The Boston Bruins played the best hockey of any NHL team ever through 82 games, finishing off with a sensational 5-4 victory Thursday night over the Montreal Canadiens.
But, despite 65 wins, along with a boatload of broken records to choose from, the job isn’t done.
The Bruins discovered their first-round opponent, the Florida Panthers, before preparing for the Stanley Cup playoffs. And as has been evident from Game 1 to Game 82, the Bruins are far from content. In a season that’s offered plenty of reasons to smile, those celebratory accolades are brief Hallmark moments in the eyes of a Boston team eager to fight for something greater.
Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery, who captained Boston’s ship all year round, also isn’t settling. Montgomery had a similar takeaway to that of Swayman’s, likely speaking volumes to the collective mindset in place in Boston’s locker room, propelling the Bruins to a 65-12-5 finish.
“It was just a terrific regular season,” Montgomery said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “… We had goalies score goals, we have two D-men getting over 50 points, our penalty kill — No. 1 in the league. Our power play was like 10th. It’s exceptional but now the real fun begins. Where every game matters and it’s just an exciting time of year.”
Meanwhile, B’s goalie Jeremy Swayman, like an abundance of fellow Bruins teammates to choose from, ended the year impressively. The 24-year-old recorded a career-best 24 wins as Linus Ullmark’s partner in crime between the pipes this season. Swayman also won his final eight consecutive games played, finishing with a .920 save percentage in 37 appearances.
“We know that there’s a bigger goal in mind,” Jeremey Swayman told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “And definitely a feather in our cap for what we’ve accomplished so far and we’re gonna take that confidence in the playoffs. That’s important because we trust our ability is going to get us through games when the going gets tough.”
