Boston Bruins tie NHL single-season record with 62nd victory
The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning officially have company.
With a 2-1 home win over the New Jersey Devils Saturday night, the Boston Bruins extended their record to an incredible 62-12-5, becoming the third team in NHL history to win 62 games in a season, matching the NHL record held by the ’96 Wings and ’19 Lightning. Pavel Zacha continued his career-best season, scoring his 19th and 20th goals to help Boston to its historic win.
The Bruins, of course, might not be done. They got win No. 62 in just their 79th game of the season, making them easily the fastest team to hit the mark. The Red Wings and Lightning each did it in their 82nd and final game of their respective seasons.
The Bruins will get three chances to break the all-time record for wins in a season, starting with a road game against the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday evening. If they can’t do it in Philly, they’ll get another shot at home against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and on the road against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
The Bruins now hold a staggering .816 points percentage for the season, the fourth highest in NHL history and the highest in 46 years. Among teams playing more than a 50-game season, only the legendary 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens have recorded a higher points percentage (.825). The Bruins’ 129 points currently tie them for the third-most in a season, but they have a shot at the all-time record of 132, held by the 1976-77 Habs. Boston needs four points over its final three games to reach an NHL record 133.
No matter what, they at worst share the all-time wins mark now. The question is: will they be able to do what the 1996 Wings and 2019 Bolts couldn’t – and win the Stanley Cup?