Speculation: Is this the best Bruins team of your lifetime?

[Fenway]

A younger crew member asked me today "Is this the best Bruins team of your lifetime?" and I had to pause and finally say - maybe.

IF they can win then they are right there with the 1969-1970 and 1971-1972 editions along with 2010-2011.

What this team has accomplished is certainly the most unexpected regular season of my lifetime.

I'll be honest, I thought this team would fighting for a wild card slot given the injuries to starting the season. I never thought they would be the odds-on favorite to win the Cup entering the playoffs. That hasn't happened since 1974 and if you want to set me into a rage just say 'Kate Smith'



ODDLY Kate Smith indirectly was responsible for a Bruins legend.

She was supposed to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park for Game 6 of the 1975 World Series but her advisors became concerned she might be booed over what happened a year before and she canceled the morning of the game.

The Red Sox asked organist John Kiley if he knew anyone that could fill in and he said yes, a young singer he came to know at the New England Conservatory of Music. The student was not a sports fan and asked Kiley how do I get to Fenway Park and Kiley told him to take the Green Line to Kenmore and follow the crowd.

Here is the only known audio of that anthem.



Everything the front office has done since being eliminated by Carolina a year ago has worked with the glaring screw-up over the Mitchell Miller signing being the only black mark.

My biggest concern is how the TD Garden ice will hold up as it gets more warmer and humid plus dealing with the Celtics who should also have a long playoff run.

Click to read more...

 

[LouJersey]

Yes if they win the cup. They would replace the 2011 team as best I’ve ever seen

 

[DominicT]

No. Those 70's teams were tops. Supposed to be a dynasty but things got in the way.

 

[LouJersey]

No. Those 70's teams were tops. Supposed to be a dynasty but things got in the way.

Namely dealing Dryden to the Habs and the WHA? My father has been watching since 1950 and said the 70-71 bruins were the best team he’s ever seen to this day, saying alot as a lifetime Rangers fan

 

[Fenway]

No. Those 70's teams were tops. Supposed to be a dynasty but things got in the way.

@DominicT - little pesky thing called the WHA

The Adams family had no resources to compete and they hired Harry back after the 1972 Summit Series knowing that was the only way TV38 would buy the team.

But they lost Harry because they wouldn't give him a 5K increase after winning the Cup in 1970.

 

[smithformeragent]

The “best” team doesn’t always win the championship, no matter the sport.

Regular season success doesn’t necessarily carry over to the playoffs, especially in hockey.

What immediately jumps out to me about the Bruins is their depth on defense and their 1-2 tandem in net.

I believe they have enough firepower to win, even if they sustain a serious injury or two.

But I don’t believe they’re a lock for the Cup. I can see Toronto, Tampa, and Carolina all giving them a real serious challenge.

I’m not sure of anything can be gleaned from the Bruins finishing strong and taking care of business against teams like the Flyers as opposed to coasting and coming up short of the records.

So whether they are or they’re not the best team, this will either be the greatest happy ending we’ve ever seen with this team or the biggest epic choke.

 

[Fenway]

Namely dealing Dryden to the Habs and the WHA? My father has been watching since 1950 and said the 70-71 bruins were the best team he’s ever seen to this day, saying alot as a lifetime Rangers fan

Sam Pollock saw something in Dryden that allowed him to WAIVE Tony Esposito.

Yet Dryden's NHL career should have ended in 1971 but Habs coach Al McNeil KNOWING he was going to be fired even if he won the Cup kept him in goal against the Bruins and the B's relaxed in Game 2 and never recovered.



The 71-72 Bruins were on a mission and delivered but then the WHA destroyed them.

 

[KnightofBoston]

For me yes, they are a better team on paper and record than even 2011 but will need a cup to really cement that so there is no doubt. Objectively you can’t say they aren’t if you were born post 80’s (70’s really) because they now have the most NHL wins all time, all while playing extremely high levels of competition. Food training equiptment aside, you take this team and plop them in the middle of the seventies and they make those late seventies hab teams look like just another team, boy wouldn’t that be something to watch. You’d still have all that talent and skill of the habs but it would come up against modern nhl speed and all 4 lines being good, plus Ullmark and his goalie equipment

Again, this is the best on paper team I’ve seen but I’ve been watching hockey since I was 4 and that year was 1994.

Could this team beat the 2011 team? That’s really the question. Do they have what it takes to stomp on the necks of the opposition and say not today satan?

 

[Fenway]

The “best” team doesn’t always win the championship, no matter the sport.

Regular season success doesn’t necessarily carry over to the playoffs, especially in hockey.

What immediately jumps out to me about the Bruins is their depth on defense and their 1-2 tandem in net.

I believe they have enough firepower to win, even if they sustain a serious injury or two.

But I don’t believe they’re a lock for the Cup. I can see Toronto, Tampa, and Carolina all giving them a real serious challenge.

I’m not sure of anything can be gleaned from the Bruins finishing strong and taking care of business against teams like the Flyers as opposed to coasting and coming up short of the records.

So whether they are or they’re not the best team, this will either be the greatest happy ending we’ve ever seen with this team or the biggest epic choke.

Toronto IF they make it past the first round could be dangerous and whoever survives in the Metro will also be a challenge.

The flipside is this 2023 Bruins team could also go 16-4 in the playoffs.

 

[GatorMike]

Yeah, they're the best Bruins team I've ever seen.

 

[SPLBRUIN]

Considering it's been done in the salary cap era if the Bruins win the cup they will go down as the greatest Bruins team of all time and one of the greatest NHL teams of all time.

 

[bruinsfan1968]

This thread will be a pure jinx to this team's chances in the playoffs. Nice going OP!.

 

[goldnblack]

If they cup it'll be a matter of putting them up against the best teams in ANY sport, ever.

So really all that matters now is the cup.

 

[GordonHowe]

A younger crew member asked me today "Is this the best Bruins team of your lifetime?" and I had to pause and finally say - maybe.

IF they can win then they are right there with the 1969-1970 and 1971-1972 editions along with 2010-2011.

What this team has accomplished is certainly the most unexpected regular season of my lifetime.

I'll be honest, I thought this team would fighting for a wild card slot given the injuries to starting the season. I never thought they would be the odds-on favorite to win the Cup entering the playoffs. That hasn't happened since 1974 and if you want to set me into a rage just say 'Kate Smith'



ODDLY Kate Smith indirectly was responsible for a Bruins legend.

She was supposed to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park for Game 6 of the 1975 World Series but her advisors became concerned she might be booed over what happened a year before and she canceled the morning of the game.

The Red Sox asked organist John Kiley if he knew anyone that could fill in and he said yes, a young singer he came to know at the New England Conservatory of Music. The student was not a sports fan and asked Kiley how do I get to Fenway Park and Kiley told him to take the Green Line to Kenmore and follow the crowd.

Here is the only known audio of that anthem.



Everything the front office has done since being eliminated by Carolina a year ago has worked with the glaring screw-up over the Mitchell Miller signing being the only black mark.

My biggest concern is how the TD Garden ice will hold up as it gets more warmer and humid plus dealing with the Celtics who should also have a long playoff run.

Go ahead and celebrate all, but they haven't won anything at all yet.

They know it. We know it.

I agree with much of your post. Let's pump the breaks a bit, though.

 

[ON3M4N]

If they win the cup, then in my lifetime I'd probably give them edge over the 2011 team (but it'd be very very close). If they don't win the cup they'll be like the 2007 Patriots to me.

 

[DiggityDog]

If they are able to finish it than yes.

We will likely never see another season like this again.

 

[BruinDust]

Win the cup. Then we'll talk about greatest Bruins team of our lifetimes.

 

[CDJ]

If they win the cup they are ahead of 2011 for me, yes


Thats a big if tho- playoff hockey can be cruel

 

[NeelyDan]

The “best” team doesn’t always win the championship, no matter the sport.

Regular season success doesn’t necessarily carry over to the playoffs, especially in hockey.

What immediately jumps out to me about the Bruins is their depth on defense and their 1-2 tandem in net.

I believe they have enough firepower to win, even if they sustain a serious injury or two.

But I don’t believe they’re a lock for the Cup. I can see Toronto, Tampa, and Carolina all giving them a real serious challenge.

I’m not sure of anything can be gleaned from the Bruins finishing strong and taking care of business against teams like the Flyers as opposed to coasting and coming up short of the records.

So whether they are or they’re not the best team, this will either be the greatest happy ending we’ve ever seen with this team or the biggest epic choke.

I don't agree with this - it's not that binary. There's lots between greatest happy ending and biggest epic choke.

 

[JoeIsAStud]

No. Those 70's teams were tops. Supposed to be a dynasty but things got in the way.

Yup. I am not old enough to remember seeing them play, but am old enough that 70/72 were in my lifetime. And those teams were loaded, and they were loaded in a league that had half the teams.

 

[Blowfish]

I went with Yes...

Bergeron is the best Center
Pasta is the best dynamic scorer
Marchand the best pest
McAvoy / Lindholm is the best top 1 & 2
Ullmark/Swayman is the top goalie pairing

Top overall skilled team
Top team overall leadership
Deepest overall team
Best overall team dynamics

 

[Number8]

No. Those 70's teams were tops. Supposed to be a dynasty but things got in the way.

Have to agree. But - taking into account the different game being played today versus then - it's pretty damn close for me.

I will say that I think this team is more balanced that any I've seen before and that is largely because there is no overtly supremely dominant player that can change any game on a dime (I love you Pasta but Bobby is Bobby).

Switching Bobby Orr with Charlie McAvoy (salary cap be damned) would make this 2022/23 team a rival of some of the old Habs teams.

1970's team without Bobby Orr would be a totally different animal. This team without Charlie Mac would be lesser but could still certainly make a lot of noise.

Namely dealing Dryden to the Habs and the WHA? My father has been watching since 1950 and said the 70-71 bruins were the best team he’s ever seen to this day, saying alot as a lifetime Rangers fan

I'm sure he's a good guy, but 50+ years later? f*** Ken Dryden. Seriously. f*** Ken Dryden.

 

[BMC]

If they win it all, yes. Otherwise it will have been for nothing.

 

[KrejciMVP]

have to win the cup

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

A younger crew member asked me today "Is this the best Bruins team of your lifetime?" and I hadto pause and finally say - maybe.IF they can win then they are right there with the 1969-1970 and 1971-1972 editions along with 2010-2011.
What this team has accomplished is certainly the most unexpected regular season of my lifetime.

I'll be honest, I thought this team would fighting for a wild card slot given the injuries to starting the season. I never thought they would be the odds-on favorite to win the Cup entering the playoffs. That hasn't happened since 1974 and if you want to set me into a rage just say 'Kate Smith'



ODDLY Kate Smith indirectly was responsible for a Bruins legend.

She was supposed to sing the National Anthem at Fenway Park for Game 6 of the 1975 World Series but her advisors became concerned she might be booed over what happened a year before and she canceled the morning of the game.

The Red Sox asked organist John Kiley if he knew anyone that could fill in and he said yes, a young singer he came to know at the New England Conservatory of Music. The student was not a sports fan and asked Kiley how do I get to Fenway Park and Kiley told him to take the Green Line to Kenmore and follow the crowd.

Here is the only known audio of that anthem.



Everything the front office has done since being eliminated by Carolina a year ago has worked with the glaring screw-up over the Mitchell Miller signing being the only black mark.

My biggest concern is how the TD Garden ice will hold up as it gets more warmer and humid plus dealing with the Celtics who should also have a long playoff run.

Moreso than the 1967 Red Sox?