The Boston Bruins are having a dream season and nothing seems to be stopping them. They lead the NHL standings after winning 38 of their 47 games this season. If they keep up this pace, Jim Montgomery’s men could have 65 wins and 138 points, which would be a new all-time high.
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In fact, here are the five teams that have recorded the most regular-season wins in league history.
5. Montreal Canadiens, 1975-1976 season, 58 wins
Led in attack by Guy Lafleur, Pete Mahovlich, Steve Shutt and Yvan Cournoyer and defended by the famous Big Three formed by Serge Savard, Guy Lapointe and Larry Robinson, the Habs ended a 15-game unbeaten streak.
The Canadian has 127 points in 80 games. Montreal won the precious trophy for the 19th time by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in four games in the Stanley Cup Finals.
4. Montreal Canadiens, 1977-1978 season, 59 wins
Sainte-Flanelle’s attack has multiplied the goals scored during this season. Lafleur, with 132 points, and Jacques Lemaire, with 97, finished first and fourth in the NHL, respectively.
In goal, Ken Dryden has won 37 of his 52 starts with a 2.05 average. He won a fourth career Vézina Trophy. At the end of that season, the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge won its third of four consecutive Stanley Cups.
3. Montreal Canadiens, 1976-1977 season, 60 wins
Considered the greatest team in NHL history, the Montreal Canadiens won it all in this historic season. The Habs also hold two other season-related records, most points in a season at 132 and fewest losses at eight. After 80 regular season games, Montreal defeated the Bruins in four games to win the 20th title in its history.
Two players reached the 100-point plateau for Scotty Bowman’s men, Lafleur (136) and Shutt (105).
2- Tampa Bay Lightning, 2018–2019 season, 62 wins
The Flash provided rain and shine during the 2018-2019 campaign. Jon Cooper’s men had among their ranks the top scorer on the calendar, Nikita Kucherov, who scored 128 points, including 41 goals. They suffered 16 regular losses and four in overtime.
The “Bolts” had set the bar very high for the playoffs. Many pundits watched as Tampa’s roster received top honors. However, the Columbus Blue Jackets caused a big surprise by defeating the winners of the Presidents’ Trophy in the first round, which was awarded to the team with the most points in the regular season, i.e. 131.
1- Detroit Red Wings, 1995-1996 season, 62 wins
On their 70th birthday, the Red Wings had their best season ever. Detroit surpassed the regular-season mark set by the Canadians in 1976-77 with 62 wins. The Michigan team has lost 13 times and drawn seven times.
Led by Bowman, the most decorated coach in NHL history, the Wings saw their stellar run in the Conference Finals come to an end when they lost to Cup winners Colorado Avalanche in six games shortly thereafter.