The Boston Bruins, along with their fellow Original Six members (Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red…read moreWings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers), are one of the all-time great NHL franchises. Of the league's current 32 teams, the Bruins rank fourth in total Stanley Cup Finals appearances (20). Of the Original Six, the Bruins have the worst Finals winning percentage: 300 (6-14). Still, that's six championships which is more than 27 other NHL franchises can say.
In the last 50 years, Boston has only won one Stanley Cup and it didn't come easy. The Bruins faced the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 Finals, a series that went the distance. The Bruins came out on top, 4-3, thanks to strong performances in Games 6 and 7. The squad was led by goalie Tim Thomas, "Big Z" Zdeno Chara, winger Milan Lucic, and center David Krejci. That year, Thomas went on to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (Stanley Cup Finals MVP) and both Thomas and Chara were named to the NHL's All-Star Teams. Lucic and Krejci were drafted by the Bruins in 2006 and 2004, respectively.
Claude Julien was the coach of the 2011 championship team. He led Boston to two Stanley Cup Finals appearances in three seasons (2011 and 2013). However, the Bruins also missed the playoffs two years in a row in 2015 and 2016. Julien was eventually fired in the middle of the 2016-17 season. Throughout the Bruins' history, dating back to the 1924-25 season, the team has rarely missed the playoffs two straight years or more. The Bruins consistently qualify for the playoffs, year in and year out.
Ray Bourque and Johnny Bucyk, both in the Hockey Hall of Fame, are the franchise's all-time points leaders. Bourque spent 21 seasons in Boston (1976-77 through 1999-2000). He never won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins, but he did with the Colorado Avalanche and retired shortly thereafter (2001). Bucyk helped lead the Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships in 1970 and 1972. Like Bourque, Bucyk spent 21 seasons in Boston (1957-58 through 1977-78). The "Chief" retired a Bruin in 1978. He still holds the franchise record in goals with 545 and Bourque holds the record in assists with 1,111.