NHL Bruins Make History

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Colin Morley, Staff Writer

2023 has arrived and with that returns the annual NHL Winter Classic, this time in Boston.

The Winter Classic has become an annual tradition in which two NHL teams square off on an outside rink. This year’s game took place on Monday, January 2nd, at Fenway Park between the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburg Penguins. 

The game began as a defensive battle as Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark racked up nearly 30 saves to hold the Penguins to 1 goal. Pittsburgh struck first with forward Kasperi Kapanen scoring the game’s first goal at the beginning of the second period. The Bruins struggled offensively through the first two periods while Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith kept them scoreless.

However, the Bruins would eventually succeed as Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk put the puck in the back of the net at the beginning of the third period, evening the score. The teams traded shots back and forth until DeBrusk rifled his second goal off of a rebound giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead with just over two minutes left in regulation time.

As time grew short, the Penguins pulled their goalie in a desperate attempt to tie the score. A last-second shot found the back of the net as time expired, but was waved off by the referee giving the Bruins the 2-1 victory. 

Having now won three Winter Classic games, the Bruins made NHL history. This among many other accomplishments reveals how the Bruins have exploded with success in the 2022-2023 season. They opened their season by breaking an NHL record with 13 straight wins at home, and they currently hold the first-place spot with a total record of 29-4-4. Bruins assistant captain David Pastrnak leads the team with 25 goals and 25 assists and Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark leads the NHL letting in only 1.8 goals per game.

The Bruins began their season with new head coach Jimmy Montgomery after previous head coach Bruce Cassidy was fired by the organization. Montgomery stepped in and has seen immediate success as the Bruins remain multiple games ahead of every other team in the league.

Having been over a decade since their last Stanley Cup Championship, the Bruins strive to achieve what they have fallen just shy of in recent years. The early success this season has prompted the Bruins to be in a good position to accomplish this goal. Boston fans should be optimistic about the Bruin’s chances. If the success continues the Bruins will be in line to bring the Stanley Cup back to title town.