NHL STREAK TRACKER · METHODOLOGY
HOW THE MATH WORKS.
BY THE STREAKOKEY TEAM AT VIBR8LAB · LAST REVIEWED
Methodology
HOW STREAKS ARE COUNTED
Data Sources
Every number comes from the NHL’s public game data. Once a day, after the night’s games are final, Streakokey pulls the official box scores, records each player’s goals, assists, ice time and goalie decisions, and rebuilds every streak from scratch. The time of the last successful update is shown at the bottom of every page, in Eastern time.
How Streaks Are Calculated
A streak is a run of consecutive games in which a player meets one condition, such as recording a point. Streakokey only lists runs of two or more games; a single game is just a game. Each player can have several streaks running at once, for example a point streak and a games-played streak.
Streak Rules
| STREAK | WHO | EXTENDS IT | SKIPPED | ENDS IT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Point Streak | Skaters | A game with at least 1 point | Games the skater doesn't play | A game played without a point |
| Goal Streak | Skaters | A game with at least 1 goal | Games the skater doesn't play | A game played without a goal |
| Drought | Skaters | A game played without a point | Games the skater doesn't play | A game with at least 1 point |
| Games Played | Skaters and goalies (goalies need ice time) | Playing in the team's game | None | A missed team game: injury, scratch or unused backup |
| Games Benched | Players with at least 1 game in the segment | Missing the team's game | None | A game the player gets into |
| Win Streak | Goalies | Being credited with the win | Games without a decision | A regulation, overtime or shootout loss |
| Losing Streak | Goalies | A loss, overtime and shootout included | Games without a decision | A win |
| Shutout Streak | Goalies | A start without a goal against | Relief appearances | A start with a goal against |
| Winning Game | Goalies | Playing in a team win, decision or not | Games the goalie doesn't play | A game played in a team loss |
| Losing Game | Goalies | Playing in a team loss, decision or not | Games the goalie doesn't play | A game played in a team win |
Regular Season, Playoffs and the Offseason
Each NHL season is split into two segments, the regular season and the playoffs, and every streak lives inside one of them. A run that is still going on the last day of the regular season does not carry into the playoffs, and nothing carries from one season into the next. Preseason games are ignored.
When a segment ends, every open streak is closed at its last game, so nothing is labelled active over the summer. The site keeps showing the finished segment, marked final, until it switches to the next one; from then on every streak starts again from zero.
Active vs. Ended Streaks
An active streak has not been broken: the player’s most recent counted game still met the condition, and the segment is still being played. An ended streak was broken by a game that failed the condition, or closed when its segment ended. The Hot/All switch in the header shows only active streaks when set to Hot.
Edge Cases
- Injuries and scratches: point, goal and drought streaks only count games the player plays, so missed games are skipped. A games-played streak ends on any missed team game, and a games-benched streak starts.
- Backup goalies: a goalie who dresses but never gets on the ice hasn’t played.
- Overtime and shootouts: an overtime or shootout loss counts as a loss for a goalie’s win and losing streaks.
- Trades: a streak follows the player, not the team; the team shown is the current one.
Accuracy and Corrections
Streakokey relies on official NHL game data, and the NHL occasionally corrects a scoring decision after the fact; the next daily update picks the correction up. If a streak still looks wrong, email streakokey@vibr8soft.com with the player and the game.
Questions
QUICK ANSWERS
Are playoff games included in Streakokey streaks?
Yes, but they are counted separately. Streakokey splits each NHL season into a regular-season segment and a playoff segment, and every streak lives inside one segment: a run that is still going when the regular season ends does not carry into the playoffs. Leaderboards show the current segment, and the footer names it.
Does an injury end a streak?
It depends on the streak. Point streaks, goal streaks and droughts only count games the player actually plays, so games missed through injury are skipped and the streak resumes when the player returns. A games-played streak is different: any missed team game, injury included, ends it and starts a games-benched streak instead.
How often is the data updated?
Once a day. After each night's games are final, Streakokey pulls the official box scores from the NHL's public API and rebuilds every streak from scratch. The date and time of the last successful update appears at the bottom of every page, in Eastern time, so you can always tell how fresh the numbers are.
What happens to streaks between seasons?
When a segment ends, every streak still open is closed at its last game, so nothing is labelled active over the summer or between the regular season and the playoffs. Leaderboards keep showing the finished segment, marked final, until the site switches to the next one. From then on, every streak starts again from zero.