For as long as Shayne Gostisbehere keeps scoring, we’ll continue to point out new and exciting statistical milestones he reaches and/or ties, because it’s only the right thing to do. (While knocking on wood the entire time, because, again, we want this to last for the rest of his career, pretty much.)
Gostisbehere has been scoring for a month straight now. The last time he failed to record a single point on the gamesheet, it was Jan. 17, 2016. It is now Feb. 17, 2016. That month has allowed him to not only set, but extend, the longest point streak ever scored by a rookie defenseman.
Via the Elias Sports Bureau, Inc., we know there are a few other cool statistical facts we can use to brag about Ghost:
- The last time a defenseman scored this many games in a row, it was Brian Leetch back in 1996-97. He topped out with a 14-game streak.
- Only two other rookies since the 1993-94 season – aka the first season after Gostisbehere was born – have had 13-game point streaks: Paul Stastny in 2006-07 (his 20 games setting a record), and Nathan MacKinnon in 2013-14, who topped out at 13 games.
So what are Gostisbehere’s chances of matching, or passing, those records? Well, next up for the Flyers are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, both of whom are notably rather bad. So that could bring Gostisbehere up to 15 games, which would pass MacKinnon and Leetch.
The Carolina Hurricanes are the Flyers’ next game after those two, and a team above the Flyers in the standings: albeit, at time of writing, by just two points, and Philadelphia has a game in hand. So… maybe? Then it’s the Minnesota Wild, who have been free falling to the extent of firing their coach; then the Arizona Coyotes, who are also rather bad; then the Calgary Flames who are… you guessed it… bad.
The Flyers have six games left in February, and they’re all against teams either around or below them in the standings. And that’s not even counting the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets kicking off March: two more teams right at the bottom of the standings.
Not that playing against bad teams is a guarantee for one to win, let alone for one particular player to score. But it is worthy of an eyebrow raise as we keep watch on Gostisbehere’s point streak – and knock on wood the entire time.
