1969 Blackhawks, 1970 Habs, and No Playoffs

[c9777666]

The two longest consecutive playoff streaks in the NHL belong to the Bruins (29 straight from 1968-1996) and the Blackhawks (28 straight from 1970-1997).

But that streak and another one could have been longer.

Chicago had made the playoffs 10 straight years from 1959-1968, missed in '69, then ran off 28 straight years- Hull set a then-record for goals (58) and was the 2nd player ever to have a 100 point season (of course, he was #2 that year behind former teammate Espo) and CHI had 4 additional 30+ goal scorers..... yet were only 1 game above .500 missed for the only time for basically 40 years.

The year Chicago began theier run of 28 straight coincided with a break in what would have been an unfathomable record (DET came close with 25 straight years). Montreal in 1969-70 missed the playoffs for the only time in a 46 year stretch

The Habs had a way better record (38-22-16) yet missed on an infamous goals for tiebreaker against the NY Rangers.

This wasn't like when Detroit a few years ago finally had the streak end when they were way below .500. These were winning records in an era of no OT and fewer games. Of course, this was before CHI got moved to the old West Division and all the O6 teams were in the same division and the inbalance was high.

(Interestingly, the Bruins who won the Cup in 1970 lost to MON in 1968-1969 and famously in '71, ended up playing the Rangers. Had the tiebreaker scenario not played out, BOS would have drawn in round 1...... you guessed it, Montreal. And this was at the heart of their playoff drought vs. the Habs, well before the events of 1988)

So how did two playoff reliables somehow manage a rare misfire when they could have had even longer streaks (CHI nearly had a 39 year streak and Montreal 46!)

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[Big Phil]

The playoff format was just awful in those three expansion years. That is the only reason why those teams missed.

 

[ICM1970]

The playoff format was just awful in those three expansion years. That is the only reason why those teams missed.

There were a couple of years that Detroit got cheated out of being in the playoffs (1971-72 with 76 points and also 1972-73 with 86 points) despite having those very good records for those seasons. I've always wondered if the league should have also moved Detroit over to the West (to join Chicago) as that would have made geographic sense as well as having that bit more balance by having at least a couple of the older teams in the West Division.

 

[Big Phil]

There were a couple of years that Detroit got cheated out of being in the playoffs (1971-72 with 76 points and also 1972-73 with 86 points) despite having those very good records for those seasons. I've always wondered if the league should have also moved Detroit over to the West (to join Chicago) as that would have made geographic sense as well as having that bit more balance by having at least a couple of the older teams in the West Division.

By then it was a lot better with Philadelphia improving and becoming an elite team and the Hawks still being good. Still maybe a bit of a backlog on the other side with the Bruins, Habs and Rangers though perhaps.