2003 First Round Victory Over Boston Bruins

Lore & Background

The Bruins are one of the 'Original Six' NHL teams, along with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. They have won six Stanley Cup championships, tied for fourth-most of any team with the Blackhawks, and tied for second-most for an NHL team based in the United States. The Bruins have also won the Presidents' Trophy four times, with their most recent win in 2022–23 amassing 135 points—the most in one season in NHL history.

Reader's Guide

The first facility to host the Bruins was the Boston Arena (later known as Matthews Arena), the world's oldest indoor ice hockey facility at the time of its closure in December 2025 and subsequent demolition in 2026. Following the Bruins' departure from the Boston Arena, the team played its home games at the Boston Garden for 67 seasons, beginning in 1928 and concluding in 1995, when they moved to TD Garden.

Did You Know?

• The Bruins won the first ever NHL game played in the United States on December 1, 1924, hosting the Montreal Maroons at Boston Arena.
• The Bruins' original uniform colors of brown and yellow came from the grocery chain of owner Charles Adams, First National Stores.
• The Bruins' first great star was defenseman Eddie Shore, acquired in the team's third season.
• The Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in the 1928–29 season, their first at Boston Garden.
• The Bruins' 1929–30 team posted the best-ever regular season winning percentage in the NHL (.875), a record that still stands.