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The Chicago Blackhawks just keep setting new milestones.
Not only did they extend their season opening streak of consecutive games with a point to 23 with their 5-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night, but they also won their 10th consecutive game, something the franchise had never oreviously done in its 86-year existence.
They're now one game away from going half of a season -- even if it is a lockout shortened season -- without losing a game in regulation.
When you look at it like that, this start is even crazier.
And as I mentioned last week, the schedule is favorable enough over the next few games that they have a chance, at least on paper, to keep piling up points.
A few more numbers that the Blackhawks have compiled (and counting) during their record-setting run to start the season:
383: The number of "hits" the Blackhawks had been credited with entering Tuesday's game, the second lowest total in the NHL. That right there should tell you everything that you need to know about the hits statistic in the NHL and how much it means to winning games. It's tough to hit people when you always have the puck. You know what else happens when you have the puck a lot?
You score a lot of goals. Speaking of which ...
75: The number of goals the Blackhawks have scored
50: The number of goals the Blackhawks have scored during 5-on-5 play
15: The number of players who have scored at least one goal.
12: The number of players who have scored at least two goals.
9: The number of wins they've received from their backup goalie, Ray Emery. He won 15 over a full season a year ago.
7: The number of games they have won by at least two goals. Which is actually kind of surprising.
5: The number of times, including Tuesday, they have scored at least five goals in a game.
2: The number of teams that won 30 games during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, the only other time that the NHL had a 48-game season. The Blackhawks need to win just 10 of their remaining 25 games to reach that mark. I like their chances.
They pretty much already have the Central Division and perhaps the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference already locked up.
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