Bruins top Devils, tie NHL record with 62nd win

The Boston Bruins have tied the NHL's single-season record with 62 wins, joining the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Bruins matched the milestone on Saturday night when Pavel Zacha scored two first period goals to propel them to a 2-1 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils.

Now the Bruins -- who have already wrapped up the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage through the Stanley Cup playoffs -- have three games remaining in the regular season to become the first team in NHL history to reach 63 wins. Boston plays Philadelphia, Washington and Montreal, all non-playoff teams, before their regular season wraps on April 13.

Consistently throughout the season, Bruins players have said that the NHL's single-season wins record didn't mean much to them, as the only thing they are chasing is a Stanley Cup. However coach Jim Montgomery told ESPN last week that once the record became within reach, he underscored to his team how incredible an accomplishment it would be to do something no team had done in the 100-plus year history of the league.

The Bruins have led the NHL all season, which was surprising since expectations were tempered following a first-round playoff exit to Carolina last spring. Boston began the season with two of its biggest stars, defenseman Charlie McAvoy and winger Brad Marchand, on injured reserve. The Bruins also underwent a coaching change, turning to Montgomery after six seasons of Bruce Cassidy.

But Boston has been one of the most complete teams in the league, regularly rolling four lines and getting standout goaltending from Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. The Bruins added reinforcements at the trade deadline, acquiring Dmitri Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from Washington and Tyler Bertuzzi from Detroit. Boston has also been boosted by a career-year from star winger David Pastrnak, whose 57 goals trail only Connor McDavid for the league lead. Pastrnak signed an eight-year, $90 million extension in March.

The Bruins have rallied around winning one more Stanley Cup fort their captain, 37-year-old Patrice Bergeron, who opted to come back on a one-year deal this season instead of retiring.

Boston has been Cup favorites at Caesars Sportsbook since the middle of December. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Bruins are the fourth in the NHLs modern era to sit atop its division standings for the entire season, joining the 2008-09 Sharks, 1984-85 Oilers and 1977-78 Canadiens. The Oilers and Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup in those respective years; the Sharks lost in the opening round.