Bruins On Longest Point Streak Since 1968-69 Season
BOSTON (CBS) -- It seems as though nothing can slow down the Boston Bruins. Not the loss of Charlie McAvoy, not the suspension of Brad Marchand, and not the Ottawa Senators.
The Bruins battled their way to a 3-2 win in Ottawa on Thursday night, getting goals from Danton Heinen, Tim Schaller, and Jake DeBrusk. Tuukka Rask made 21 saves, and the Bruins for their fifth straight win.
It also extended the Bruins' streak of earning at least a point to 18 games. They're 14-0-4 in that stretch, and it's the longest point streak for the Bruins since the 1968-69 season.
That 1968-69 Bruins team made its push at a similar time of the year, posting a 13-0-5 record from Dec. 28 through Feb. 5.
That 1968-69 team included a 26-year-old Phil Esposito, who led the NHL with 126 points. Ken Hodge (90 points) and Johnny Bucyk (66 points) ranked second and third, respectively, on the team in points. And the fourth-leading scorer was a 20-year-old defenseman from Parry Sound, Ontario, who went by the name of Bobby Orr.
With Gerry Cheevers in net, the team was building toward becoming a Stanley Cup winner, though that celebration had to wait until the 1969-70 season, thanks to the Montreal Canadiens ending the Bruins' season with a six-game series win in the playoffs.
The last time the Bruins earned a point in 18 straight games, head coach Bruce Cassidy and team president Cam Neely were both 3 years old.
The current-day Bruins are now five games shy of matching the all-time franchise record of 23 straight games earning at least a point. That mark was hit by the 1940-41 Bruins.
Currently, Rask is on a pretty good run himself. Among goaltenders with at least 30 starts, Rask now ranks first in goals-against average (2.16) and sixth in save percentage.
The Bruins now have some time to rest, with the league taking the weekend off for the All-Star Game. The Bruins will have a three-game homestand against the Ducks, Blues and Maple Leafs, before hitting the road to take on the Red Wings and Rangers.
The Bruins currently sit comfortably in second place in the Atlantic Division, five points behind first-place Tampa Bay and five points head of third-place Toronto. The Bruins have played two fewer games than Tampa Bay and four fewer games than Toronto.
