Red Wings clinch 24th straight playoff appearance

By @MichaelCaples –

It didn’t come the way they wanted it to, but it’s safe to assume the Red Wings aren’t upset with the end result.

Despite falling to the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime Thursday night in Montreal, the one point Detroit earned in the Eastern Conference standings turned out to be enough to secure the team’s 24th straight playoff appearance.

With the Boston Bruins losing in regulation to the Florida Panthers, the Red Wings’ 98 points are enough to guarantee their spot in the 2015 NHL postseason.

That means that the Wings’ historic streak – one that started in 1991 – will continue. Who Detroit will face in the first round is yet to be decided, as they are part of a five-team log-jam for the four final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.

The consecutive playoff appearance streak ranks amongst the best ever in professional sports:

MOST CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN NHL HISTORY
29 – Boston Bruins (1968-96)
28 – Chicago Blackhawks (1970-97)
25 – St. Louis Blues (1980-04)
24 – Detroit Red Wings (1991-pres.)
24 – Montreal Canadiens (1971-94)
21 – Montreal Canadiens (1949-69)
20 – Detroit Red Wings (1939-58)
ACTIVE CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF APPEARANCES AMONG PROFESSIONAL SPORTS LEAGUES
24 – National Hockey League, Detroit Red Wings (1991-pres.)
18 – National Basketball Association, San Antonio Spurs (1998-pres.)
6 – National Football League, Green Bay Packers & New England Patriots (2010-pres.)
4 – Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers & St. Louis Cardinals (2011-pres.)