Fewest NHL Road Wins

Senators and Capitals Share Record

Apr 7, 2009 Michael Dell

Everyone wins at home. Good teams win on the road. And truly awful teams win once.

The 2008-09 New York Islanders have been positively dreadful away from home, posting a league-worst 9-27-3 record through their first 39 road games. But when it comes to road futility, the Isles have a long way to go before matching the 1974-75 Washington Capitals and the 1992-93 Ottawa Senators, two expansion teams who brought new meaning to the word terrible.

1974-75 Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals entered the NHL in 1974-75 and did little to prove they belonged, going 8-67-5 in their maiden season. They allowed 446 goals, or 105 more than their next closest competitor, and scored just 181, giving them an embarrassing minus-265 goal-differential.

Goaltender Michel Belhumeur had one of the most humiliating seasons in NHL history. The diminutive French-Canadian netminder allowed 5.36 goals per game and wasn’t in net for a single win, posting a perfect 0-24-3 record.

The Caps were particularly shameful on the road, earning just one win in 40 tries. Their 1-39-0 road record earned them a special place in NHL lore, marking the fewest road wins ever recorded in a 70-game season. At one point, they lost 37 consecutive games away from home. Their lone road victory, a 5-3 triumph over the California Golden Seals, didn’t come until the season’s 76th game.

1992-93 Ottawa Senators

While it appeared Washington’s road ineptitude would never be matched, along came the 1992-93 Ottawa Senators. The Sens won their first game in franchise history, stunning the visiting Montreal Canadiens 5-3, but it was downhill from there. Ottawa would go 0-20-1 in its next 21 games to set the tone for a truly forgettable season.

The Sens ended their first campaign 10-70-4, and their minus-193 goal-differential put the 1974-75 Caps to shame. But thanks to the 84-game schedule, they managed to go 1-41-0 away from home and ran their road losing streak to a record 38 consecutive contests. Ottawa’s only road victory came in its 81st game, as the lowly Senators somehow managed to escape Long Island with a 5-3 win.

Defenseman Norm Maciver actually led the 1992-93 Senators in scoring, recording a rather impressive 17 goals and 63 points in 80 games. Sadly, those 63 points also came with a minus-46. Such is life for No. 1 defensemen on expansion teams.

Fewest Road Wins One Season

(minimum 70-game schedule)

1 - Washington Capitals, 1974-75

1 - Ottawa Senators, 1992-93

2 - Boston Bruins, 1960-61

2 - Los Angeles Kings, 1969-70

2 - New York Islanders, 1972-73

2 - California Golden Seals, 1973-74

2 - Colorado Rockies, 1977-78

2 - Winnipeg Jets, 1980-81

2 - Quebec Nordiques, 1991-92

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