BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins stood around their bench, paralyzed by defeat.
It was Game 7 of their 2023 Eastern Conference first-round series against the Florida Panthers. The Bruins were the most successful regular team in NHL history, setting new standards for wins (65) and points (135) in a single season. The 2022-23 NHL Awards would confirm that they had the league's best goalie, best coach and best defensive forward. They bolstered their roster at the trade deadline, pushing what was already a Stanley Cup favorite into that rarified air of championship inevitability.