The Boston Bruins continue to enjoy regular-season success, much as they did last year when they set the record for most points and wins. The backbone of their success has been goaltending, as both Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman allowed fewer goals than any other team in the league. As the Bruins celebrate their centennial season, Ullmark is paying tribute to legendary Bruins goalie Gerry Cheevers with a throwback mask.

Cheevers was the Bruins primary goalie during the era of the “Big, Bad Bruins” when they won Stanley Cups in 1970 and '72. Cheevers was known for his ability to come up with his best saves in the biggest moments, earning him Hall of Fame recognition.

He was also know for his wit and his sense of humor. That came out in the design of his goalie mask when he played during the 1960s and '70s. That was the early era of goalie masks, when there were still some goalies that played without them and some old-fashioned coaches and executives turned up their noses at goalies who wore masks.

Cheevers advanced the goaltenders' cause by drawing stitches on his mask. His famous mask indicated multiple times that the mask had saved him from getting cut, and basically ended the argument that goaltenders who wore masks were not as tough as those that did not.

Ullmark's mask is far more protective than the form-fitting mask that Cheevers wore during his career. However, it does have many of the same stitch marks that Cheevers had on his mask that helped end the era of goalies playing their dangerous position without masks.