Best NHL Regular Season Records Through 20 games

Q: Which NHL team has the best record through 20 games?<

The 1929-30 Boston Bruins have the best all-time record through 20 games. They went 18-2 in the first 20 games, and eventually finished the season at 38-5-1.

Q: Which NHL team had the best start through 20 games but still missed the playoffs?

The 2001-02 Calgary Flames started the season 13-2-3-2, but failed to make the playoffs.

Q: How did the best NHL teams through 20 games perform in the playoffs?

Starting in 1918, of the 134 teams that each season had the best record or tied for the best record through 20 games, 99.3% of them went on to make the playoffs, and 26.9% of them won the Stanley Cup. The most recent 5 teams that had the best record through 20 games and went on to win the Stanley Cup are The 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks, the 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings, the 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche and the 1995-96 Colorado Avalanche.

Q: Are any 2024 teams in the top 50 all-time best NHL starts through 20 games?

The 2023-24 New York Rangers are tied for 39th on the all-time best NHL starts through 20 games with their 15-4-1 record.

Which NHL team has the best record through 20 games?<

The 1929-30 Boston Bruins have the best all-time record through 20 games. They went 18-2 in the first 20 games, and eventually finished the season at 38-5-1.

All-Time Best NHL Starts Through:

Best NHL Start Through 20 Games

	Team	Year	Record	Goal Differential	Final Record	Final Result
1	Boston Bruins	1930	18-2	+34	38-5-1	Lost Final
2	Ottawa Senators	1926	17-2-1	+32	24-8-4	Lost Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1980	16-1-3	+31	48-12-20	Lost Final
4	Ottawa Senators	2006	17-3	+53	52-21-9	Lost Conf Semi
	Montreal Canadiens	1928	15-1-4	+45	26-11-7	Lost Conf Finals
	Boston Bruins	2023	17-3	+37	65-12-5	Lost First Round
	Chicago Blackhawks	2013	17-0-3	+27	36-7-5	Won Final
	Ottawa Senators	1927	16-2-2	+18	30-10-4	Won Final
9	Buffalo Sabres	1976	16-3-1	+55	46-21-13	Lost Conf Semi
	Montreal Canadiens	1944	15-2-3	+54	38-5-7	Won Final
	Edmonton Oilers	1984	16-3-1	+40	57-18-5	Won Final
	Boston Bruins	1977	16-3-1	+26	49-23-8	Lost Final
13	Ottawa Senators	1920	16-4	+54	19-5	Won Final
	New York Rangers	1972	14-2-4	+52	48-17-13	Lost Final
	Montreal Canadiens	1973	14-2-4	+43	52-10-16	Won Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1986	16-4	+36	53-23-4	Lost First Round
	Chicago Black Hawks	1964	14-2-4	+35	36-22-12	Lost Conf Finals
	Montreal Canadiens	1960	14-2-4	+35	40-18-12	Won Final
	New Jersey Devils	2023	16-4	+28	52-22-8	Lost Conf Semi
	Phoenix Coyotes	1999	15-3-2	+27	39-31-12	Lost First Round
	Buffalo Sabres	2007	16-3-1	+26	53-22-7	Lost Conf Finals
	San Jose Sharks	2009	16-3-1	+24	53-18-11	Lost First Round
	Detroit Red Wings	2002	16-3-1	+22	51-17-10-4	Won Final
	Dallas Stars	2016	16-4	+21	50-23-9	Lost Conf Semi
	Ottawa Senators	2008	16-4	+20	43-31-8	Lost First Round
	New York Islanders	2020	16-3-1	+18	35-23-10	Lost Conf Finals
27	Montreal Canadiens	1977	14-3-3	+58	60-8-12	Won Final
	Boston Bruins	1974	15-4-1	+45	52-17-9	Lost Final
	Edmonton Oilers	1985	14-3-3	+44	49-20-11	Won Final
	Toronto Maple Leafs	1934	14-3-3	+44	26-13-9	Lost Conf Finals
	Hamilton Tigers	1925	15-4-1	+35	19-10-1	Lost Final
	New York Islanders	1979	14-3-3	+33	51-15-14	Lost Conf Finals
	Los Angeles Kings	1991	15-4-1	+31	46-24-10	Lost Conf Semi
	New York Islanders	1977	14-3-3	+31	47-21-12	Lost Conf Finals
	New York Rangers	1932	13-2-5	+31	23-17-8	Lost Final
	Boston Bruins	1980	14-3-3	+26	46-21-13	Lost Conf Semi
	Colorado Avalanche	2001	14-3-3	+23	52-16-10-4	Won Final
	Toronto Maple Leafs	1935	15-4-1	+20	30-14-4	Lost Final
39	Philadelphia Flyers	1985	13-3-4	+41	53-20-7	Lost Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1987	14-4-2	+41	46-26-8	Lost Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1981	14-4-2	+40	41-24-15	Lost Conf Semi
	Washington Capitals	1992	15-5	+38	45-27-8	Lost First Round
	Montreal Canadiens	1972	12-2-6	+34	46-16-16	Lost Conf Semi
	Tampa Bay Lightning	2021	15-4-1	+32	36-17-3	Won Final
	Atlanta Flames	1979	14-4-2	+31	41-31-8	Lost First Round
	Chicago Black Hawks	1972	15-5	+31	46-17-15	Lost Conf Finals
	Ottawa Senators	1922	14-4-2	+31	14-8-2	Lost Final
	Quebec Nordiques	1995	14-4-2	+30	30-13-5	Lost First Round
	Edmonton Oilers	1986	14-4-2	+29	56-17-7	Lost Conf Semi
	Montreal Canadiens	1993	14-4-2	+29	48-30-6	Won Final
	Detroit Red Wings	2006	15-4-1	+28	58-16-8	Lost First Round
	Tampa Bay Lightning	2018	15-3-2	+28	54-23-5	Lost Conf Finals
	Montreal Canadiens	1945	14-4-2	+27	38-8-4	Lost Conf Finals
	New Jersey Devils	1998	15-5	+27	48-23-11	Lost First Round
	Buffalo Sabres	1975	14-4-2	+26	49-16-15	Lost Final
	Toronto Maple Leafs	1994	13-3-4	+26	43-29-12	Lost Conf Finals
	New York Rangers	2016	15-3-2	+25	46-27-9	Lost First Round
	Carolina Hurricanes	2022	15-4-1	+23	54-20-8	Lost Conf Semi
	Colorado Avalanche	2014	15-5	+22	52-22-8	Lost First Round
	Vegas Golden Knights	2023	15-4-1	+22	51-22-9	Won Final
	Vegas Golden Knights	2021	15-4-1	+21	40-14-2	Lost Conf Finals
	Anaheim Ducks	2014	15-4-1	+20	54-20-8	Lost Conf Semi
	Pittsburgh Penguins	1995	14-4-2	+20	29-16-3	Lost Conf Semi
	Edmonton Oilers	2022	15-5	+18	49-27-6	Lost Conf Finals
	Calgary Flames	1994	14-4-2	+17	42-29-13	Lost First Round
	New York Rangers	2024	15-4-1	+17	55-23-4	In Progress – Playoffs
	Anaheim Ducks	2013	15-3-2	+16	30-12-6	Lost First Round

Which NHL team had the best start through 20 games but still missed the playoffs?