Bruins' focus shifts toward playoffs after capping off historic regular season

The Bruins put up the greatest regular season in NHL history by just about every measure.

Break the wins record? Check. Tack on an extra two to set the bar even higher for the next franchise to have a historic run. 

Set the points record? Check, albeit in two extra games than the 1976-77 Canadiens, who did it in 80 games but with 12 ties. 

From top to bottom, Boston was more dominant than any other team in the league. One 60-goal scorer and 100-plus point-getter. An additional four 20-goal scorers. Another four with at least 15. Eight skaters with at least 50 points. The best penalty kill, and a power play in the upper echelon. 

Plus, the Jennings Trophy, awarded to the goaltenders who play for the team to allow the fewest goals-against (177). Linus Ullmark (40 wins) and Jeremy Swayman (24) became the first tandem to feature 40-win and 20-win goaltenders.

Those statistics are all well and good, but coach Jim Montgomery looks to a different measurement to judge his group’s regular season success.

"There's numerous statistical metrics you can look at that make the season special but for me, it's how much those guys care about playing for each other. That's what was special," Montgomery told reporters at the Bell Centre after Boston’s 65th win of the season by way of a 5-4 final against the Canadiens in the regular season finale.

The B’s have had a playoff spot locked up, at least officially, for over a month, clinching on March 12. They took home the Presidents’ Trophy, officially, on March 30. 

All of it, the records and the regular season accolades, is in the rearview mirror now. 

“I think we appreciate what we’ve accomplished, but the beauty of sports is you’ve got to have a short memory because two days later or the next day, we’ve got to move on,” Montgomery said. “Three days from now, we start Game 1, and that’s all our focus is on.”

Swayman said, “We took five minutes and celebrated it, then we moved on. We know that there's a bigger goal in mind. Definitely a feather in our cap for what we've accomplished so far, and we're going to take that confidence into the playoffs. … That's going to be good experience for us moving forward.”

The personal accolades? Throw them in the back, too.

"My thoughts are somewhere else than 60 goals right now,” said David Pastrnak, who picked up goal No. 61 on the season and the eventual game-winner. Only Jaromir Jagr had more goals in a single season (62) than any other Czech-born player. “I had my fun when I scored it, I enjoyed that with the guys. That was amazing. My thoughts are totally somewhere else now."

Pastrnak’s 61st proved to be the game-deciding goal in a wild, back-and-forth night against the bleu, blanc et rouge. Dressing a near-full lineup, it likely wasn’t the tuneup that Boston envisioned to cap off the 82-game slate.

The Bruins overcame three separate deficits, including one early in the third period, en route to the win. 

“It was a hard game. It wasn’t an easy one,” said Charlie Coyle, who tied the game, 4-4, in the third. “They’re playing loose, right? That’s [Montreal’s] last game. … They caught us a few times, but in a game … that’s kind of back and forth and a tight one, it forces us to play the right way, especially in that third period. So it’s a good sign [heading into the playoffs].”

The Habs were content to trade chances all night with 5-on-5 shot attempts sitting at 49-44, Montreal. Shots on goal at 5-on-5 were 28-18, Montreal, scoring chances were 27-26, Montreal, and high-danger chances were deadlocked at 15 apiece. Perhaps most importantly, the Bruins outscored the Canadiens, 5-2, at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. 

“It was a little loosey-goosey, to be honest, but, you know, good we got the ‘W,’” Pastrnak said on the NESN postgame coverage. “Honestly, for our group, it's been a long season and we work hard. So, I guess it's very understandable, a little looseness in today's game. But, now it's over and the fun begins next week.”

It was a classic case of Boston doing what it has done all season, finding a way to win, even if it wasn’t pretty at times.

"I think it's special the way that we have trust in each other no matter what's in front of us, whether we’re up goals, down goals, penalties, you name it,” Swayman said. “It’s just really special to see that, especially this late in the year. It's an important win for us going into the playoffs."

Now, all eyes shift towards the Florida Panthers, who dropped a 6-4 game to the Carolina Hurricanes, setting themselves up for a date with the Bruins in the first round, which could begin on Monday.

“They’ve played us tough [this year],” Coyle said. “It won’t be easy by any means. It’s going to be a battle, and I think we’re looking forward to that challenge against them. We’re just excited to get going, now that we know who we’re playing. That’s exciting in itself.”

It'll be a battle between the last two Presidents' Trophy winners after the Cats took it home in 2022. Florida and Ottawa were the only teams to beat Boston more than once this season, go figure. The Bruins finished the season series with a 2-1-1 advantage. 

“They’re a really good team. They’re a dangerous team. We’re going to have to be at the top of our game if we want to have success,” Montgomery said. “[Matthew] Tkachuk is an excellent player. [Aleksander] Barkov is a stud. Those are two players on the top of my mind right now. Besides that, they’re a really fast team in transition as well.” 

The two sides last squared off on Jan. 28, when the B’s blew a late lead before losing, 4-3, in overtime. Add in a 7-3 win, a 5-2 loss and a 5-3 win, and it should make for a high-flying series. Thursday’s win in Montreal was a reminder that Boston can win in any fashion.

“Tonight we were very loose,” Montgomery said. “We weren’t on top of our checking game. We wanted to be, but it’s just like the playoffs. Every game is its own animal. Sometimes, you go in thinking it’ll be 2-1, but then it’s 6-5. As long as you're in it, you’ve got to keep finding ways to try and win hockey games.

“I think our group has shown that we can win 1-0. We can win 6-5. We can come from behind. We can extend leads. That should give us confidence about what we can achieve, but it’s 0-0 now. That’s where we’re starting from. That’s our mindset.”