The Chicago Blackhawks won the 1985-86 NHL Norris division race on 86 points, 1 point ahead of the Minnesota North Stars. It came down to the final days: the Chicago Blackhawks did not lead for good until April 6, 1986.
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Norris standings, 1985-86
Team
W
L
T
PTS
L10
Streak
Chicago Blackhawks (CHI)
39
33
8
86
5-5-0
W1
Minnesota North Stars (MNS)
38
33
9
85
6-4-0
W2
St. Louis Blues (STL)
37
34
9
83
4-5-1
L1
Toronto Maple Leafs (TOR)
25
48
7
57
2-7-1
L3
Detroit Red Wings (DET)
17
57
6
40
2-8-0
W1
Final standings.
Turning points
The lead changed hands 9 times.
The Chicago Blackhawks trailed by as many as 8 points on December 17, 1985.
The Chicago Blackhawks took first place for good on April 6, 1986.
The St. Louis Blues led by 8 points as late as December 20, 1985.
The Chicago Blackhawks went 13-4-3 from December 20, 1985 to January 29, 1986, turning a deficit of 8 points into a lead of 8 points.
The top two ended the day within two points of each other on 74 of the 145 days played.
Four teams held first place.
The Chicago Blackhawks held first place for 85 straight days, the season's longest run.
The Chicago Blackhawks spent 94 of the season's 179 charted days in first place.