Boston Bruins Break NHL's Single-Season Points Record

The Boston Bruins broke a 46-year-old record held by their rivals in Montreal.

A 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Tuesday brought the Bruins up to 133 points on the year, passing the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for the most in a season.

Boston has already become the fastest team to 50 wins and 100 points, and the team broke the record for most wins in a season on Sunday with its 63rd win. The B's also required the fourth-fewest games to clinch the Presidents' Trophy in a season of at least 80 games since it was first awarded in 1985-86.

Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark also broke a record of his own after recording the victory. He became the fastest goalie in NHL history to win 40 games in a season. The 29-year-old accomplished the feat in 49 games, three matches fewer than Braden Holtby's 40 wins in 52 appearances for the Capitals in 2015-16.

Tuesday's outing saw the Bruins take the lead 8:32 into the second period and never look back. After Brad Marchand scored his 21st goal of the season, Tyler Bertuzzi made it 2-0 before Washington's Nick Jensen cut the lead to one. Tomas Nosek and Tom Wilson made it 3-2 Boston before Garnet Hathaway regained the two-goal lead against the team that traded him in late February. Jake DeBrusk sealed the deal for Boston with an empty-netter to leave it at 5-2.

There's a chance Boston can add to its record-setting point total with its final regular-season game on Thursday. The Bruins will face none other than the Montreal Canadiens, whose 1976-77 squad reached 132 points during a time without the chance to win in an extra frame – the games ended in a tie after regulation at that point.

Whether the Bruins continue this success with a Stanley Cup in 2022-23 remains to be seen. Those '76-77 Canadiens won the Cup, after all.