The Rise And Fall of Boston Bruins
In 2023 the Boston Bruins had the greatest
regular season in NHL history 65 wins, 135 points. Two years later they’re near the
bottom of the standings, their captain is gone, and the dynasty? Dead. This is the rise
and brutal collapse of the modern Boston Bruins.
Let’s rewind to 2022-23, when the Bruins weren’t just good… They were
unstoppable. Boston finished with 65 wins and 135 points breaking NHL records that had stood for
decades they passed the 1995-96 Red Wings the 77 Canadians and they did it with ease. Their first
23 home games 23-0 a league record they barely blinked all year and this wasn’t just a one-man
show. David Pastrnak dropped 61 goals second only to McDavid. 12 different Bruins finished with 30
plus points. The depth? Ridiculous on the back end Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm and Brandon Carlo
anchored one of the league’s stingiest blue lines. They allowed just 2.12 goals per game one of the
fewest in the NHL but it was their goaltending that made the whole thing unfair. Linus Ullmark
and Jeremy Swayman were a brick wall duo. Ullmark led the league in both save percentage (.938)
and goals against average (1.89). He won the Vazina Trophy the Jennings with Swayman and
even scored a goal from top to bottom this team wasn’t just built to win they were built
to dominate no cold streaks no panic no holes just pure efficient relentless hockey every stat
every shift every result said the same thing this was the Cup favorite. But in the playoffs none of
that mattered. The 2023 playoffs were supposed to be a formality the Bruins weren’t just favored
they were expected to steamroll instead it all came crashing down matched up against the Florida
Panthers the last wildcard team Boston jumped out to a 3-1 series lead one win away from advancing
the building was buzzing. Pastrnak was scoring. Ullmark was locked in. And then everything
unraveled. Florida won game five in OT then game six and in game seven with just 59 seconds
left the Bruins blew a lead the Panthers tied it then in overtime Florida ended the greatest
regular season in NHL history just like that it was one of the biggest collapses in league
history not just because they lost it was how they lost undisiplined panic flatfooted the
team that dominated for seven straight months disappeared in a week and that loss didn’t just
end a season. It ended an era. Patrice Bergeron retired. David Krejci followed shortly after. Two
pillars of the franchise gone leaders icons the heartbeat of Boston hockey fans were stunned the
front office scrambled and a team that once felt invincible was suddenly broken the fall had begun
after the collapse the Bruins didn’t just lose a series they lost control. With Bergeron and Krejci
retiring Boston’s leadership and center depth evaporated overnight and with barely any cap space
they had to make painful decisions. First they traded Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to Chicago in
a salary dump. Then they watched key pieces Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway and Connor
Clifton walk away in free agency. That’s half your middle six gone in one off season in their place
the Bruins went bargain bin shopping. They bought back Milan Lucic hoping for grit and nostalgia,
not scoring. They signed James Van Riemsdyk, long past his prime. And they added Morgan
Geekie to bolster the bottom six these weren’t replacements they were patches and everyone knew
it the forward depth that once looked unbeatable was suddenly full of question marks. Could Pavel
Zacha become a topline center? Could Charlie Coyle carry the load? Could they win without the guys
who defined their culture for over a decade? The front office called it a “retool” not a rebuild.
But fans weren’t so sure one year removed from the greatest regular season in NHL history the Bruins
were already on edge and the cracks were starting to show despite the mass exodus, despite losing
their captain the Bruins didn’t fold in fact they surprised everyone boston finished the 2023-24
season 47-20-15, good for second in the Atlantic division they weren’t as dominant but they were
still dangerous. David Pastrnak was electric, again, 47 goals, 110 points, leading the offense
like he never missed a beat. Brad Marchand, now wearing the “C” leaned into his leadership
role with grit and pride. And the blue line, led by Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm remained one
of the league’s best smart, structured, physical. They still knew how to defend then there was
Jeremy Swayman with more responsibility in net he delivered 2.53 GAA strong starts, big saves. Even
with Linus Ullmark still in the mix Swayman looked like the future and in the playoffs they went the
distance against the Maple Leafs in round one game seven overtime. Pastrnak buried the winner classic
Boston heartbreak for Toronto the city erupted the Bruins were back for a moment but then came
round two Florida again and just like before the Panthers ended Boston’s run not in seven this time
in six the Bruins weren’t collapsing yet but the illusion of stability was fading. GM Don Sweeney
said afterward: “It’s still about chasing Stanley Cups.” But chasing isn’t the same as catching.
And the cracks they were about to become canyons the Bruins entered 2024-25 with questions but
also hope. Sure, they lost Bergeron, Krejci, Hall and others but they still had Pastrnak,
Marchand, McAvoy, and a breakout Swayman in net. They made moves signed Elias Lindholm to anchor
the top line big name but his production had dipped added Nikita Zadorov a 6’6″ (198cm) bruiser
on the blue line for grit it wasn’t flashy but the front office called it “enough”. It wasn’t. Boston
stumbled out of the gate 8-9-3 to start the season sloppy defense cold shooting ugly third periods
and just 20 games in they did something nobody saw coming they fired head coach Jim Montgomery
yes the same guy who just two seasons earlier led them to the greatest regular season in NHL
history. Gone. Joe Sacco stepped in as interim head coach but nothing changed the spark never
came the wins didn’t follow meanwhile the roster started slipping even further. They traded Linus
Ullmark to Ottawa officially ending the NHL’s best goalie tandem. Now it was Swayman’s net alone no
backup plan. Jake Debrusk left in free agency. The center depth behind Lindholm shaky at best
and the big signings weren’t moving the needle you could feel it this wasn’t a slow decline
anymore this was free fall. And yet, the biggest blow was still to come if there was one guy who
embodied Boston hockey. It was Brad Marchand. 16 seasons a Stanley Cup the heart of the locker
room he wasn’t just a scorer he was the edge the attitude the identity. When Bergeron retired
Marchand took the “C” without hesitation and wore it with pride. But on March 7th that all changed
the Bruins traded Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers. Yeah. Florida. The same team that
sent them packing two years in a row fans were stunned shocked some were furious this wasn’t just
another player leaving this was the end of an era the guy who stuck around when legends walked the
guy who carried the transition axed and with him any illusion that the Bruins were still contenders
the team framed it as making space for the future but let’s be honest it was a surrender after
years of trying to thread the needle retooling patching holes staying competitive Boston finally
accepted the truth: They weren’t chasing cups anymore. They were tearing it all down. The
rebuild had officially begun and the Marchand trade was the moment everyone felt it the moment
the Bruins didn’t just lose a player they lost who they were. After Marchand was traded things
didn’t just get worse they fell apart the Bruins just 2 years removed from the greatest regular
season in NHL history are now one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference as of now they’re
fourth worst in the entire league they’re closing in on a franchise record losing streak and it’s
not just the box score it’s the body language the lifeless shifts the empty eyes on the bench.
Jeremy Swayman is still fighting in net but the team in front of him it’s crumbling offensively
they’re ice cold defensively they’ve lost structure and mentally they just look done this
isn’t a rebuild with growing pains it’s a total identity crisis the Bruins spent years trying
to stretch out a window that had already closed they didn’t commit to a full rebuild they
didn’t go all-in for a cup. They just kept patching and praying until suddenly there was
nothing left to patch. They lost Bergeron, then Krejci. Then Ullmark. Then Marchand. And
now? They’ve lost everything. the fear they used to inspire an opponents gone now they’re just
beatable forget feared they’re forgotten. So what happened? The Bruins tried to stay competitive
without rebuilding clinging to aging stars and safe bets for a moment it worked but the cracks
were always there now the core is gone and Boston started from scratch with no clear identity.
This season the only truly competitive player was David Pastrnak who eclipsed 100 points beyond him
there are just the leftovers of former greatness. McAavoy and Swayman. From chasing history to
chasing stability Boston learned the cost of betting on the past. This isn’t just a climb,
it was a quiet collapse, years in the making.
The Rise And Fall of Boston Bruins
From record-breaking dominance to shocking collapse, this is the untold story of the Boston Bruins’ dramatic fall from grace. In 2023, the Bruins made NHL history with 65 wins and 135 points—only to crumble in the playoffs and spiral into chaos just two seasons later. What happened to the team that once looked unbeatable? This in-depth video breaks down their rise, the devastating Florida Panthers series, the retirements of legends like Patrice Bergeron, the Brad Marchand trade, and the full-blown identity crisis that followed. If you’re a hockey fan or follow the NHL closely, you won’t want to miss this deep dive into one of the most stunning reversals in league history.
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