With 14 straight wins, the Washington Capitals got within three of the NHL record, and sparked debate on the greatest streaks in sports history:
10. Miami Dolphins finish 17-0 (1972)
Each year it seems, some NFL team takes a run at the Dolphins’ record, but can’t close the deal. Miami remains the only team to go undefeated en route to a Super Bowl title. The Dolphins weren’t overpowering, but just won. An example was their 14-7 Super Bowl victory over the Redskins.
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9. U.S. wins 13 straight Ryder Cups (1959-83)
Considering how hotly it has been contested in recent years, it’s amazing to think that the U.S. won 13 straight Ryder Cups, although the first seven were accomplished against Britain only. It wasn’t until 1979 that the U.S. had to compete against Team Europe.
We have compiled the top 10 team streaks, but what about individual streaks? The following would have to rank in anyone’s top 10: Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games that spanned 15 years, Byron Nelson’s 11 straight PGA victories, Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak, Lance Armstrong’s seven straight Tour de France titles, Wayne Gretzky’s streak of 51 games with a point and Johnny Unitas’ run of 47 games with a touchdown pass. Finally, Edwin Moses’ string of 122 straight wins in the 400-meter hurdles that lasted nine years, nine months, and nine days.
8. New York Giants win 26 straight games (1916)
It’s hard to say what’s more impressive, that the Giants’ string still stands as the longest in baseball history, or that it was accomplished by a team that was 60-62 when the streak began and finished fourth in the eight-team National League.
7. Atlanta Braves’ 14 straight NL East titles (1992-2005)
The Braves’ remarkable string of division success was a triumph for their brain trust — GM John Schuerholtz and manager Bobby Cox. But wouldn’t the streak have been more impressive if it had included more than one World Series championship?
6. Philadelphia Flyers unbeaten for 35 games (1979-80)
The Penguins have the NHL’s longest winning streak (17 games). But an even more impressive streak was accomplished by Pennsylvania’s other NHL franchise. After losing to the Flames 9-2, the Broad Street Bullies went 35 games without a loss. The streak included 10 ties.
5. Oklahoma Sooners’ 47-game streak (1953-57)
After compiling a 31-game winning streak (1948-50), coach Bud Wilkinson out-did himself with a 47-game string that still stands unchallenged as the NCAA record. The streak included 23 shutouts, three undefeated seasons and two national championships.
4. New York Yankees’ win 11 playoff series (1998-2001)
The MLB postseason is a crapshoot, but somehow the Yankees won 11 straight series, most of them dominantly. The Bombers went 40-11, had four sweeps, and only two series went the distance as they won three straight World Series before being halted by the Diamondbacks.
3. Boston Celtics win eight NBA titles (1959-66)
Bill Russell and coach Red Auerbach were the constants through Boston’s record string of eight straight NBA championships. When Auerbach stepped down and Russell took over as player-coach, the 76ers dethroned Boston. But Russell got revenge the next two years.
2. Los Angeles Lakers win 33 in a row (1972)
Behind Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West, the Lakers compiled the longest streak in NBA history. The previous record was 20 games, set the previous year by the NBA champion Bucks of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, who, incidentally, ended the Lakers’ string.
1. UCLA’s seven straight NCAA titles (1967-73)
Lew Alcindor accounted for three of the Bruins’ NCAA record seven straight championships. How coach John Wooden continued to win in passing the baton to Sidney Wicks and Curtis Rowe, then Bill Walton and Keith Wilkes was truly amazing.
