2008–09 Boston Bruins season

The 2008–09 Boston Bruins season was the Bruins' 85th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). Their regular season began on the road on October 9, 2008, in Denver versus the Colorado Avalanche and concluded on April 12, 2009, against the New York Islanders. The Bruins looked to improve upon the accomplishments of the 2007–08 season, which included Boston's return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2003–04 season.

2008–09 Boston Bruins
Northeast Division champions
Division	1st Northeast
Conference	1st Eastern
2008–09 record	53–19–10
Home record	29–6–6
Road record	24–13–4
Goals for	274
Goals against	196
Team information
General manager	Peter Chiarelli
Coach	Claude Julien
Captain	Zdeno Chara
Alternate captains	Patrice Bergeron Rotating P. J. Axelsson Andrew Ference Marco Sturm Stephane Yelle
Arena	TD Banknorth Garden
Average attendance	17,039 (97.0%) Total: 698,638
Team leaders
Goals	Phil Kessel (36)
Assists	Marc Savard (63)
Points	Marc Savard (88)
Penalty minutes	Milan Lucic (136)
Plus/minus	David Krejci (+37)
Wins	Tim Thomas (36)
Goals against average	Tim Thomas (2.10)
← 2007–08 2009–10 →

Marc Savard again led the team in scoring for the regular season, his 88 points good for ninth in the league. Tim Thomas led all goaltenders in both save percentage and goals against at season's end, while sophomore sensation David Krejci led the league in plus-minus, narrowly beating out rookie teammate Blake Wheeler.

The Bruins claimed their first division title since 2004 and clinched top seed in the East for the first time since 2002.

Season events

See also: 2008–09 NHL season

"I’m not big on going out there and making those big declarations, or comments, but I think we can go as far as we believe we can go."

— Claude Julien, prior to the 2008–09 season^[1]

Arguably the two biggest events to occur during the Bruins' off-season were the acquisition of Montreal Canadiens forward Michael Ryder,^[2] a noted 30-goal scorer, and Blake Wheeler, a promising 21-year-old from the University of Minnesota.^[3] Twelve-year veteran Stephane Yelle was another strong addition to the roster.^[4] Added to a line-up featuring young stars such as Phil Kessel and Milan Lucic, the return of Patrice Bergeron, the improved goaltending of veteran Tim Thomas and coming off the back of an impressive post-season, expectations were high for the team.

Preseason

The Bruins pre-season saw the team compete in eight games over a two-week period. The team played two games each against the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Islanders, the Washington Capitals and the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings. Boston maintained a 3–4–1 record through the pre-season with victories against the Canadiens, Capitals and Red Wings, including an impressive 8–3 victory over arch-rivals Montreal in their first match-up.

October

On October 9, the Bruins opened their regular season against the Colorado Avalanche, at the Pepsi Center.^[5] The Bruins notched a 5–4 victory and celebrated the return of centre Patrice Bergeron, playing his first NHL game in almost a year, while Blake Wheeler scored his first NHL goal on debut. The team would go on to lose its next two games,^[6] including a shootout loss to their rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.^[7]

The Bruins home opener took place on October 20, with the team suffering another shootout defeat, this time to the Pittsburgh Penguins.^[8] Boston secured its first home victory of the season on October 25,^[9] against the Atlanta Thrashers in what proved to be a memorable game, with the teams switching ends at the first stoppage in play after the 10-minute mark of the period due to incorrect markings on the West End (visitors bench side) of the TD Banknorth Garden ice.^[10] Winger Milan Lucic recorded his first NHL hat trick in the game, also adding an assist in the 5–4 victory.^[11]

On October 27, in Edmonton in overtime and October 28 in Vancouver, Tim Thomas became the first Boston goaltender with consecutive shutouts since April 3–5, 1999 (Byron Dafoe), and only the second goaltender in NHL history to record consecutive 1–0 shutouts on the road (Florida's Craig Anderson, March 2–4, 2008).^[12]

The Bruins ended October with a loss to the Calgary Flames on the road,^[13] and finished the month with a 5–3–3 record.^[14]

November–December

Phil Kessel equalled the longest point streak by a U.S.-born player in NHL history.

The Bruins opened the month of November with a 5–1 victory at home, in what proved to be a particularly physical match against the Dallas Stars.^[15] The game would prove a turning point for the team, with many players citing it as the catalyst that would see the team go on to win their next 12 games at home.^[16] One of those wins was a convincing 6–1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on November 13. This would spark a winning streak against the Canadiens similar to that of the streak that Montreal had against the Bruins in the previous season.

On November 6, in a 5–2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Blake Wheeler recorded his first NHL hat trick, while Captain Zdeno Chara celebrated his 700th NHL game.^[17] In the return leg, on November 17, Matt Hunwick scored his first NHL goal as the Bruins once again defeated the Maple Leafs. Two days later, Marc Savard would secure his 600th NHL point with a goal and three assists in the Bruins' 7–4 win against the Buffalo Sabres.^[18] On December 18, centre David Krejci recorded his first NHL hat trick in an 8–5 win against Toronto. Phil Kessel also scored two goals in the match, his second bringing up his 100th career point.^[19]

Boston finished the month of November with an 11–1–1 record, including an 8–0–0 record at home.^[20] They would carry that form through the month of December, finishing with a remarkable 12–1–0 record and remaining undefeated at TD Garden (4–0–0).^[21] Phil Kessel maintained an 18-game point streak from November 13 to December 21, the longest such streak overall for the season and equalling Ed Olczyk's record for the longest point streak by an American-born player in NHL history.^[22] The biggest concern during this period was the loss of forward Patrice Bergeron, the young centre sustaining his second concussion in 14 months, after a heavy collision with the Carolina Hurricanes' Dennis Seidenberg.^[23] Bergeron would go on to miss the next 15 games.^[24]

January

Boston would begin 2009 in the same manner with which they ended 2008 – with a victory over the defending Eastern Conference champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.^[25] The victory, their 10th in a row and 14th-straight at home, secured the team's longest streak since March 9–28, 1973, and catapulted the Bruins to the top spot in the NHL with 62 points, one more than the San Jose Sharks.^[26]

From January 12 to 29, forward Phil Kessel was sidelined with mononucleosis.^[27][28] On January 13, Marco Sturm was lost for the season after undergoing surgery for an injury incurred on December 18 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.^[29][30] On January 27, Patrice Bergeron would make his second return from concussion in as many seasons, tallying an assist in the Bruins 3–2 overtime victory against the Washington Capitals.^[31] On January 31, Tuukka Rask, recalled from the Providence Bruins, played his first game with the Bruins for the season and recorded his first NHL shutout, stopping all 35 shots in a 1–0 victory against the New York Rangers.^[32]

All-Star weekend

Main article: 57th National Hockey League All-Star Game

Tim Thomas, winner of the 2008–09 William M. Jennings Trophy

Three Bruins were assigned to the Eastern Conference for the 57th National Hockey League All-Star Game, with Zdeno Chara, Marc Savard and Tim Thomas all representing Boston as reserves.^[33] Coach Claude Julien was also named as head coach ahead of Montreal counterpart, Guy Carbonneau.^[34] Over the course of the weekend, Blake Wheeler was named MVP of the YoungStars game with a four-goal performance,^[35] Zdeno Chara recorded the hardest ever shot (105.4 mph) in the SuperSkills Competition,^[36] while Chara, Savard and Thomas celebrated victory in the All-Star Game, with Savard tallying three assists while Thomas was awarded the win for his efforts in both the overtime and shootout periods.^[37]

March

On March 4, the Bruins acquired defenseman Steve Montador from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Petteri Nokelainen.^[38] Later that day, the club announced the acquisition of forward Mark Recchi and a second round draft pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman Matt Lashoff and forward Martins Karsums.^[39] Three days later, on March 7, Recchi scored a pair of goals in his second outing for the Bruins, against the Chicago Blackhawks.^[40]

The Bruins secured their second successive playoff berth on March 21, when the Florida Panthers lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The following night, they secured the Northeast Division title with a 4–1 victory against Eastern rivals the New Jersey Devils.^[41]

April

On April 2, against the Ottawa Senators, Boston recorded their 50th win for the season, the eighth time in franchise history and first since 1992–93 that the mark had been achieved.^[42] Prior to the match, David Krejci was the recipient of NESN's Seventh Player Award, the annual award presented to the Bruin who went above and beyond the call of duty and exceed the expectations of Bruins fans during the season.^[43]

Standings

Divisional standings

Northeast Division

		GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	z – Boston Bruins	82	53	19	10	274	196	116
2	Montreal Canadiens	82	41	30	11	249	247	93
3	Buffalo Sabres	82	41	32	9	250	234	91
4	Ottawa Senators	82	36	35	11	217	237	83
5	Toronto Maple Leafs	82	34	35	13	250	293	81

Conference standings

Eastern Conference

R		Div	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	z – Boston Bruins	NE	82	53	19	10	274	196	116
2	y – Washington Capitals	SE	82	50	24	8	272	245	108
3	y – New Jersey Devils	AT	82	51	27	4	244	209	106
4	Pittsburgh Penguins	AT	82	45	28	9	264	239	99
5	Philadelphia Flyers	AT	82	44	27	11	264	238	99
6	Carolina Hurricanes	SE	82	45	30	7	239	226	97
7	New York Rangers	AT	82	43	30	9	210	218	95
8	Montreal Canadiens	NE	82	41	30	11	249	247	93
8.5
9	Florida Panthers	SE	82	41	30	11	234	231	93
10	Buffalo Sabres	NE	82	41	32	9	250	234	91
11	Ottawa Senators	NE	82	36	35	11	217	237	83
12	Toronto Maple Leafs	NE	82	34	35	13	250	293	81
13	Atlanta Thrashers	SE	82	35	41	6	257	280	76
14	Tampa Bay Lightning	SE	82	24	40	18	210	279	66
15	New York Islanders	AT	82	26	47	9	201	279	61

bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)

AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division

Schedule and results

Preseason

2008 pre-season
#	Date	Visitor	Score	Home	OT	Decision	Attendance	Record	Recap
1	September 22	Boston Bruins	8–3	Montreal Canadiens1		Kevin Regan	7,792	1–0–0
2	September 23	Boston Bruins	1–2	New York Islanders2	OT	Tuukka Rask	3,278	1–0–1
3	September 25	Boston Bruins	3–4	Detroit Red Wings1		—	—	1–1–1
4	September 26	Boston Bruins	2–1	Detroit Red Wings		Tuukka Rask	15,266	2–1–1
5	September 27	Washington Capitals	4–3	Boston Bruins		Tim Thomas	13,660	2–2–1
6	October 1	Boston Bruins	1–3	Montreal Canadiens		Manny Fernandez	21,173	2–3–1
7	October 4	New York Islanders	3–1	Boston Bruins		Tim Thomas	12,428	2–4–1
8	October 5	Boston Bruins	5–4	Washington Capitals	SO	Manny Fernandez	14,585	3–4–1
^ Match played at Metro Center in Halifax, Nova Scotia. ^ Match played at Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Regular season

The Bruins allowed only 190 goals (excluding 6 shootout goals), the fewest among all 30 teams.^[44][45]

2008–09 game log
October: 5–3–3 (home: 1–1–1; road: 4–2–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 1 October 9 Boston Bruins 5–4 Colorado Avalanche Tim Thomas 18,007 1–0–0 2 2 October 11 Boston Bruins 3–4 Minnesota Wild Manny Fernandez 18,568 1–1–0 2 3 October 15 Boston Bruins 3–4 Montreal Canadiens SO Tim Thomas 21,273 1–1–1 3 4 October 18 Boston Bruins 4–2 Ottawa Senators Manny Fernandez 20,182 2–1–1 5 5 October 20 Pittsburgh Penguins 2–1 Boston Bruins SO Tim Thomas 17,565 2–1–2 6 6 October 21 Boston Bruins 2–3 Buffalo Sabres SO Manny Fernandez 18,690 2–1–3 7 7 October 23 Toronto Maple Leafs 4–2 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 12,274 2–2–3 7 8 October 25 Atlanta Thrashers 4–5 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 16,044 3–2–3 9 9 October 27 Boston Bruins 1–0 Edmonton Oilers OT Tim Thomas 16,839 4–2–3 11 10 October 28 Boston Bruins 1–0 Vancouver Canucks Tim Thomas 18,630 5–2–3 13 11 October 30 Boston Bruins 2–3 Calgary Flames Tim Thomas 19,289 5–3–3 13
November: 11–1–1 (home: 8–0–0; road: 3–1–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 12 November 1 Dallas Stars 1–5 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 14,576 6–3–3 15 13 November 6 Toronto Maple Leafs 2–5 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 15,391 7–3–3 17 14 November 8 Buffalo Sabres 1–3 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,565 8–3–3 19 15 November 12 Boston Bruins 2–1 Chicago Blackhawks SO Tim Thomas 22,092 9–3–3 21 16 November 13 Montreal Canadiens 1–6 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 16,816 10–3–3 23 17 November 15 Boston Bruins 2–3 New York Rangers SO Tim Thomas 18,200 10–3–4 24 18 November 17 Boston Bruins 3–2 Toronto Maple Leafs Tim Thomas 19,410 11–3–4 26 19 November 19 Buffalo Sabres 4–7 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 15,632 12–3–4 28 20 November 21 Florida Panthers 2–4 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 16,878 13–3–4 30 21 November 22 Boston Bruins 3–2 Montreal Canadiens SO Tim Thomas 21,273 14–3–4 32 22 November 26 Boston Bruins 2–3 Buffalo Sabres Tim Thomas 18,326 14–4–4 32 23 November 28 New York Islanders 2–7 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,565 15–4–4 34 24 November 29 Detroit Red Wings 1–4 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,565 16–4–4 36
December: 12–1–0 (home: 4–0–0; road: 8–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 25 December 4 Boston Bruins 3–1 Tampa Bay Lightning Tim Thomas 15,598 17–4–4 38 26 December 6 Boston Bruins 4–0 Florida Panthers Manny Fernandez 16,213 18–4–4 40 27 December 8 Tampa Bay Lightning 3–5 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 16,973 19–4–4 42 28 December 10 Boston Bruins 1–3 Washington Capitals Manny Fernandez 17,697 19–5–4 42 29 December 12 Boston Bruins 7–3 Atlanta Thrashers Tim Thomas 15,818 20–5–4 44 30 December 13 Atlanta Thrashers 2–4 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,565 21–5–4 46 31 December 18 Toronto Maple Leafs 5–8 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 22–5–4 48 32 December 20 Carolina Hurricanes 2–4 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,565 23–5–4 50 33 December 21 Boston Bruins 6–3 St. Louis Blues Manny Fernandez 19,150 24–5–4 52 34 December 23 Boston Bruins 2–0 New Jersey Devils Tim Thomas 16,304 25–5–4 54 35 December 27 Boston Bruins 4–2 Carolina Hurricanes Tim Thomas 16,705 26–5–4 56 36 December 28 Boston Bruins 2–1 Atlanta Thrashers Manny Fernandez 16,835 27–5–4 58 37 December 30 Boston Bruins 5–2 Pittsburgh Penguins Tim Thomas 17,132 28–5–4 60
January: 8–3–2 (home: 6–2–2; road: 2–1–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 38 January 1 Pittsburgh Penguins 2–4 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,565 29–5–4 62 39 January 3 Buffalo Sabres 4–2 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 29–6–4 62 40 January 6 Minnesota Wild 1–0 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 16,272 29–7–4 62 41 January 8 Ottawa Senators 4–6 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 16,464 30–7–4 64 42 January 10 Carolina Hurricanes 1–5 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 31–7–4 66 43 January 13 Montreal Canadiens 1–3 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 32–7–4 68 44 January 15 Boston Bruins 2–1 New York Islanders Tim Thomas 15,548 33–7–4 70 45 January 17 Boston Bruins 1–2 Washington Capitals Tim Thomas 18,277 33–8–4 70 46 January 19 St. Louis Blues 5–4 Boston Bruins SO Tim Thomas 17,565 33–8–5 71 47 January 21 Boston Bruins 4–3 Toronto Maple Leafs SO Tim Thomas 19,258 34–8–5 73 48 January 27 Washington Capitals 2–3 Boston Bruins OT Tim Thomas 17,565 35–8–5 75 49 January 29 New Jersey Devils 4–3 Boston Bruins OT Tim Thomas 17,565 35–8–6 76 50 January 31 New York Rangers 0–1 Boston Bruins Tuukka Rask 17,565 36–8–6 78
February: 6–4–3 (home: 2–1–2; road: 4–3–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 51 February 1 Boston Bruins 3–1 Montreal Canadiens Tim Thomas 21,273 37–8–6 80 52 February 4 Boston Bruins 3–1 Philadelphia Flyers Tim Thomas 19,748 38–8–6 82 53 February 5 Boston Bruins 4–3 Ottawa Senators SO Tim Thomas 17,297 39–8–6 84 54 February 7 Philadelphia Flyers 4–3 Boston Bruins OT Manny Fernandez 17,565 39–8–7 85 55 February 10 San Jose Sharks 5–2 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 39–9–7 85 56 February 13 Boston Bruins 0–1 New Jersey Devils Tim Thomas 15,257 39–10–7 85 57 February 14 Boston Bruins 2–3 Nashville Predators SO Manny Fernandez 17,113 39–10–8 86 58 February 17 Boston Bruins 5–1 Carolina Hurricanes Tim Thomas 18,680 40–10–8 88 59 February 21 Boston Bruins 0–2 Florida Panthers Tim Thomas 19,343 40–11–8 88 60 February 22 Boston Bruins 3–4 Tampa Bay Lightning Manny Fernandez 18,454 40–12–8 88 61 February 24 Florida Panthers 1–6 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 16,781 41–12–8 90 62 February 26 Anaheim Ducks 0–6 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 42–12–8 92 63 February 28 Washington Capitals 4–3 Boston Bruins OT Tim Thomas 17,565 42–12–9 93
March: 7–5–1 (home: 5–2–1; road: 2–3–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 64 March 3 Philadelphia Flyers 4–2 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 17,020 42–13–9 93 65 March 5 Phoenix Coyotes 2–1 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 16,818 42–14–9 93 66 March 7 Chicago Blackhawks 3–5 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 43–14–9 95 67 March 8 Boston Bruins 3–4 New York Rangers Manny Fernandez 18,200 43–15–9 95 68 March 10 Boston Bruins 0–2 Columbus Blue Jackets Tim Thomas 16,675 43–16–9 95 69 March 12 Ottawa Senators 3–5 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,022 44–16–9 97 70 March 14 New York Islanders 1–2 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 45–16–9 99 71 March 15 Boston Bruins 4–6 Pittsburgh Penguins Tim Thomas 17,132 45–17–9 99 72 March 19 Los Angeles Kings 3–2 Boston Bruins OT Tim Thomas 17,565 45–17–10 100 73 March 22 New Jersey Devils 1–4 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 46–17–10 102 74 March 28 Boston Bruins 7–5 Toronto Maple Leafs Manny Fernandez 19,360 47–17–10 104 75 March 29 Boston Bruins 4–3 Philadelphia Flyers Tim Thomas 19,715 48–17–10 106 76 March 31 Tampa Bay Lightning 1–3 Boston Bruins Manny Fernandez 16,996 49–17–10 108
April: 4–2–0 (home: 3–0–0; road: 1–2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 77 April 2 Ottawa Senators 1–2 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 50–17–10 110 78 April 4 New York Rangers 0–1 Boston Bruins Tim Thomas 17,565 51–17–10 112 79 April 7 Boston Bruins 2–3 Ottawa Senators Manny Fernandez 19,053 51–18–10 112 80 April 9 Montreal Canadiens 4–5 Boston Bruins OT Tim Thomas 17,565 52–18–10 114 81 April 11 Boston Bruins 1–6 Buffalo Sabres Manny Fernandez 18,690 52–19–10 114 82 April 12 Boston Bruins 6–2 New York Islanders Tim Thomas 14,311 53–19–10 116 Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/Shootout Loss (1 point)

Stanley Cup playoffs

Main article: 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs

The Bruins clinched a playoff spot for the second consecutive season, securing top seed in the Eastern Conference in the process and gaining home-ice advantage through the first three rounds.^[46]

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Boston played the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. Boston had previously lost to Montreal in three consecutive playoff appearances and had not won a playoff series overall in the previous ten seasons.

The Bruins won the first game of the series 4–2, with goals from Phil Kessel, David Krejci and a powerplay winner from Zdeno Chara. In Game 2, Marc Savard had two goals and an assist, while Chuck Kobasew, Shane Hnidy – named as a replacement for the injured Matt Hunwick^[47][48] – and Michael Ryder also scored as the Bruins won 5–1. Milan Lucic was suspended for Game 3 after receiving a match penalty in the closing stages of game two for striking Montreal's Maxim Lapierre in the head with his stick.^[49] Boston then travelled to Montreal for Game 3, where they secured another 4–2 victory with goals by Kessel, Ryder, Kobasew and Shawn Thornton. They completed the sweep by winning Game 4, Michael Ryder posting two goals and an assist in the 4–1 victory as the Bruins advanced to the semi-finals for the first time since the 1998–99 season. This marked only the third time that Boston had swept Montreal in the playoffs in history, and the first time since 1992. The only time Boston swept Montreal in the playoffs and closed out the series in Montreal was in 1929, and that season, Boston went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Eastern Conference semifinals

Boston faced the Carolina Hurricanes, a franchise which carried the legacy of Boston's longtime rival the Hartford Whalers. Prior to the Bruins' first-round sweep of Montreal, their most recent playoff series victory had been against Carolina in April 1999.

The Bruins extended their 5-game winning streak with a 4–1 victory in Game 1, but Carolina stormed back on the strength of an aggressive forecheck and excellent goaltending from Cam Ward. Ward's shutout in Game 2, and Jussi Jokinen's game-winning goals in the next two matches, pushed the Bruins to the brink of elimination. Boston recovered for consecutive wins to push the series to a pivotal seventh game, but the Hurricanes prevailed in overtime of the final contest.

The series-winning goal was scored by Scott Walker, who earlier in the series had avoided punishment for an undefended punch to the face of former Hurricane Aaron Ward. Walker had been due for an automatic suspension, but that penalty was overturned by the NHL after a brief meeting in which he claimed to have thought Ward was prepared to fight. Ward disputed that account and publicly reprimanded the NHL for failing to follow through with a full investigation. In addition, Walker's wife received a diagnosis of cervical cancer midway through the series, lending an additional element of personal drama to his performance. After the series, Walker took public responsibility for striking Ward and expressed relief that his wife's cancer was treatable.

Playoff log

2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
Eastern Conference quarterfinals vs E8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Boston goals Montreal goals Decision Attendance Series Recap 1 April 16 Montreal Canadiens 2–4 Boston Bruins Kessel (2), Krejci, Chara Higgins, Kovalev Thomas 17,565 1–0 2 April 18 Montreal Canadiens 1–5 Boston Bruins Savard (2), Kobasew, Hnidy, Ryder Kovalev Thomas 17,565 2–0 3 April 20 Boston Bruins 4–2 Montreal Canadiens Kessel, Thornton, Ryder, Kobasew Higgins, Weber Thomas 21,273 3–0 4 April 22 Boston Bruins 4–1 Montreal Canadiens Ryder (2), Krejci, Kessel A. Kostitsyn Thomas 21,273 4–0
Eastern Conference semifinals vs E6 Carolina Hurricanes: 3–4 (home: 2–2; road: 1–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Boston goals Carolina goals Decision Attendance Series Recap 1 May 1 Carolina Hurricanes 1–4 Boston Bruins Ward, Savard (2), Ryder Jokinen Thomas 17,565 1–0 2 May 3 Carolina Hurricanes 3–0 Boston Bruins Corvo, Cullen, E. Staal Thomas 17,565 1–1 3 May 6 Boston Bruins 2–3 Carolina Hurricanes 2:48 Lucic, Recchi E. Staal, Samsonov, Jokinen Thomas 18,680 1–2 4 May 8 Boston Bruins 1–4 Carolina Hurricanes Savard E. Staal (2), Jokinen, Samsonov Thomas 18,878 1–3 5 May 10 Carolina Hurricanes 0–4 Boston Bruins Recchi, Kessel (2), Lucic Thomas 17,565 2–3 6 May 12 Boston Bruins 4–2 Carolina Hurricanes Recchi, Montador, Savard, Kobasew Cullen, Samsanov Thomas 18,680 3–3 7 May 14 Carolina Hurricanes 3–2 Boston Bruins 18:46 Bitz, Lucic Brind'Amour, Samsonov, Walker Thomas 17,565 3–4

• Scorer of game-winning goal in italics

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus–minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

	Regular season[50]		Playoffs[51]
Player GP G A Pts +/- PIM GP G A Pts +/- PIM Marc Savard 82 25 63 88 25 70 11 6 7 13 2 4 David Krejci 82 22 51 73 37 26 11 2 6 8 6 2 Phil Kessel 70 36 24 60 23 16 11 6 5 11 7 4 Michael Ryder 74 27 26 53 28 26 11 5 8 13 4 8 Dennis Wideman 79 13 37 50 32 34 11 0 7 7 3 4 Zdeno Chara 80 19 31 50 23 95 11 1 3 4 1 12 Blake Wheeler 81 21 24 45 36 46 8 0 0 0 0 0 Chuck Kobasew 68 21 21 42 5 56 11 3 3 6 3 14 Milan Lucic 72 17 25 42 17 136 10 3 6 9 12 43 Patrice Bergeron 64 8 31 39 2 16 11 0 5 5 3 11 P. J. Axelsson 75 6 24 30 -1 16 11 0 1 1 -6 2 Matt Hunwick 53 6 21 27 15 31 1 0 0 0 0 0 Stephane Yelle 77 7 11 18 6 32 11 0 1 1 -4 2 Mark Stuart 82 5 12 17 20 76 11 0 1 1 5 7 Mark Recchi† 18 10 6 16 -3 2 11 3 3 6 0 2 Andrew Ference 47 1 15 16 7 40 3 0 0 0 1 4 Marco Sturm 19 7 6 13 9 8 Shane Hnidy 65 3 9 12 6 45 7 1 0 1 -1 0 Shawn Thornton 79 6 5 11 -2 123 10 1 0 1 0 6 Aaron Ward 65 3 7 10 16 44 11 1 0 1 4 2 Byron Bitz 35 4 3 7 0 18 5 1 1 2 0 2 Vladimir Sobotka 25 1 4 5 -10 10 Martin St. Pierre 14 2 2 4 -1 4 Petteri Nokelainen‡ 33 0 3 3 -1 10 Steve Montador† 13 0 1 1 3 18 11 1 2 3 5 18 Matt Lashoff‡ 16 0 1 1 1 10 Martins Karsums‡ 6 0 1 1 -3 0 Tim Thomas (G) 54 0 1 1 — 6 11 0 1 1 — 0 Manny Fernandez (G) 28 0 0 0 — 2 Mikko Lehtonen 1 0 0 0 0 0 Johnny Boychuk 1 0 0 0 0 0 Totals — 270 465 735 60[52] 1016 — 34 60 94 9[53] 147

• ^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Bruins. Stats reflect time with the Bruins only.
• ^‡Denotes player was traded mid-season.
• ^(G)Denotes goaltender.

Goaltenders

Note: GPI = Games Played In; MIN = Minutes played; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots Against; GA = Goals against; SV% = Save percentage

	Regular season[50]		Playoffs[51]
Player GPI MIN GAA W L OT SO SA GA SV% GPI MIN GAA W L OT SO SA GA SV% Tim Thomas 54 3259 2.10 36 11 7 5 1694 114 .933 11 680 1.85 7 4 0 1 323 21 .935 Manny Fernandez 28 1644 2.59 16 8 3 1 791 71 .910 Tuukka Rask 1 60 0.00 1 0 0 1 35 0 1.000 Combined — — 2.26 53 19 10 7 2520 185 .927 — — 1.85 7 4 0 1 323 21 .935

Awards and records

Milestones

Regular season milestones
Player	Milestone	Reached
Blake Wheeler	1st NHL game 1st NHL goal 1st NHL point	October 9, 2008
Michael Ryder	100th NHL goal	October 9, 2008
Aaron Ward	700th NHL game	October 15, 2008
Manny Fernandez	300th NHL appearance	October 21, 2008
Milan Lucic	1st NHL hat trick	October 25, 2008
Blake Wheeler	1st NHL assist	November 1, 2008
Blake Wheeler	1st NHL hat trick	November 6, 2008
Zdeno Chara	700th NHL game	November 6, 2008
Matt Hunwick	1st NHL goal	November 17, 2008
Marc Savard	600th NHL point	November 19, 2008
Patrice Bergeron	200th NHL point	November 19, 2008
Dennis Wideman	100th NHL point	December 8, 2008
Martins Karsums	1st NHL game	December 13, 2008
Phil Kessel	100th NHL point	December 18, 2008
David Krejci	1st NHL hat trick	December 18, 2008
Marc Savard	700th NHL game	January 8, 2009
P. J. Axelsson	100th NHL goal	January 8, 2009
Byron Bitz	1st NHL game 1st NHL assist	January 10, 2009
Martins Karsums	1st NHL assist	January 10, 2009
Zdeno Chara	200th NHL assist	January 10, 2009
Tuukka Rask	1st NHL shutout	January 31, 2009
Phil Kessel	200th NHL game	February 7, 2009
Byron Bitz	1st NHL goal	February 7, 2009
Andrew Ference	500th NHL game	February 21, 2009
Tim Thomas	100th NHL win	February 26, 2009
Zdeno Chara	100th NHL goal	February 28, 2009
Patrice Bergeron	300th NHL game	April 2, 2009
Mikko Lehtonen	1st NHL game	April 11, 2009

The Bruins' 5–1 win against the Carolina Hurricanes, on February 17, 2009, was the 200th NHL winning game coached, for current Bruins coach Claude Julien.
The Bruins' 5–4 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens, on April 9, 2009, was the 400th NHL game coached, for current Bruins coach Claude Julien.

Playoff milestones
Player	Milestone	Reached
Mark Recchi	150th playoff game 50th playoff goal	May 12, 2009
Byron Bitz	1st playoff goal	May 14, 2009

Awards

Player	Award	Notes
Claude Julien	Jack Adams Award[54]	Awarded to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success.
Zdeno Chara	James Norris Memorial Trophy[54]	Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position.
Tim Thomas	Vezina Trophy[54]	Awarded to the goaltender who is adjudged to be the best at this position.
Tim Thomas Manny Fernandez	William M. Jennings Trophy[55]	Awarded to the goalkeeper(s) playing for the team that conceded the fewest goals.
Patrice Bergeron	Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee[56]	Nominated by the Writers' Association for league-wide recognition.
Zdeno Chara Tim Thomas	NHL First All-Star Team[57]	Voted by representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
Milan Lucic	NHL.com Fans' Choice Award[58]	Hit of the Season - as voted on by users at NHL.com.

On April 4, prior to the game against the New York Rangers, the team announced its award winners for the season.^[59]

Player	Award	Notes
David Krejci	NESN Seventh Player Award	Awarded to the player who exceeded the expectations of Bruins fans during the season.
Milan Lucic	Eddie Shore Award	Awarded to the player who exhibits exceptional hustle and determination.
Marc Savard	Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy	Awarded by the Boston Chapter of the PHWA, for outstanding performance during home games.
Aaron Ward	John P. Bucyk Award	Awarded to the Bruin with the greatest off-ice charitable contributions.
Marc Savard Zdeno Chara Tim Thomas	Three Star Awards	Awarded to the top performers at home over the course of the season.

Transactions

Trades

May 27, 2008	To Columbus Blue Jackets Jonathan Sigalet	To Boston Bruins Matt Marquardt
June 21, 2008	To Columbus Blue Jackets 4th-round pick in 2008 5th-round pick in 2008	To Boston Bruins 4th-round pick in 2008
June 24, 2008	To Colorado Avalanche Matt Hendricks	To Boston Bruins Johnny Boychuk
July 24, 2008	To Chicago Blackhawks Pascal Pelletier	To Boston Bruins Martin St. Pierre
October 13, 2008	To Philadelphia Flyers Andrew Alberts	To Boston Bruins Ned Lukacevic 4th-round pick in 2009
March 4, 2009	To Anaheim Ducks Petteri Nokelainen	To Boston Bruins Steve Montador
March 4, 2009	To Tampa Bay Lightning Matt Lashoff Martins Karsums	To Boston Bruins Mark Recchi 2nd-round pick in 2010

Free agents Player Former team Michael Ryder Montreal Canadiens Blake Wheeler Phoenix Coyotes Stephane Yelle Calgary Flames

Claimed from waivers Player Former team Date claimed off waivers

Draft picks

Boston's picks at the 2008 NHL entry draft in Ottawa, Ontario.

Round	#	Player	Position	Nationality	College/junior/club team (league)
1	16	Joe Colborne	Center	Canada	Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL)
2	47	Maxime Sauve	Center	France	Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
3	77	Michael Hutchinson	Goaltender	Canada	Barrie Colts (OHL)
4	97	Jamie Arniel	Center	Canada	Sarnia Sting (OHL)
6	173	Nicholas Tremblay	Center	Canada	Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL)
7	197	Mark Goggin	Center	United States	Choate-Rosemary (HIGH-CT)

Affiliates

American Hockey League – Providence Bruins (standings)

Johnny Boychuk was selected as a starter for Team Canada in the 2009 AHL All Star Classic. Martins Karsums was selected as a reserve for the PlanetUSA team. Both players were under two-way NHL contracts and played games with Boston during the season. In the game, Karsums, named as a late starter, scored two goals and three assists.^[60]