Norfolk Admirals set AHL record with incredible 18 straight wins
In July 1941, Joe DiMaggio tied and set a new Major League Baseball record for consecutive games with a hit, on his way to 56 straight overall. He accomplished both feats against the same team: The Boston Red Sox.
After their loss to the Norfolk Admirals on Sunday, the Charlotte Checkers now know the feeling.
The Admirals tied the AHL record for consecutive wins in a single season, set by the 2004-05 Philadelphia Phantoms, on Friday night with a 7-2 win at Charlotte. On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning's affiliate established a new League record with their 18th straight win, defeating Charlotte, 5-0.
As Coach Jon Cooper said before the game: "I think I barely need to walk into the room right now. The Knute Rockne speeches I can save for another time because they know what's at stake."
The streak began back on Feb. 10 with a 2-0 win over Adirondack. Eleven of the 18 wins were on the road. Among the other notables from the streak.
• The Admirals outscored their opponents 75-29 during the streak.
• Leading scorer Cory Conacher had three game-winning goals in the 18 games. Michel Ouellet had two. Carter Ashton, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs during the streak, also had a GWG.
• Goalie Dustin Tokarski had eight wins during the streak before he was called up by the Lightning. Backup Jaroslav Janus won the last six games and set a franchise record with 10 straight wins overall. Wrote Janus on Twitter after the record-setting win: "Another great week boys!!! 18 wins in a row?! you gotta be kidding me...great job !!! WE ARE NOT DONE YET !!!" OK then.
• For our fellow purists out there, only one victory in the 18 games came via the shootout: Feb. 18 against Syracuse, a 3-2 win.
Congrats to Norfolk on an incredible run. The Admirals have 10 games left this season. They've already beaten the AHL — and, incidentally, they've eclipsed the NHL record of 17 set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins, too. How much longer can the streak endure?
