The Boston Bruins secured the Presidents' Trophy on Thursday night following a record-breaking National Hockey League season, but head coach Jim Montgomery has reminded his players not to get complacent.
The Bruins secured their 58th win of the season on Thursday night with a 2-1 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, matching the total number of wins previous holders Florida Panthers recorded. But the Bruins have matched their total with seven games to spare, and have the all-time regular season win record in their sights.
It was far from a conventional Bruins win as they found it tough against a Blue Jackets side that have struggled all season long, but they still managed to get over the line. The Bruins have been dominant throughout the campaign, but Montgomery couldn't help but warn his players against letting their standards drop.
The Bruins need five wins from seven to set a new regular season win record, in a campaign that they've already set NHL bests for 50 wins and 100 points. No one has come close to the Bruins this season, with the next best team (Carolina Hurricanes/Ney Jersey Devils) still sitting 11 wins behind them.
But the play-offs is a completely different occasion, and upsets can easily occur in a seven-game series. The Bruins have enjoyed one of the most dominant regular seasons of all-time, but Montgomery is aware that the hard work is yet to come.
Following the overtime win over the Blue Jackets, Montgomery said: "We're not at our game, and there's fatigue that comes in. It's not easy, but we're finding ways to win.
"It's been a magical season so far, and we know the hardest part is ahead of us, and we're looking forward to that grind." Fans are aware that the Presidents' Trophy can sometimes be a curse, just as receiving a first play-off round bye for being the top seed in the NFL can be.
But it would take a brave punter to back against the Bruins this season, as they seem to grind out wins even when not playing in top gear. It's the fourth ever Presidents' Trophy success in Bruins history and second in the last four seasons. Despite Montgomery's concerns, captain Patrice Bergeron was delighted.
"Of course you're proud," he said. "A lot of games and a lot of hard work. I'm proud of the way we've done it, sticking to our process and growing as a team."
