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.