NHL Playoff Picture 2023: Bruins Clinch Atlantic Division; Latest Standings, Bracket | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

The Boston Bruins already secured a playoff berth earlier this season, but they secured the Atlantic Division No. 1 seed with a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at the TD Garden.

The Black and Gold also moved up to 56-11-5 with the win and hold the NHL’s best record by 17 points ahead of the second-placed Carolina Hurricanes, who have a 46-16-8 record this season.

Boston is also on track to set the NHL’s winning record with just 10 games remaining in the regular season. The Detroit Red Wings set the record with 62 wins in 1995-96, and the Lightning tied the mark in 2018-19.

The Bruins look set to end the regular season with the best record in the league. This would secure the team’s home field advantage throughout the postseason.

Let’s take a look at the updated Eastern Conference standings following Boston’s Atlantic Division win.

---

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 56-11-5, 117 points (clinched division)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 43-19-9, 95 points
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-26-6, 90 points

---

metropolitan department

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 46-16-8, 100 points (playoffs won)
2. New Jersey Devils: 45-19-8, 98 points
3. New York Rangers: 42-20-10, 94 points

---

wildcard

1. New York Islanders: 37-27-9, 83 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 35-27-10, 80 points

Full NHL standings available at NHL.com

---

The Bruins are hoping to win their first Stanley Cup title since 2011 with the likes of Patrice Bergeron, David Krejčí and Nick Foligno on the verge of retirement.

David Pastrňák, who agreed a $90 million eight-year extension with the Bruins this season, has led the team offensively with 49 goals and 46 assists for 95 points in 71 games. He aims to become Boston’s first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely in 1993-94.

With 49 goals, the 26-year-old ranks second in the NHL behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who has 60 goals this year. He is fifth in the league with 95 points.

Pastrňák has benefited greatly from playing on an all-Czech line alongside Krejčí and Pavel Zacha. Krejčí, who returned to the Bruins this season after a year at HC Olomouc in the Czech Extraliga, has recorded 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points in 66 games.

Bergeron and Brad Marchand have also been impressive this season. Bergeron, who is likely to compete for the Selke Trophy, has 27 goals and 30 assists for 57 points in 72 games and Marchand has 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points in 64 games.

On the defensive side, Hampus Lindholm should be in the Norris Trophy talk with 10 goals and 39 assists for 49 points in 71 games. He leads the league with a plus-47 rating, and Bruins teammates Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo rank behind him in that category at plus-45 and plus-39, respectively.

Boston also has two of the best goalies in the league in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Ullmark will likely compete for the Vezina Trophy with a 36-5-1 record, 1.92 goals against average and .937 save percent, all of which lead the NHL.

The Bruins made some key additions at the close of the NHL, acquiring Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals and Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. All have integrated well into Boston’s system, making the team much stronger for a post-season deep run.

The Bruins are still awaiting the return of Foligno, Taylor Hall and Derek Forbort, all injured. When they return for the playoffs, the black and gold will be even stronger than they have been lately.

If the Bruins don’t win the Stanley Cup this season, it would be a huge disappointment, especially considering their dominance during the regular season. But as we all know, the postseason is a whole different beast.