Aidan Thompson
Assistant Sports Editor
During this past offseason, the Boston Bruins organization made a tough decision when it came to Head Coach Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy was the Bruins’ coach for six seasons until general manager Don Sweeney decided to fire him after some successful seasons. This news came as a shock to many Bruins fans as they expected Sweeney to get the boot. Sweeney hired Jim Montgomery, and the Bruins entered their first season with a new head coach since 2016, a season that no one will ever forget.
Boston broke the record for most wins in a season with 65, with the previous record being 62 and was held by the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning.
That wasn’t the only record that Boston broke, as they also broke the record for most points in a season with 135. The previous record, 132, held by the Montreal Canadiens stood for 46 years. The season started off and the Bruins quickly started to string together wins. Through their first 21 games they had a record of 18-3 and their dominance continued throughout this season.
The team was led by David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and goalie Linus Ullmark. Pastrnak recorded 61 goals throughout this season, which was second most in the league. He also had 113 points which ranked third in the league. Pastrnak signed an eight-year contract worth up to $90 million in March of this year and he’s worth every penny. He has been the best player on the Bruins for the last few years and continues to help lead the team. Pastrnak is eager to bring the cup back to Boston and help solidify himself as one of the greatest Bruins ever.
Ullmark had one of the best seasons as a goalie, having a 40-6 record, which is tied for the best mark in the NHL, and only allowed 1.89 goals per game, while saving nearly 94 percent of shots he faced. Both of those statistics were the best in the league. Ullmark is one of the key players in this team’s success due to his impeccable goalie play.
Two other key players are veterans to this team. Marchand and Bergeron, the two veterans, have tasted a cup victory and defeat in the finals. Despite their age they still offer value to this team and help in any way they can. This squad has been playing together for a few seasons and their chemistry continues to build and build every year.
The Bruins Stanley Cup journey begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. where they’ll face the Florida Panthers in the first round.