The Chicago Blackhawks won the 1975-76 NHL Smythe division race on 82 points, 1 point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. It came down to the final days: the Chicago Blackhawks did not lead for good until March 28, 1976.
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Smythe standings, 1975-76
Team
W
L
T
PTS
L10
Streak
Chicago Blackhawks (CHI)
32
30
18
82
4-5-1
W1
Vancouver Canucks (VAN)
33
32
15
81
5-3-2
W2
St. Louis Blues (STL)
29
37
14
72
4-4-2
L1
Minnesota North Stars (MNS)
20
53
7
47
2-5-3
T1
Kansas City Scouts (KCS)
12
56
12
36
0-8-2
L7
Final standings.
Turning points
The lead changed hands 6 times.
The Chicago Blackhawks trailed by as many as 2 points on October 11, 1975.
The Chicago Blackhawks took first place for good on March 28, 1976.
The Chicago Blackhawks led by as many as 14 points on January 28, 1976.
The Chicago Blackhawks went 10-3-5 from October 11, 1975 to November 19, 1975, turning a deficit of 2 points into a lead of 8 points.
The top two ended the day within two points of each other on 31 of the 142 days played.
Five teams held first place.
The Chicago Blackhawks held first place for 161 straight days, the season's longest run.
The Chicago Blackhawks spent 171 of the season's 181 charted days in first place.