Connect with us

Published

on

The Boston Bruins entered the Stanley Cup playoffs after the most successful regular season in NHL history. They set a single-season record for wins and shattered the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens‘ mark of 132 points.

“When I think about how great those teams were, and how we surpassed that total, it’s significant. Because those were dominant hockey teams,” Boston coach Jim Montgomery said.

“Dominant” might not do justice to the Bruins’ performance this season. They outpaced opponents in the standings with nary a losing streak. They won at home, on the road, in the East and in the West. Backed by the league’s best goaltending, they were clearly the NHL’s top defensive team. Led by 60-goal scorer David Pastrnak and unparalleled depth, they were almost the NHL’s top offensive team, as well.

These data visualizations illustrate how the Bruins steamrolled the NHL this season on their way to history.


Boston vs. everyone

It’s a distant memory now, but the Bruins were expected to struggle at the start of the season. Getting used to a new coach. Missing injured stars Brad Marchand and Charlie McAvoy. But instead of stumbling out of the gate, Boston sprinted to a 20-3-0 start and set an NHL record by winning its first 14 home games.

The Bruins had consecutive regulation losses only once. Their longest winless streak was three games, also happening only once. With the postseason never in doubt, Boston still dashed to the finish line by winning 26 of its last 30 games.

“Being able to stay focused and learn how to win when chasing records is the closest thing you can do, when you’re having a season like us, to prepare for the playoffs,” Montgomery said.


Everything everywhere all at wins

No matter the time, place or opponent, the Bruins beat everybody this season.

Boston tied the NHL record for road wins in a season (31), shared with the 2005-06 Detroit Red Wings. It also set franchise records for road wins and home wins (34) during its record-breaking season.

The B’s bullied the Western Conference on the road this season, as 14 of its 16 teams failed to register a victory when Boston visited. The only teams that did, quite inexplicably: the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, both currently tabulating their lottery odds.

Overall, 16 teams went winless against the Bruins, with eight of them — including the playoff-bound Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils — unable to earn even a point against Boston.


‘Everyone is valued’: Boston’s deep scoring

Marchand once offered some advice to teammate Pastrnak: Always aim for 10 goals higher than you think you can score.

“I was aiming for 60 this season,” Pastrnak said. “I wasn’t really thinking I could get there.”

He got there, setting career bests for goals and points. Winger Jake DeBrusk, center Pavel Zacha, and defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Matt Grzelcyk also reached career highs, as the Bruins finished second to the Edmonton Oilers in goals-per-game average. Boston had 12 players score at least 30 points on the season.

Boston’s scoring depth isn’t coincidental. Captain Patrice Bergeron said it’s a byproduct of the camaraderie and chemistry that defines these Bruins. Everyone gets their time to shine.

“We want to make sure everyone is valued and bringing their best,” he said. “It’s someone stepping up every night, and it’s great to see.”


Boston’s ‘elite consistency’ in save percentage

Goalies Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman famously celebrate Bruins victories with an exaggerated hug on the ice. Here’s another reason for them to celebrate: They’ve won the Jennings Trophy as the NHL goalies with the lowest goals-per-game average for their team.

“It’s such a special relationship. To see it translate on the ice for both of us is very special,” Swayman said. “There’s no one I’ll ever meet like him again. I’m just enjoying the ride.”

Montgomery has referred to goaltender Ullmark’s “elite consistency” this season, which is an apt way to describe a goaltender who won 40 games and led the league in save percentage and goals-against average. Between him and Swayman, Boston’s net is very protected, no matter where opponents shoot.

Continue Reading

Sports

Wisconsin fires offensive coordinator after 2 years

Published

on

By

Wisconsin fires offensive coordinator after 2 years

Wisconsin fired offensive coordinator Phil Longo on Sunday, a day after the Badgers’ 16-13 home loss to No. 1 Oregon.

In a statement, Badgers coach Luke Fickell thanked Longo for his two seasons with the program, while adding, “We are not where we need to be and believe this decision is in the best interest of the team.”

Wisconsin ranks 97th nationally in scoring and 102nd in passing while operating an Air Raid-style offense that Longo brought with him from North Carolina and other stops.

The Badgers, who lost starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to a season-ending injury Sept. 14, had only three points and 88 yards in the second half against Oregon, which rallied from a 13-6 deficit entering the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin ranked 101st nationally in scoring in Longo’s 23 games as coordinator and failed to eclipse 13 points on its current three-game losing streak. Quarterback Braedyn Locke had only 96 passing yards against the Ducks.

Fickell did not immediately announce an interim coordinator for Wisconsin’s final regular-season games against Nebraska and Minnesota.

Fickell had long targeted Longo for a coordinator role, going back to his time as Cincinnati’s coach. Longo, 56, oversaw productive offenses at Ole Miss, North Carolina, Sam Houston State and other spots but never consistently got traction at a Wisconsin program that had operated dramatically differently on offense before his arrival.

“This team still has a lot in front of us and I am committed to doing everything we can to close out this season with success,” Fickell said in his statement.

Continue Reading

Sports

4-star QB Jones, former FSU commit, picks Florida

Published

on

By

4-star QB Jones, former FSU commit, picks Florida

Four-star quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. has committed to Florida, he told ESPN on Sunday, joining the Gators’ 2025 class four days after pulling his pledge from Florida State.

Jones, a four-year starter at Florida’s Mandarin High School, is ESPN’s No. 9 dual-threat passer in the Class of 2025. After multiple trips to Florida throughout his recruitment, Jones returned to campus Saturday, taking an official visit with the Gators during the program’s 27-16 win over LSU. A day later, Jones stands as the lone quarterback pledge in a 2025 Florida class that includes five pledges from the ESPN 300.

“I pretty much saw everything I needed to see when I visited last spring — I just love everything around the campus,” Jones told ESPN. “And then hanging out with the guys yesterday, seeing the camaraderie with each other, that really just sealed it for me.”

Jones was the longest-tenured member of Mike Norvell’s 2025 class at Florida State before his decommitment from the Seminoles on Thursday morning.

Jones’ exit came days after Norvell announced the firings of three assistant coaches on Nov. 10, including offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Alex Atkins. Jones was the first Florida State commit to pull his pledge in the wake of the staff shakeup but marked the Seminoles sixth decommitment since the start of the regular season, joining five ESPN 300 recruits who have left Norvell’s recruiting class across the program’s 1-9 start.

Jones’ commitment follows a key late-season victory for Billy Napier on Saturday and marks the Gators’ first recruiting win since athletic director Scott Strickland announced on Nov. 7 that Florida would stick with the third-year coach beyond the 2024 season.

Uncertainty over Napier’s future had weighed down Florida’s recruiting efforts in the 2025 class as the Gators began November with the No. 39 class in ESPN’s latest team rankings for the cycle. But Jones’ pledge comes as a boost for Florida one day after the Gators hosted a handful of high-profile flip targets, including five-star offensive tackle Solomon Thomas (Florida State pledge) and four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench (Texas pledge).

When Jones signs with Florida, he’ll arrive on campus flanked by fellow in-state offensive talents in four-star wide receivers Vernell Brown III (No. 44 in the ESPN 300) and Naeshaun Montgomery (No. 115), as well as four-star running back Waltez Clark (No. 223). Florida is also set to sign a pair of in-state defenders from the 2025 ESPN 300 between four-star defensive end Jalen Wiggins (No. 68) and four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. (No. 121).

With Jones’ commitment, Florida has another jolt to its momentum on the recruiting trail as the Gators seek to chart a strong finish in the 2025 cycle next month. More imminently, Florida will host No. 11 Ole Miss on Saturday.

Continue Reading

Sports

Ted Williams’ 1946 MVP award sells for over $500K

Published

on

By

Ted Williams' 1946 MVP award sells for over 0K

A rare souvenir postcard picturing Hank Aaron as a rookie with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues sold for nearly $200,000 at a baseball memorabilia auction that also included Ted Williams’ 1946 AL MVP award, which went for $528,750.

The Aaron postcard from the scrapbook of scout Ed Scott, who discovered Aaron, went for $199,750 following a bidding war that soared past the pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000, Hunt Auctions said.

The auction included 280 items from Williams’ personal collection that had been held by his daughter, Claudia, who died last year. Among the other items were a silver bat awarded for his 1958 batting title, which sold for more than $270,000, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom presented to him by fellow naval aviator George H.W. Bush, which went for $141,000.

The sale also included items from the collection of Rutherford Hayes Jones, the business manager of the Washington Giants, one of the earliest Black baseball teams. The trove was discovered in 2001 in a suitcase, where it had been unseen for 40 years.

A first batch of items from Claudia Williams’ collection went up for auction in 2012 at Fenway Park and garnered more than $5 million.

Continue Reading

Trending