Two Teams Have Gone 18 Games Without a Win

Published on October 27th, 2022 12:22 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


What is the longest losing streak in NHL history?

Over the history of the league, two teams - the 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins and 2020-21 Buffalo Sabres - have gone 18 games without a win.

During the Penguins' run in 2003-04, they managed to record just one point.

The 2020-21 Buffalo Sabres, on the other hand, managed to record 3 points over the course of their long losing streak.

Two teams - the 1974-75 Washington Capitals and 1992-93 San Jose Sharks - went a total of 17 games without recording a single point.

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The 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins were in full tank mode as they wanted to be able to draft Sidney Crosby, who was seen as a generational talent.

The Penguins had to wait a year to draft Crosby due to the 2004-05 lockout, though they would finally get their man, and all of the losing games ended up being worth it.

The Buffalo Sabres ended up selecting Owen Power with their first overall pick in the 2021 draft, and it is still yet to be seen if their long losing streak will be worth it.

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As mentioned, the 1974-75 Washington Capitals and 1992-93 San Jose Sharks both went a total of 17 games without recording a single point.

This was before the days of the shootout.

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Teams such as the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricans have all endured long losing streaks over the history of their franchises.

Franchise fortunes ebb and flow - one decade you are great, and the next decade you can be terrible.

Long losing streaks will dog pretty much every franchise at one point or another.