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Bruins stand in elite company with 62nd win, but remain fixated on greater goal
"Our regular season has been great, but we need to win our last game of the season."
There have been plenty of elite rosters that have graced the frozen sheet since the NHL’s inception back in 1917.
But only three squads have ever secured 62 wins in a single season. The 1995-96 Red Wings, the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, and now — the 2022-23 Boston Bruins.
The Bruins seated themselves in the exclusive club by way of a 2-1 win over the Devils on Saturday night — setting the stage for a potential record-breaking performance on Sunday evening against the Flyers.
“Any time you’re talking about putting your team’s name and putting our spoked B in the history books with the most wins ever in our regular season — it’s special,” Jim Montgomery said postgame. “And collectively, I think what’s made this season special is how hard our guys play for each other.
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“So I think this record is reflective of — if you were thinking about the word team, I think we described the word team the way we played this regular season.”
Two hallmarks of the Bruins’ success this season were on display once again during Saturday’s victory.
While Vezina Trophy frontrunner Linus Ullmark repelled a high-flying, rush-first Devils squad (29 saves), it was Pavel Zacha — one of many supporting-cast regulars in the midst of a career year — who supplied the offense with a pair of tallies.
In crunch time, Boston’s league-leading defense clamped down on New Jersey, with the B’s penalty kill having now negated 34 straight opposing power plays.
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“It feels great, especially the way we won the game,” Montgomery said. “We played Bruins hockey for 60 minutes.”
Boston might have locked up a playoff berth close to a month ago, but Taylor Hall stressed the positives that this pursuit of hockey history has brought this team.
Over an extended stretch of regular-season action where the Bruins easily could have coasted, having a tangible record to follow in the form of 63 wins has allowed this roster to avoid complacency despite not having to fret over the standings.
“It’s something that you will remember for a long time. You don’t get a ring for it, obviously,” Hall said. “And we have bigger goals in mind. But to be a part of something like this is, it’s a feather in your cap, and I think everyone’s had contributions. Some are bigger than others, but we’ve all come together as a group to do this.
“And at the end of the season, if we weren’t in this spot — if we had 56 wins, maybe these games are not as meaningful. But now that there’s a chance to chase history, there’s a little bit more on the line and I think that’s really good for us moving into the playoffs.”
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As Hall noted, rings are not doled out for regular-season accolades. And even though Boston is now in the same class as that 95-96 Detroit squad and the 18-19 Bolts, the B’s will look to become the first of that trio to win the Stanley Cup that season.
The 95-96 Red Wings fell two wins short of a trip to the title series, losing to the Avalanche in six games during the Western Conference Finals. The 18-19 Lightning collapsed in spectacular fashion, getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by a tenacious Blue Jackets team.
Much like the wins record they’ve followed over the last few months, the Bruins are fully cognizant of the misfortune that has befallen plenty of other Cup contenders over the years.
As such, Montgomery stressed that 63 wins — if Boston can clinch it over its final three regular-season tilts — will not mean all that much if that success doesn’t translate over to the postseason.
“Two of the greatest coaches to ever coach in this league, along with there’s a handful of other names,” Montgomery said of joining Scotty Bowman and Jon Cooper as coaches of 62-win squads. “It’s awesome, but I’d rather get Stanley Cups like they have — than have this.
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“That’s what we’re chasing. Ultimately, this is great. Our regular season has been great, but we need to win our last game of the season. And that’s what we’re building toward.”
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