January 23, 1944: The Detroit Red Wings put a historic beatdown on the New York Rangers.
Beatdown doesn't even describe it. It was the most one-sided game in NHL history: Detroit's 15-0 win set a record for biggest blowout in NHL history as well as the first team to score 15 consecutive goals in a game.
It's not like the Rangers were a good team at 6-22-1, but nonetheless it's an impressive score. And Detroit only scored two goals in the first period. The Red Wings got five more goals in the second and eight in the third. In fact, if the game had been another second it would have been 16 goals because one was fired into the net just a fraction too late.
Rangers goalie Ken McAuley was under attack all night. Despited missing 15 shots, he made 43 saves. Detroit's goalie Connie Dion, on the other hand, only faced nine shots.
Ten players scored for the Red Wings. Syd Howe led the team with a hat trick, with all three goals coming in the final eight minutes of the game.
These teams would play almost two weeks later and the Red Wings would win 12-2. That's 27-2 in two games.
The Red Wings have always been a proud franchise, but this is one day that's truly unforgettable.