Is There a Higher N.H.L. Staff Than the Bruins?

The Boston Bruins gamers and employees have been saying for months that they weren’t attempting to interrupt the report for many wins in a season come April. Their focus was on profitable the Stanley Cup in June. However strive or not, they did it anyway.

Heading into the ultimate week of one of the exceptional common seasons ever, the Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3, on Sunday for his or her 63rd win, surpassing the 1995-96 Detroit Purple Wings and the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning for many wins in a season.

They did it with their traditional aptitude, too, as David Pastrnak recorded a hat trick to succeed in 60 targets within the season and 300 in his profession. Pastrnak, delighted to succeed in the mark for the primary time, famous that it got here in assist of a report the Bruins see as merely a prelude to their true ambition.

That’s, to turn out to be the primary crew with one of the best common season report to win the Stanley Cup since Chicago did it within the 2012-13 season (shortened to 48 video games by the lockout), and to keep away from the destiny of the record-setting Purple Wings and Lightning, each of whom misplaced within the playoffs.

“Clearly, the report is wonderful,” Pastrnak informed reporters in Philadelphia, “however we’re constructing towards one thing greater than the N.H.L. report. That’s our focus.”

The Bruins nonetheless have two video games remaining within the common season, so the tally might develop, and it doesn’t appear to matter that they most likely will maintain some gamers out of motion, to relaxation them for the approaching postseason.

They’d achieved that in a number of current video games, permitting drained, older or injured gamers to recuperate, and so they saved profitable, regardless of 5 straight weeks with back-to-back video games every Saturday and Sunday. They received 9 of these 10 video games.

Since a pair of perplexing losses to the Detroit Purple Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks in March, the Bruins have captured 13 of their final 14 video games, many whereas resting key gamers. Patrice Bergeron, Boston’s prime heart, performed solely three of the final six video games. David Krejci, the second-line heart, performed in simply two of the final six and Charlie McAvoy, their prime defenseman, missed two of the final 4.

All three missed Sunday’s recreation in Philadelphia, as did the defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who has been a revelation since he was traded to Boston from Washington in February. Taylor Corridor, the previous Hart Trophy winner, who was eased again into motion Saturday in opposition to the Devils after lacking 20 video games with a knee harm, additionally sat out Sunday’s victory.

“They’d some individuals out,” mentioned John Tortorella, the Flyers coach, “however that’s nonetheless a extremely good hockey crew.”

The Flyers are a horrible crew, with solely 29 wins. However since clinching the highest seed for the playoffs, the Bruins have continued to beat good groups, too, groups which have both already certified for the playoffs or are combating to make it in. On Thursday they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, the second-best crew of their division, and on Saturday they beat the Devils, the second-best crew within the Metropolitan Division.

Irrespective of whom they placed on the ice, or their opponent, the Bruins normally come out on prime, thanks partially to their notable roster depth.

“You care for every night time and every day and that slowly provides up,” mentioned Charlie Coyle, the Bruins heart.

Coyle defined the Bruins’ late-season consistency by noting that all year long crew leaders set benchmarks, carving out slices of the season, like a protracted street journey, or a very troublesome stretch of powerful opponents, and difficult the group to realize a sure stage of success.

He mentioned as soon as they had been assured of the highest seed and had solely a handful of video games remaining, they turned to setting the wins report as one other worthwhile pursuit and a way of motivation.

“We hope it’s just the start,” Coyle mentioned, “but it surely’s positively one thing you possibly can take delight in and it exhibits what we’ve achieved this yr.”

Whereas this Bruins crew has a deep roster — 4 stable strains and three defensive pairings, every with a formidable level presence in McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Orlov — Pastrnak has been the offensive star.

He’s 4 targets behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the league lead, and have become solely the second Bruin to attain not less than 60 targets. Phil Esposito did it 4 occasions, together with 76 targets in 1970-71. It marks the primary time since 1995-96 that two gamers have reached 60 targets in the identical season. That yr it was the teammates, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, who had 69 and 62 for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On Sunday, after Boston followers in Philadelphia tossed hats on the ice to commemorate Pastrnak’s hat trick, the Czech winger recounted how Boston’s Brad Marchand, Pastrnak’s former linemate, informed him years in the past that he ought to all the time purpose to attain 10 extra targets than he thinks he’s able to. Pastrnak indicated that he had seen 50 as attainable.

“So, yeah, I used to be aiming at 60, however I wasn’t actually considering that I can get there,” he mentioned.

As for the playoffs, which start April 17, the Bruins nonetheless have no idea their opponent within the first spherical. That will likely be decided this week as 4 groups — the Panthers, Islanders, Penguins and Sabres — battle for the ultimate two spots. And the Bruins may nonetheless set one other report of their subsequent two video games.

They’ve 131 factors, only one behind the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for many factors in a season. Again then, groups performed 80 video games and had been awarded one level for a tie (the Canadiens went 60-8-12). Now groups play 82 video games and get two factors for a win in additional time or a shootout win, and one level in the event that they lose in additional time or a shootout.

However profitable essentially the most video games and incomes essentially the most factors would appear unfulfilling if the Bruins don’t win the Stanley Cup.

“Wanting too far forward, that creates anxiousness,” mentioned Jim Montgomery, Boston’s first-year coach. “We consider in staying current. We’re not taking a look at June. We’re taking a look at April seventeenth.”