The Boston Bruins set an NHL record for wins with their 63rd victory of the season Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers. With two games remaining, the Bruins need just one more point to tie the record for most points in a season (132 by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens) and two to break it.
What has been the key to the Bruins’ amazing season? Can they finish off their record-breaking run with a Stanley Cup? Where do they rank among all-time great teams? Our reporters and analysts are here to answer those very questions:
Biggest key to the Bruins record setting season?
Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporter: Nearly every decision that has been made has worked. There are too many to list and there’s not enough space. But the Pavel Zacha trade is an example of maybe what has made the Bruins different. The New Jersey Devils needed to clear cap space in their attempt to get Johnny Gaudreau. So they traded Zacha to the Bruins. It’s a trade that has seen him set career highs across the board, strengthen their top-nine forward group, provide them with flexibility down the middle and helped whenever there have been injuries or the need to rest Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci. It has made Zacha the sort of player who can be used in several situations.
Arda Ocal, NHL analyst: Sometimes a change does wonders, so I’ll go with Jim Montgomery being the catalyst, putting the systems in place to let the players excel and succeed. It feels like every player on the team is rejuvenated, the depth is being deployed and utilized optimally and the vibes are immaculate in the locker room and around the team. The coach certainly has a role in that. Obviously at the end for the day the players are the ones that are getting it done on the ice, but the coach is bringing it all together and tweaking where necessary. Monty deserves a ton of credit and I’m sure the players would also say as much.
Kristen Shilton, NHL reporter: Boston’s unbelievable season can’t be boiled down to a single, successful factor. It’s been a perfect storm of basically everything going right. General manage Don Sweeney added the right pieces in Hampus Lindholm last season and then Zacha this offseason. David Pastrnak picked a contract year to have his best offensive showing ever. Linus Ullmark exploded into a Vezina Trophy-worthy goaltender. Bergeron and Krejci came back. Boston’s penalty kill has been outstanding. Jim Montgomery was the perfect voice to pull the most out of this group from behind the bench. It all mattered. It’s all been significant.
Prediction time: Do you think the Bruins will be able to finish it off and win the Stanley Cup?
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Patrice Bergeron: Reaching 62 wins is special
Captain Patrice Bergeron reflects on the Bruins’ 62-win milestone and how they’re approaching their final three games.
Clark: Maybe. But those reasons have less to do with the Bruins and more to do with the circumstances around what they want to achieve. We know the statistics about the President’s Trophy winners and the Stanley Cup. We also remember what happened the last time we saw a team this good — the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning — and how they were eliminated in the first round.
We also know that even though the Bruins are this good, it still did not stop the rest of the East from getting stronger at the deadline. And that’s not even taking into account the Florida Panthers, who look like they could take on anyone at the moment.
Ocal: If they play how they have in the regular season, yes. What happens if they get punched in the face in the playoffs? Will they bounce back or roll over? If they go down 2-0 in their first-round serie,s can they bounce back and win? If they do, they will seem unstoppable. That’s the big question everyone likely has.
Hard to bet against them in that regard given what they’ve done this year. They’ve certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.
Shilton: After watching Boston dominate the regular season, it feels silly to say “no.” Of course the Bruins should be a top contender to win the Stanley Cup. It’s just that the postseason is its own beast. The obstacles are different. It’s not about what you can do over months but over days. A couple bad games and you’re out of it.
The Bruins haven’t weathered much adversity this season; teams they face in the playoffs will have. Forget about the past track record of Presidents Trophy winners. Winning in the postseason often requires a certain level of desperation. If Boston can tap into some of that and show they’re a bit battle-scarred too, there’s a good chance they go all the way.
Where do the 2022-23 Bruins rank among all-time teams?
Clark: That may not be something we can answer until after the playoffs are over. Sure, there is a discussion to be had about the Bruins being an all-time regular-season team. That’s not even a question. But when it comes to all-time teams? It all depends upon what they do in the playoffs and whether or not they can win the Stanley Cup.
Ocal: Wysh and I did a ranking on The Drop, and we put them second behind the 96 Red Wings — I like that placement — we are witnessing history. The best part is, absolutely nobody predicted this. We were talking wild card for this team at the start of the season. Now we’re saying “all-time great.” Incredible.
Shilton: The great thing is, we’re still figuring this one out. When Tampa went 62-16-4 in 2018-19 we might have said after the regular season they were one of the best teams ever. And then the playoffs began. Boston is writing its history on a nightly basis and where they ultimately rank — up there with the great Red Wings’ and Edmonton Oilers’ teams of the 1980s and 90s? — is to be determined. It could be a disservice to Boston’s potential, even, to try and assess that now. Who knows what lies ahead for the Bruins?
Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard was released from the hospital Thursday, nearly six weeks after he was shot in the back of the head while driving his aunt home.
In a statement, Florida State said Pritchard is alert, responsive and able to communicate. He is being moved from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital to Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville for the next stage in his recovery.
On a video posted to Instagram Stories by quarterback Tommy Castellanos, the entire FSU team cheered Pritchard as he was wheeled on a stretcher out of the hospital for the trip to Jacksonville.
“We are thankful for the efforts, thoughts and prayers of so many people and ask that you continue to support Ethan and his family as this process continues,” the school said in a statement.
Pritchard was shot Aug. 31 in what the authorities have described as a case of mistaken identity. He was dropping his aunt and a child off following a family party in Havana, Florida, about 16 miles from Tallahassee, near the Georgia state line.
Four people were arrested last month in connection with the shooting.
“I am so thankful for everyone who has prayed for my son,” said Earl Pritchard, Ethan’s father. “There have been a lot of ups and downs over these last 39 days, and it is remarkable that Ethan and I were able to leave the hospital together today.”
Earl Pritchard also thanked Florida State coach Mike Norvell for checking in every day and being a constant presence in the hospital.
“His players and staff have continued to make us feel part of the team,” Earl Pritchard said. “I can’t fully express how much those moments have meant to me and Ethan.”
Earl Pritchard also thanked the hospital and Florida State sports medicine staffs as well as the staff at Seminole High in Sanford, Florida, where Ethan played, for the support.
“I also want to thank Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young and the FDLE for their hard work and dedication to pursuing justice for Ethan,” Earl Pritchard said. “My heart is filled with gratitude for the outpouring of support for so many people, and I’m so appreciative for every single one of you.
“Ethan has a long journey ahead of him, but I know he will continue to fight and he will do so with the full support of our FSU and Seminole County families and all who have been impacted by his story.”
Texas Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has undergone surgery for a sports hernia and should be ready for the start of the 2026 season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
Eovaldi, who went 11-3 with a career-best 1.73 ERA in 22 starts for the Rangers, had the procedure in Phoenix and is expected to be ready in four weeks, the source said. He was shut down in late August with a rotator cuff strain, but scans last week showed that injury was healing, according to a report.
He fell short of the innings needed to qualify as the MLB leader, with Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes (1.97) leading the majors and Detroit‘s Tarik Skubal (2.21) atop the American League. Pitchers need to average one inning per team game to qualify.
Eovaldi, 35, was one of baseball’s best pitchers all season, and part of the Rangers’ MLB-leading 3.47 ERA as a staff. He was left off the American League All-Star team after missing most of June with elbow inflammation, but Texas still gave him a $100,000 All-Star bonus that is in his contract.
This was Eovaldi’s third consecutive season with at least 11 wins since joining the Rangers. He signed a $75 million, three-year contract in December that runs through 2027.
Eovaldi has a 102-84 career record and 3.84 ERA over 14 big league seasons with six teams and has won World Series championships with Boston in 2018 and Texas in 2023. He made his MLB debut with the Dodgers (2011-12) and later pitched for the Marlins (2012-14), the Yankees (2015-16), Rays (2018) and Red Sox (2018-22).
Eovaldi’s surgery was first reported by alldlls.com.
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the L.A. Rams for ESPN from 2016 to 2018 and the L.A. Angels for MLB.com from 2012 to 2016.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers removed high-earning reliever Tanner Scott from their National League Division Series roster on Thursday and replaced him with fellow left-hander Justin Wrobleski, a move that makes Scott ineligible for the next round.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed after Wednesday’s 8-2 loss in Game 3 that Scott was unavailable, a big reason why Clayton Kershaw was forced to come back out for what became a five-run eighth inning by the Philadelphia Phillies. Scott underwent what Roberts described as a lower-body abscess incision on Wednesday night.
“Minor procedure,” Roberts said before Thursday’s Game 4. “I don’t know a whole lot about it, to be quite honest with you, but I do know that he’s recovering well.”
The Dodgers signed Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract over the offseason, but his first year in L.A. has been a massive struggle. Scott, 31, posted a 4.74 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP while allowing 11 home runs in 2025, the same amount he allowed over the previous three years combined. By the time the postseason rolled around, Scott had fallen out of favor. Roberts did not utilize him in any of the first four playoff games.
Scott started to show signs of an issue during Tuesday’s workout in L.A., Roberts said, though he added: “I don’t think we knew exactly the extent of it.” He described Scott’s procedure on Wednesday as “an “urgent matter.” The hope is Scott can still contribute, in some way, to the Dodgers’ playoff run.
“I still feel that the World Series, if we’re fortunate enough to get there, earn our way there, then he’ll be available,” Roberts added.