Calgary.
The Blackhawks lead the Ducks - currently with an impressive 17-3-3 record - by eight points.
“We should be very proud of what we accomplished,” Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Daily Herald.
“It was a great accomplishment from start to finish. We found some different ways to win night in and night out. Everybody contributed to something that hadn’t been done.”