The Boston Bruins are on the doorstep of clinching the Presidents' Trophy, which is awarded annually to the NHL team that finishes with the best record.
There are three ways the B's can win this trophy Thursday night, and only one of them needs to happen.
- Bruins defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets in any fashion at TD Garden
- Bruins get one point vs. Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes lose to the Detroit Red Wings in any fashion
- Hurricanes lose to the Red Wings in regulation
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The Bruins currently have a league-best 57-12-5 record. Another win would set the team record for victories in a single regular season.
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Winning the Presidents' Trophy secures home ice advantage throughout the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Bruins.
However, recent Presidents' Trophy winners have not fared well in the postseason. The last winner to lift the Stanley Cup that same season was the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. Eight of the last nine Presidents' Trophy winners failed to reach the conference finals. Just eight of the 36 Presidents' Trophy winners won the Stanley Cup.
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The Bruins have won the Presidents' Trophy three previous times -- 1989-90, 2013-14 and 2019-20 -- since the award was introduced for the 1985-86 season.