The Minnesota Wild aren’t used to winning streaks like the six-gamer they’re on right now. But Bruce Boudreau is.
Where Boudreau goes, teams go on lengthy winning streaks.
Last season, Boudreau’s Anaheim Ducks were 12-15-6 on Dec. 22 before fueling a run to the playoffs with an 11-game winning streak in January and February. In 2014-15, Boudreau’s Ducks had a pair of seven-game streaks in the first 33 games of the season.
The 2013-14 season began just like 2014, with the Ducks losing the opener before winning seven in a row. Then in December they won 10 straight, lost a game and then poured eight more in the win column.
He had a nine-game streak in 2010-11 with the Capitals and a ridiculous 14-gamer with the Caps in 2009-10.
Not to mention the seven- and- eight-game streaks of 2007-08 and 2008-09 and the six-gamer in the 2012-13 strike-shortened season.
The wins aren’t always pretty, but that’s just fine with Boudreau.
“They’re not all Picassos,” Boudreau said after Minnesota gritted its way to a sixth straight win Thursday in Nashville.
Boudreau’s top five winning streaks
- 14 games, 2009-10 in Washington
- 11 games, 2015-16 in Anaheim
- 10 games, 2013-14 in Anaheim
- 9 games, 2010-11 in Washington
- 8 games, 2013-14 in Anaheim and 2007-08 in Washington
It took Boudreau a minute, but he already has the Wild winning the way he had the Ducks and Capitals winning.
The longest win streak in Wild franchise history is nine games in 2006-07. The other longest win streaks in Wild history?
- 7 games (twice)
- 6 games (three times)
- 5 games (four times)
Seriously. That’s it. Minnesota has a chance to tie the second-longest winning streak in franchise history at home Saturday afternoon against the lowly Arizona Coyotes.
The streak could reach eight at home Tuesday against Colorado and nine in Montreal Dec. 22.
Dare we look ahead at a 10-game streak? Minnesota could do it at Madison Square Garden against the New York Rangers on Dec. 23 if all goes well.
