December 25, 2024

Amid record-setting season, Bruins become the first NHL team to hit impressive milestone

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The Bruins need just 17 more wins to break the NHL record for most in a single season. © Rich Lam / The Canadian Press via AP The Bruins need just 17 more wins to break the NHL record for most in a single season.

The 2022-23 Bruins have been tearing up the record books all season long.

Through 59 games, Boston boasts a record of 46-8-5 and 97 total points. If they capture another 36 points in their last 23 games, they’ll break the NHL record for the most points in a single campaign.

Boston needs 17 wins to break the league record for wins (62). Already, the Bruins sit just 10 points away from matching last year’s total … with seven weeks left in the regular season.

Add in Linus Ullmark becoming the first B’s netminder to light the lamp on Saturday, and this Bruins roster has been setting new milestones left and right.

They continued that trend on Monday night in Edmonton. Even though Connor McDavid hit an individual milestone by scoring his 50th goal in just his 61st game, the Bruins set their own record by way of a 3-2 win at Rogers Place. 

With that victory, the Bruins became the first team in NHL history to beat 31 other teams in the same season.

Even though Boston is not the first club to beat every other NHL franchise in a single campaign, the addition of two expansion teams in Vegas (2017) and Seattle (2021) allowed the B’s to rewrite the record books in terms of league-wide dominance.

In total, the Bruins have only suffered losses against 11 different teams this season. Only two opponents (Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers) have handed Boston two losses.

An 82-game season is often a grind, but the Bruins have only lost consecutive games once all year (an 0-2-1 skid against Tampa Bay, Florida, and Carolina last month).

Even in the dog days of the regular season, the Bruins haven’t slowed down. With Monday’s win over the Oilers, the B’s are 7-0-0 in their last seven contests.

And in Nick Foligno’s mind, Boston is nowhere close to reaching its ceiling.

“I think we’re really proud of our process and what it’s allowed us to do and be,” Foligno said following Monday’s win. “But I still think there’s room to grow. I still think there’s little areas that we can get better at. And I’m not trying to sound tacky. It’s just the reality of our team. I don’t think anyone’s satisfied in here. I think we’re really excited about our group.

“But I think we all know there’s still more to do. And I think that’s the mindset that has allowed us to have the success we’ve had. So yeah, do I think we’re well-built? Absolutely. I’ve been playing a long time. But I think there’s a lot more that goes into it. And I think every guy is still trying to find their game and what exactly makes us as elite as possible when it matters most.”

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