It took them nearly 150 minutes of play to score their first goal of the 1999-2000 season, but 20 years ago this week, the Philadelphia Flyers began a streak that still remains one of the greatest accomplishments in professional sports.

Four years after winning their second and last Stanley Cup, the Flyers began a rampage through the NHL, playing 35 consecutive games without a loss to set the mark for the longest undefeated streak by a professional team. The previous NHL mark of 28 was set a year earlier by the Montreal Canadiens.

The team once known as "The Broad Street Bullies" completely changed its style of play that season, emphasizing speed and quickness and all but getting rid of the rough stuff that had once been its hallmark. In fact, the Flyers averaged only 17 penalty minutes a game during the run, a total that they were apt to amass during the national anthem a few years earlier.

The record the Flyers began two decades ago this week may well last forever, but it is only one of the great moments in hockey history that took place during the week of October 11-17.

Here are some of the others:

October 11

Jean Beliveau led Montreal to 10 Stanley Cups in 20 seasons.(Allsport)

On this date in 1967, Jean Beliveau, the legendary captain of the Canadiens, helped his team defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 by scoring the 400th goal of his career. The classy center became only the third player to do so, joining Maurice Richard and Gordie Howe in this elite group. Thirty years later on this date, another classy center named Wayne Gretzky reached one his many of his milestones, scoring the 50th hat-trick of his career as the Rangers dropped the Vancouver Canucks 6-3.

October 12

The 'curse' of the Rangers may have been too much for Don Murdoch.(Allsport)

He was one of the most highly-touted rookies ever to wear a Rangers uniform, but a number of problems both on the ice and off limited Don Murdoch's career with New York to only three seasons. But on this date in 1976, Murdoch achieved a distinction he may very well retain forever by scoring five times in a 10-4 win over the Minnesota North Stars. That broke a 32-year-old record set by Howie Meeker for most goals in a game by a rookie.

October 13
Maple Leaf Gardens was the home of some great hockey history.(Allsport)	They closed down the facility last season, but they can't take away the memories that took place in Maple Leaf Gardens. On this date in 1947, a sellout crowd watched the first NHL All-Star Game ever played. Chicago's Doug Bentley scored the winner for the All-Stars as they beat the defending Stanley Cup-champion Leafs 4-3.

October 14

The Flyers own of one of the greatest records in pro sports.(Allsport)

After losing to the Atlanta Flames in the second game of the 1979-80 season, the Flyers decided to get serious. Very serious. They went out and beat Toronto 4-3 at home on this date and did not lose a game until the North Stars whipped them 7-1 on January 7, 1980. During the record-breaking streak, the Flyers were 25-0-10 at home, and 11-0-5 on the road, outscoring their opponents 115-98. They finished the season with a 48-12-20 record for 116 points, the best mark in the league.

October 15

Denis Savard scored twice in 30 seconds as Chicago and Toronto kept goal lights burning.(Allsport)

Fans who love to see high-scoring games were thrilled when the Leafs and Blackhawks met on this date in 1983. The two teams scored five times in an 84-second span during the second period to set a record for the fastest five goals by two teams. The first four goals of the streak were scored in 53 seconds, also a record. The date must be special for scorers, because six years later, Wayne Gretzky of the Kings scored two points, give him a career-total of 1,851, surpassing Gordie Howe's all-time record.

October 16

Once Gordie Howe started scoring, he was pretty hard to stop.(Allsport)

Gretzky wasn't even a twinkle in his parents' eyes on this date in 1946 when Howe began his NHL career with Detroit. Wearing No. 17 at the time, Howe did what he would do another 800 times in his career by scoring a goal. The second-period marker helped the Red Wings earn a 3-3 tie with Toronto. This date was also significant in the careers of Norm Ullman and Denis Potvin. In 1971, Toronto's Ullman registered the 1,000th assist of his career, while in 1986, the Islanders' Potvin broke Brad Park's record for defensemen by getting his 684th assist.

October 17

Jari Kurri's greatest days were in Edmonton, but he reached a milestone as a King.(Allsport)

It was fitting that Jari Kurri achieved one of hockey's greatest scoring milestones on a team which also had Wayne Gretzky in the lineup. After all, the pair has combined for some of the most glorious moments in hockey when they played together on the Edmonton Oilers. On this date in 1992 as a member of the Kings, Kurri scored his 500th career goal as his Los Angeles defeated the Boston Bruins 8-6.