Best NHL Regular Season Records Through 30 games

Q: Which NHL team has the best record through 30 games?<

The 1929-30 Boston Bruins have the best all-time record through 30 games. They went 25-4-1 in the first 30 games, and eventually finished the season at 38-5-1.

Q: Which NHL team had the best start through 30 games but still missed the playoffs?

The 2017-18 St. Louis Blues and 2011-12 Minnesota Wild both started the season 20-8-2, but failed to make the playoffs.

Q: How did the best NHL teams through 30 games perform in the playoffs?

Starting in 1925, of the 124 teams that each season had the best record or tied for the best record through 30 games, 99.2% of them went on to make the playoffs, and 29.0% of them won the Stanley Cup. The most recent 5 teams that had the best record through 30 games and went on to win the Stanley Cup are The 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2014-15 Chicago Blackhawks, the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks, the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings and the 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings.

Q: Are any 2024 teams in the top 50 all-time best NHL starts through 30 games?

The 2023-24 New York Rangers are tied for 34th on the all-time best NHL starts through 30 games with their 22-7-1 record.

Which NHL team has the best record through 30 games?<

The 1929-30 Boston Bruins have the best all-time record through 30 games. They went 25-4-1 in the first 30 games, and eventually finished the season at 38-5-1.

All-Time Best NHL Starts Through:

Best NHL Start Through 30 Games

	Team	Year	Record	Goal Differential	Final Record	Final Result
1	Boston Bruins	1930	25-4-1	+50	38-5-1	Lost Final
2	San Jose Sharks	2009	25-3-2	+42	53-18-11	Lost First Round
3	Montreal Canadiens	1944	22-3-5	+73	38-5-7	Won Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1980	20-1-9	+41	48-12-20	Lost Final
5	Montreal Canadiens	1977	22-4-4	+80	60-8-12	Won Final
	Montreal Canadiens	1945	23-5-2	+65	38-8-4	Lost Conf Finals
	Boston Bruins	2023	24-4-2	+50	65-12-5	Lost First Round
	St. Louis Blues	2001	22-4-4	+50	43-22-12-5	Lost Conf Finals
	Chicago Blackhawks	2013	24-3-3	+36	36-7-5	Won Final
10	Boston Bruins	1974	22-5-3	+60	52-17-9	Lost Final
11	Ottawa Senators	2006	23-5-2	+69	52-21-9	Lost Conf Semi
	Philadelphia Flyers	1978	21-5-4	+69	45-20-15	Lost Conf Finals
	Calgary Flames	1989	21-5-4	+53	54-17-9	Won Final
	Buffalo Sabres	1975	21-5-4	+48	49-16-15	Lost Final
	Edmonton Oilers	1986	21-5-4	+43	56-17-7	Lost Conf Semi
	Buffalo Sabres	2007	23-5-2	+35	53-22-7	Lost Conf Finals
	Colorado Avalanche	2001	21-5-4	+30	52-16-10-4	Won Final
	Detroit Red Wings	2002	22-5-2-1	+28	51-17-10-4	Won Final
19	Montreal Canadiens	1976	20-5-5	+66	58-11-11	Won Final
	New York Rangers	1972	20-5-5	+65	48-17-13	Lost Final
	Edmonton Oilers	1985	21-6-3	+57	49-20-11	Won Final
	Boston Bruins	1971	20-5-5	+56	57-14-7	Lost Conf Semi
	Chicago Black Hawks	1971	20-5-5	+56	49-20-9	Lost Final
	Boston Bruins	1972	21-6-3	+54	54-13-11	Won Final
	Edmonton Oilers	1984	21-6-3	+54	57-18-5	Won Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1976	19-4-7	+53	51-13-16	Lost Final
	New York Rangers	1940	19-4-7	+50	27-11-10	Won Final
	Montreal Canadiens	1972	19-4-7	+49	46-16-16	Lost Conf Semi
	New York Islanders	1979	19-4-7	+48	51-15-14	Lost Conf Finals
	Montreal Canadiens	1956	19-4-7	+41	45-15-10	Won Final
	Quebec Nordiques	1995	21-6-3	+40	30-13-5	Lost First Round
	New York Rangers	1994	21-6-3	+36	52-24-8	Won Final
	Ottawa Senators	1926	21-6-3	+30	24-8-4	Lost Final
34	Montreal Canadiens	1928	19-5-6	+56	26-11-7	Lost Conf Finals
	Philadelphia Flyers	1987	21-7-2	+53	46-26-8	Lost Final
	Detroit Red Wings	1996	21-7-2	+50	62-13-7	Lost Conf Finals
	Philadelphia Flyers	1975	20-6-4	+50	51-18-11	Won Final
	Detroit Red Wings	1995	21-7-2	+48	33-11-4	Lost Final
	Philadelphia Flyers	1986	22-8	+48	53-23-4	Lost First Round
	Montreal Canadiens	1979	20-6-4	+47	52-17-11	Won Final
	Boston Bruins	1939	21-7-2	+44	36-10-2	Won Final
	Tampa Bay Lightning	2021	22-6-2	+40	36-17-3	Won Final
	Tampa Bay Lightning	2018	22-6-2	+39	54-23-5	Lost Conf Finals
	Los Angeles Kings	1981	21-7-2	+38	43-24-13	Lost First Round
	Carolina Hurricanes	2022	22-7-1	+37	54-20-8	Lost Conf Semi
	Detroit Red Wings	2008	22-6-2	+37	54-21-7	Won Final
	Chicago Black Hawks	1983	19-5-6	+36	47-23-10	Lost Conf Finals
	Boston Bruins	1979	19-5-6	+35	43-23-14	Lost Conf Finals
	Florida Panthers	1996	21-7-2	+33	41-31-10	Lost Final
	Phoenix Coyotes	1999	20-6-4	+33	39-31-12	Lost First Round
	Vegas Golden Knights	2021	22-7-1	+33	40-14-2	Lost Conf Finals
	Detroit Red Wings	1952	18-4-8	+32	44-14-12	Won Final
	Toronto Maple Leafs	1947	20-6-4	+31	31-19-10	Won Final
	Tampa Bay Lightning	2019	22-7-1	+30	62-16-4	Lost First Round
	Toronto Maple Leafs	1935	21-7-2	+30	30-14-4	Lost Final
	Pittsburgh Penguins	2013	22-8	+28	36-12	Lost Conf Finals
	Dallas Stars	1999	19-5-6	+27	51-19-12	Won Final
	San Jose Sharks	2001	20-6-4	+27	40-27-12-3	Lost First Round
	Washington Capitals	2016	22-6-2	+27	56-18-8	Lost Conf Semi
	Anaheim Ducks	2013	22-4-4	+24	30-12-6	Lost First Round
	Dallas Stars	2016	22-6-2	+23	50-23-9	Lost Conf Semi
	New York Rangers	2024	22-7-1	+19	55-23-4	In Progress – Playoffs
	Ottawa Senators	1927	20-6-4	+9	30-10-4	Won Final

Which NHL team had the best start through 30 games but still missed the playoffs?