The Bruins typically have been very good since the 2009-10 season, so it should come as no surprise Boston is well recognized on ESPN’s “Top 100 NHL Players of the Decade” list published Thursday on ESPN.com.
Seven current Bruins players cracked the rankings: Patrice Bergeron (7), Zdeno Chara (24), Brad Marchand (27), David Pastrnak (44), Tuukka Rask (50), David Krejci (74) and Torey Krug (99).
According to ESPN.com, the list — created through separate rankings for each position that were then contrasted to determine the final order — took into account several factors, with statistical/analytical comparisons, postseason success/awards and some subjectivity all ultimately playing a role.
Sidney Crosby unsurprisingly earned the No. 1 spot, with Connor McDavid coming in at No. 2 and Alex Ovechkin checking in at No. 3. Erik Karlsson and Henrik Lundqvist ranked No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.
The list features several other players who donned Black and Gold at some point since 2009-10 but since have moved on. That includes former Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas (59), who won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2011 and was instrumental in Boston’s first of three trips to the Stanley Cup Final this past decade.
The Bruins began the 2010s by winning hockey’s ultimate prize in the decade’s first full season, defeating the Vancouver Canucks in seven games. The B’s returned to the Stanley Cup Final two more times over the next eight seasons, losing to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in 2013 and falling to the St. Louis Blues in seven games this past June.
