The Boston Bruins now reign supreme as the NHL's most triumphant regular-season team, holding both the single-season wins and points records.
On Tuesday night, the Bruins secured their 133rd point in the standings by overcoming the Washington Capitals with a 5-2 victory, surpassing the Montreal Canadiens' previous single-season record of 132 points achieved during the 1976-77 season.
This accomplishment follows Boston's record-breaking 63rd regular-season win on Sunday, leaving behind the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning.
Veteran winger Brad Marchand expressed his pride in the team, saying, "We've done an outstanding job all year, staying present. We're proud of our group, but this is just a regular-season record. We're aiming for much higher goals."
Marchand and Tyler Bertuzzi scored in the second period, giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead. The Capitals fought back with goals from Nick Jensen and Tom Wilson, but ultimately fell short. Garnet Hathaway and Jake DeBrusk contributed to Boston's triumph with additional goals.
The only cause for concern on an otherwise dazzling night for the Bruins was goalie Linus Ullmark's departure during the third period, replaced by Jeremy Swayman. Ullmark still received credit for his 40th win of the season.
Despite the absence of key players, including Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals entered the game following a win against the New York Islanders on Monday night.
Dominating the 2022-23 NHL season from the get-go, the Bruins secured the Presidents' Trophy for the league's best record and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
ESPN Stats & Information research reveals that the Bruins join the ranks of the 2008-09 San Jose Sharks, 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers, and 1977-78 Canadiens as the fourth team in the NHL's modern era to lead their division standings for the entire season.
The Bruins also set new NHL records for the quickest team to achieve 50 wins (64 games) and 100 points (61 games). Their victory over the Capitals established a new franchise record for home wins in a season (34).
First-year coach Jim Montgomery and his players stressed the importance of breaking regular-season records as a significant goal before the Stanley Cup playoffs commence on Monday.
Montgomery said, "Staying focused and learning how to win while pursuing records is the closest thing you can do to prepare for the playoffs when you're having a season like ours."
It's worth mentioning that the 1976-77 Canadiens established their regular-season wins record during an 80-game season before the introduction of the overtime shootout eliminated tie games. Montreal had 12 ties that season.
