After securing a 5-4 comeback victory over the Montreal Canadiens on April 13, 2023, the Boston Bruins seemed to have reached the pinnacle of the NHL’s storied history. Fans roared with excitement, celebrating the franchise’s record-breaking night that saw the team earn 65 wins and 135 points – both marks that remain untouched in recent years. Coach Jim Montgomery – who had recently become a household name due to the team’s success – said in a postgame interview, “There are numerous statistical metrics you can look at that make the season special, but for me, it’s how much those guys care about playing for each other. That’s what has made this season so special.” Heading into the postseason as the overwhelming favorites to win the Stanley Cup, the Bruins’ players wore nothing but smiles. Everything seemed to be going right.
Until it wasn’t.
Following a devastating first-round loss to the Florida Panthers in that year’s playoffs despite holding a 3-1 series lead, a cascade of events led to the franchise’s dramatic decline. The retirements of franchise icons Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí following their early exit left a gaping hole at center, a position that had long been a strength for the Bruins. Salary cap constraints forced the team to part ways with key players that had helped the team immensely like Taylor Hall, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Dmitry Orlov, further depleting their depth. While veterans like Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle remained, the aging core struggled to sustain the dominance of previous years. Goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman, who had carried the team with elite performances, inevitably saw some regression, exposing weaknesses elsewhere in the lineup. Meanwhile, the rest of the Eastern Conference continued to grow stronger, making it increasingly difficult for Boston to reclaim its former dominance, and while in 2024 they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in a thrilling first-round seven-game series before the Florida Panthers sent them home for a second year in a row. The Bruins then ironically traded away Capitain Brad Marchand to the Panthers, marking the official end of their contending days.
Once the team that embodied excellence, the Bruins now find themselves in a rebuild. While hopefully they can find their way back into the playoffs soon, their championship aspirations have faded as key departures and an aging core take their toll. Furthermore, General Manager Don Sweeney has struggled to find success in free agency, and recent draft picks such as Zach Senyshyn and Jakub Lauko have yet to make a significant impact.
Perhaps this decline should have been more apparent to Bostonians. For over the last decade, the Bruins consistently found their way into the playoffs, maintaining a level of success few teams could match. Last season, they tied the record for the longest active playoff streak in the league, a testament to their remarkable longevity. But as time catches up with the franchise, the once-reliable formula for success that had worked so well for them now appears to have out, as on Saturday, April 6th, the Bruins were eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
