Could Bruins join other regular-season Goliaths with postseason collapse

The Boston Bruins have cemented their place in the history books with one of the greatest regular seasons. With a 65-12-5 record, they became the fourth NHL team to win at least 60 games and set a new mark for single-season victories.

But with the Stanley Cup playoffs here, those accolades won't assist in the pursuit for a championship.

«We took five minutes and celebrated it and we moved on,» goalie Jeremy Swayman said of the Presidents' Trophy-winning season. «We know that there's a bigger goal in mind.… And we're going to take that confidence into the playoffs.»

Unfortunately for the Bruins, regular-season Goliaths often end the postseason without hoisting hardware.

The past nine Presidents' Trophy winners did not reach the Stanley Cup Final, and the previous record holders with 62 wins (1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, 2019-20 Tampa Bay Lightning) did not take home the Cup.

Falling short in the postseason after reaching great heights in the regular season is also fairly common outside of hockey.

Here's how record holders for regular-season wins have fared across professional sports:

2001 Seattle Mariners, 116-46

The Mariners tied the 1906 Chicago Cubs' regular-season record of 116 wins with a roster that boasted eight All-Stars, including Ichiro Suzuki, who went on to win Rookie of the Year and MVP. After opening the ALDS with a 5-0 shutout loss and falling 17-2 in Game 3, Seattle managed to defeat Cleveland in a five-game series. The Mariners followed up that performance by losing to the New York Yankees in the ALCS 4-1.

Worth mentioning: 2022 Los Angeles Dodgers, 111-51

After an offseason in which they re-signed Clayton Kershaw and landed a big-name free agent in Freddie Freeman, the Dodgers weren't short on star power