One of the NHL's Original Six teams, the Boston Bruins have six Stanley Cup titles and a bevy of other great teams. From Bobby Orr flying in the air to winning game seven on the road in 2011, great teams, moments, and players litter Bruins history. But which team takes the top spot in franchise history?
Greatest team in Bruins history: 1971-72
The best team in Bruins franchise history is the 1971-72 Stanley Cup Championship squad. This team finished first in the league with 119 points and backed it up by going 12-3 in the playoffs. The Bruins beat the New York Rangers in six games to win the second title of the Bobby Orr era.
Phil Esposito led the team and league in goals and points with 66 and 133 respectively. Orr had the most assists in the league with 80, earning him his fifth straight Norris Trophy for top defenseman, third straight Hart Trophy for league MVP, and sixth straight postseason All-Star selection. He also won his second Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.
#2: 1938-39
The Bruins date back to before the foundation of the Original Six and won three of their six titles in that era. The best team in that group was the 1938-39 team. This team posted a .771 points percentage, the highest of any champion in franchise history. The Bruins were the top team in the league, putting up 74 points in 48 games.
They beat the Maple Leafs in the Cup Final in five games. The Bruins had nine Hall of Famers on their team that year, including Bill Cowley who led the team in points that season.
#3: 1969-70
The first Bobby Orr title produced one of the most famous images in sports history. Their first title in 29 years came in a sweep over the St. Louis Blues. The Bruins went 12-2 in the playoffs to back up their second-place finish in the regular season. They were again led by two of the greatest players in their history.
Esposito scored 43 goals to edge out Gary Unger to win the scoring title. This marked the first of six consecutive seasons he would win that title. Orr led the league in assists and points with 87 and 120 respectively. He once again won the Norris, his third of eight, and won his first of three Hart Trophies.
#4: 2010-11
The most recent championship in Bruins history, the 2011 team took down the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. A game most remembered for the events after the final buzzer should be remembered for the Bruins' utter dominance. They won 4-0 and Tim Thomas made 37 saves as they rolled to victory.
The Canucks game was the third game seven they won in the playoffs. They beat the Canadiens in the first round and the Lightning in the conference final in game seven. As of now, Mark Recchi is the only Hall of Famer from this group, but that will certainly change. Chara and Patrice Bergeron are virtual locks while Brad Marchand has a great case.
#5: 1928-29
The first championship in Bruins history was won on the backs of a phenomenal defensive and goaltending performance. They swept the Canadiens and Rangers allowing only three goals in the five victories. No one scored more than two points in the five games but they still won the title.
While their offensive numbers pale in comparison to the current state of the game, they were the top team in the league. Their 89 goals in 48 games were the best in the league. That is a lower goals-per-game rate than the 2023-24 Chicago Blackhawks, who were the worst offense in the league.
#6: 2018-19
The first non-champion on the list, the 2018-19 lost in game seven to the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Final. They finished behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning in the regular season standings and won the Eastern Conference by sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blues were significant underdogs going into those playoffs and the Bruins were supposed to win that series. They didn't, which pushes them down the list.
Marchand put up 100 points in the regular season, followed by David Pastrnak's 81 points in just 66 games. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak split the goaltending in the regular season and were superb. Rask took the net for the playoffs and put up a .932 save percentage in 24 games.
#7: 1940-41
The final Stanley Cup winner on the list, the 1940-41 title was their final before the Original Six era began. They posted the best record in the regular season and finished it off by sweeping the Red Wings in the Final. They once again led the league in goals and were second in goals allowed.
This championship represents the final one before Bobby Orr came to town. They lost in the Final five times between 1941 and 1958. The Bruins followed that up by missing the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons.
#8: 1929-30
Another pre-Original Six team snags a spot by posting the highest points percentage in franchise history. They went 38-5-1 in 44 games, good enough for 77 points and a .875 points percentage. The Bruins scored the most goals, allowed the fewest goals, won the most games, and rolled through the semi-final. They were swept by the Canadiens in the Cup Final.
The Bruins had win streaks of 14 and 11 during the regular season before being upset in the Final. This was the first season of regulated ice size and forward passes in the offensive zone in the NHL. While this was a great season, it comes in at eighth because of their inability to clinch the title.
#9: 2022-23
Another great regular season with no title, the 2022-23 Bruins are one of the most disappointing teams in recent years. They had 135 points in the regular season, the most in NHL history. The Bruins then took a 3-1 lead over the Florida Panthers in the first round. They lost the next three games, including game seven in overtime at home, to end their season.
Pastrnak led the team with 61 goals, 52 assists and 113 points. He finished second in Hart Trophy voting and was a first-team All-Star. He scored five goals in the playoffs but didn't add any assists. The Bruins lost again to the Panthers last season and their window appears to be closing. This season will go down as one of the great “what-ifs” in league history.
#10: 1973-74
This Bruins team represents another big upset in the Stanley Cup Final. They lost to the Flyers in six games despite more fantastic seasons from Esposito and Orr. The Bruins ended the regular season with the best record in the league because of Esposito's league-leading 68 goals and 145 points and Orr's 90 assists, which also led the league.
Esposito won the Hart Trophy and Orr won the Norris. It looked like the Bruins were going to roll to their third Cup in five seasons, and with Orr at just 25 years old it looked like they had a massive window. It was the second to last year of Orr's phenomenal run and Esposito spent just one more full season on the Bruins. The 1974 Cup Final loss represents the end of an era.
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