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Bruins Historical Rank after 38 Games

The Boston Bruins are leading the league in both shooting percentage and save percentage, which has left them with the second-best goal differential through 38 games since the lockout (the 2005-06 Ottawa Senators are first at +75.) How does this rank historically? And how does the percentage of total goals scored by them rank?

Team Season % of Goals Differential GF GA
BOS 2011-12 65.7 66 138 72
MTL 1975-76 68.3 88 164 76
MTL 1976-77 67.5 93 179 86
NYR 1971-72 66.4 84 170 86
MTL 1977-78 65.6 70 147 77
BOS 1971-72 65.3 72 154 82
BOS 1970-71 65.1 83 179 96
PHI 1974-75 65.0 65 141 76
MTL 1955-56 65.0 53 115 62
OTT 2005-06 64.8 75 164 89
CBH 1971-72 64.4 56 125 69
NYI 1978-79 64.3 81 182 101
MTL 1958-59 64.1 62 141 79
CBH 1970-71 63.9 65 149 84
DET 1994-95 63.9 63 145 82
MTL 1957-58 63.8 59 136 77
STL 2000-01 63.8 59 136 77
PHI 1977-78 63.8 70 162 92
DET 1995-96 63.3 60 143 83
MTL 1972-73 63.2 64 153 89
DET 1952-53 62.8 51 125 74

If this list reinforces one thing, it’s the unimaginable dominance of the Montreal Canadiens from 1975-76 to 1977-78. Prior to this season, they had the #1, #2 and #4 scores on this chart, and won three straight Stanley Cups with a combined record of 36-6 in the playoffs. The #3 team, the 1971-72 Rangers, had the misfortune of playing in the same division with the Boston Bruins, the #5 team on the list, and ended up losing to that same Bruins team in the Stanley Cup Finals that season.

So are the Bruins destined to win the Stanley Cup again? I'd certainly call them the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, but there's much more parity in the league than there was in the 1970s, and while Boston's possession numbers are very good, they're winning much more on the percentages. Three seasons ago, Boston's percentages were also off-the-charts and crashed in the playoffs; of course, that was a weaker possession team, so it's not necessarily the most helpful comparison.

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