At least that’s how it appears right now, as they’re on a 16-game winning streak heading into their game against the Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET, Hulu/ESPN+). If they win, they’ll tie the all-time NHL record of 17, set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins — and they’ll have a chance to break the record against the Anaheim Ducks on Feb. 9.
It’s a massive turnaround for the Oilers, who lost 10 of their first 12 games and were only 13-15-1 before the streak started. They’re third in the Pacific Division and seem to have unlocked their full potential in what’s proving to be a magical season.
With the Oilers looking to make history, we were reminded of other greatest single-season winning streaks across sports.
NHL: 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins (17 games)
The Penguins missed Mario Lemieux for part of the season because of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but his return inspired them to greatness. Lemieux had 51 points during the Penguins’ streak — 20 more than Adam Oates, the next-highest player. Pittsburgh scored 10 goals in a game twice in that span, with Lemieux contributing five goals in their 10-4 win against the New York Rangers. The streak ended with a 6-6 OT tie against the New Jersey Devils in the regular-season finale. Pittsburgh went on to be upset by the New York Islanders in a seven-game second-round playoff series.
Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich — the ’71-’72 Lakers were loaded with legends, and it showed. Los Angeles averaged 123.3 points per game during their streak, the most in the NBA at the time. They won 8 games by 20+ points, 2 by 40+ points, and 23 in total by double digits. Strangely, the loss that broke the streak — a 120-104 defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks — actually sparked a 2-4 skid. But it was just a blip on the radar — the Lakers went 69-13, a mark that would stand until the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10, and won an NBA title in five games.
What happens when you pair Tom Brady and Randy Moss on the same team? Greatness, bordering on absurdity. Moss caught 23 touchdown passes from Brady, breaking Jerry Rice’s record of 22. Brady became the first quarterback ever to throw for 50 touchdowns in a season. The Patriots as a whole scored 589 points, a record that would stand until the 2013 Broncos surpassed it with 606. Unfortunately for Patriots fans, this season is more known for how it ended, with a stunning loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
The Spider caught a lot of flies in his incredible UFC career. He hit the ground running, winning his first 16 matches in stylish and epic fashion. Silva had 10 straight title defenses during this period, the second-longest streak in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson. He beat Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen twice each, along with wins over Forrest Griffin and Vitor Belfort. Silva eventually lost in spectacular fashion against Chris Weidman, ending his streak.
Lisa Leslie went off during the Sparks’ dominant run, averaging 21.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.8 APG. The Sparks, as a whole, averaged 80 PPG during the streak, almost nine points higher than the next-best team (Sacramento Monarchs at 71.6). Their point differential of 11.8 was over 5 points per game better than any other team in that span. Their streak ended in heartbreaking fashion, with Adrienne Goodson hitting a go-ahead shot with .1 seconds remaining to give the Utah Starzz an 80-78 win.
We have to go all the way back to the 19th century for this one. The Bulldogs outscored their opponents an astounding 485-13 during the streak, shutting out 13 of their 16 opponents. George Adee, their starting quarterback, is also a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. If you’re looking for more modern streaks, the 2018 Clemson Tigers, 2019 LSU Tigers, 2022 Georgia Bulldogs and 2023 Michigan Wolverines all went 15-0.
While there have been other undefeated seasons in women’s college basketball, no other team accomplished the feat in a 40-game season like Baylor and UConn did. A special note for the Huskies — their 2013-14 undefeated campaign was part of a larger undefeated run of 111 games that lasted from Nov. 23, 2014, to March 27, 2017.
This team was loaded with future NBA talent. Nine players on the Wildcats’ roster later played in the NBA, including Karl-Anthony Towns, Devin Booker, Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles. They tied the single-season Division I record for wins in a season with the 2012 Kentucky squad and 2008 Memphis Tigers (later vacated). All of those teams were coached by John Calipari, by the by. Their only loss came against the Wisconsin Badgers in the Final Four.
Five of Nelson’s 11 wins came by at least 5 shots. One of his wins was the 1945 PGA Championship — the lone major played that season because of World War II. The longest streak since Nelson’s feat? Tiger Woods, with seven straight wins in 2006-7.
After issuing a walk to Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner lofted a home run to the flower bed just past the right-field wall, ending Misiorowski’s run of hitless innings to start his big league career at 11, the first starter to do that since 1900.
“I think this is exactly how I ever dreamed of it coming along,” the 23-year-old rookie said. “It’s exciting.”
He threw five no-hit innings against St. Louis on June 12, but left in the sixth with cramping in his right calf and quadriceps.
“I felt calmer and ready to go compared to the first one,” Misiorowski said. “Nerves were going pretty heavy on the first one, so it’s good to finally feel the feet under you.”
The 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out six with a fastball topping out at 102.1 mph and a slider and changeup in the mid-90s.
“It’s important to prove to yourself as a young player that you belong in the big leagues and taste success and realize that you do belong here,” said Christian Yelich, who had a career-high eight RBIs. “He should believe he’s a really good major league pitcher because he is. All the nights probably aren’t going to go as smooth as the first two, but you see the ability.
“He’s got a chance to something special every night he goes out there.”
Misiorowski is the only big leaguer since 1900 to have more wins (2) than hits allowed (1) in his first two career starts, according to OptaSTATS.
“He was attacking, but mixing, too,” manager Pat Murphy said. “It wasn’t just heaters.”
After seeing four straight pitches of at least 100.8 mph from Misiorowski, Willi Castro twisted like a corkscrew and dropped to the ground as he struck out on a 95.5 mph slider in the first inning.
“You don’t see a guy throwing a slider 95, 96,” Castro said. “It’s really hard to pick up.”
Misiorowski threw 29 pitches of 100 mph or higher and had 12 of 101 mph or more. Since tracking started in 2008, the only starting pitchers to throw more in a game at 101 mph and above are Hunter Greene (33 on Sept. 17, 2022; 21 on March 30, 2023; 18 on July 26, 2022; and 13 on April 16, 2022) and Jordan Hicks (on July 12, 2022), according to Major League Baseball.
After the homer by Wallner, Misiorowski was pulled for reliever Nick Mears and left to a standing ovation. He threw 86 pitches, 60 for strikes, and departed with Milwaukee leading 8-2.
The Brewers scored five runs in the top of the seventh, a long time for starter to sit in the dugout, but Misiorowski was adamant about going back to the mound.
“He said, ‘Yes I’m getting toward the end, but I want to challenge myself,'” Murphy said. “It was a good time to have him do that.”
LOS ANGELES — San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount Friday for intentionally hitting Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a pitch during the NL West rivals’ contentious meeting Thursday night.
Suarez will appeal the suspension, keeping him eligible to play for San Diego on Friday night against Kansas City. He did not pitch in the Padres’ 6-5 loss.
Padres manager Mike Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also received one-game suspensions and undisclosed fines for their roles in the brouhaha that occurred in both halves of the ninth inning during the Padres’ 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium.
“I support it,” Roberts said about the league’s disciplinary decision. “I think that obviously I never want to make the game about the managers. It shouldn’t be. It should be about the players and winning, so last night, both managers are protecting their teams, and it just unfortunately got to the point that we became the focus, and that’s not the way it should be.”
Both managers were ejected in the top of the ninth after they ran onto the field and bumped into each other during a vociferous argument that almost got even more physical before their players and assistant coaches intervened.
Shildt believed Dodgers reliever Jack Little intentionally hit Fernando Tatís Jr. in the right hand with a pitch, igniting the latest bench-clearing incident between local rivals with several years of bad-tempered history.
“Circumstances were really challenging this past series, and at the end of the day I don’t regret standing up for a guy that I love in Tati, and a team that I love and a city that I love,” Shildt said. “In that regard, I have no regrets how it got to that point. Again, we can all have our comments and thoughts and theories. But as far as my actions, it’s not something you want to do every night or needs to be done, hopefully ever again. But appropriate actions for the circumstances were taken, and I don’t regret it at all.”
Shildt and Roberts served their suspensions Friday. Bench coach Danny Lehmann managed the Dodgers in their 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals, and Padres bench coach Brian Esposito was in San Diego’s dugout vs. the Royals.
In the bottom of the ninth, Ohtani was hit on the back of his right shoulder by Suarez’s pitch, putting the tying run on base during the Dodgers’ three-run rally. Ohtani’s teammates appeared to be preparing to storm the field for the second time before Ohtani waved them back. The three-time MVP then walked to the Padres’ dugout for some light banter, defusing the tension.
Suarez on Friday insisted he hadn’t retaliated for Tatís.
“I was never trying to get anyone into trouble or hit anybody,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “Unfortunately it happened. I got ejected and I couldn’t finish out the game, but we won as a team, and we were able to salvage that game. … [The Dodgers are] entitled to their opinion. They can say whatever they want. That was not the case. I was out there to try to save the game.”
Ohtani threw a bullpen session as scheduled Friday despite getting hit by Suarez on his pitching shoulder. Ohtani’s second mound start for the Dodgers is still expected to happen Sunday, Roberts said.
Tatís was in the Padres’ lineup as usual Friday. Manny Machado said afterward that the Dodgers should “pray” Tatís had escaped serious injury, encouraging them to “put out a candle.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Jesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com.
SAN FRANCISCO — As he prepared to face his former team just five days after being traded, San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers wants to leave things in the past as it pertains to the Boston Red Sox.
“I put up some good numbers in Boston and I feel like I earned some respect,” Devers said through an interpreter. “If they would have asked me at the beginning of spring training, yes, I would have played [first].”
Of course, back then the Red Sox didn’t have an opening at first base as Triston Casas didn’t get hurt until about a month into the season. But the overall damage had been done.
The lack of communication between the sides seemingly led to the stunning trade, and now just three games into his career with San Francisco, Devers has to face his old teammates in a weekend series at Oracle Park.
“Whatever happened, happened,” Devers said. “But they’re still my friends.”
Devers actually got to see his friends after they arrived in town Thursday, but as of early Friday afternoon, he had not seen or talked to manager Alex Cora. He’s confident he will.
Devers was pressed about his former manager.
“I don’t want to talk about the past,” Devers said. “I don’t have anything good or bad to say about Alex. I just want to leave everything in the past.”
Cora addressed the subject during his pregame media availability, saying, “There’s a lot of stuff that Rafy did for us that we’re going to miss. We’re very proud of him.”
Asked if the two need to clear the air about anything, Cora replied, “Clear the air about what? It’s a trade. It’s baseball. It’s a business. That’s how it works.
“It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy. People have their opinions about the whole thing. Communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end, I turn the page.”
Cora was then asked if he’s “surprised” Devers is working at first base, to which the manager offered a succinct, “No.”
Devers acknowledged it’s been a “long week” but he’s feeling more relaxed and even happy now. Entering Friday, he was 3-for-11 with two walks and four strikeouts for his new team, which desperately needs his presence in its lineup.
Devers, batting third and serving as the Giants’ designated hitter, got a standing ovation before grounding out in his first at-bat in the first inning Friday and hit a drive to the wall in left-center that Ceddanne Rafaela caught against the wall.
He would finish the game 0-for-5 as San Francisco lost 7-5 and dropped to 1-3 since the trade. It was the second time this season Devers went 0-for-5 or worse (0-for-6 at at Detroit on May 13), and the first time he did so in a home game since Sept. 26, 2023 (Rays at Red Sox).
Eventually, he’ll see time at first base — but only when he’s ready.
“It’s not a position I’m going to learn how to play overnight,” Devers said.
“It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy. People have their opinions about the whole thing. Communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end, I turn the page.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora
He was asked several times when he might get a start there.
“Whenever I feel like I’m comfortable,” he answered.
The conversation eventually came back around to his relationship with the Red Sox, but Devers insisted on putting it behind him.
“I really don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “I want to concentrate what’s in the future for me.”
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.