Just like that, the Chicago Blackhawks are in striking distance of the Central Division crown, and head coach Joel Quenneville hit another striking milestone.
By edging the struggling Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2, the Blackhawks won their eighth straight game, which is now easily the longest active run in the NHL.
(The Florida Panthers finally hit a wall in Vancouver last night, after all.)
The bigger news might just be Coach Q’s accomplishment, as he won his 782nd regular season game as a head coach, tying New York Islanders legend Al Arbour for second all-time.
Joel Quenneville (@NHLBlackhawks) earned his 782nd career win to tie Al Arbour for 2nd place on NHL’s all-time wins list among head coaches.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 13, 2016
As you can see from this graphic from before this latest win, the gap between second place and first is bigger than Q’s mustache.
Quenneville is climbing the all-time wins list. pic.twitter.com/TDq8Piikrc
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) January 13, 2016
Quenneville may find two other numbers more relevant:
Two: That’s the standings point gap between top Central Division team the Dallas Stars and Chicago, although Dallas does have a game in hand.
Three: The three-year contract extension Quenneville signed earlier today.
Maybe the Blackhawks get to bask in the best of both worlds: celebrating their already-impressive highs while possibly authoring new ones.