Bruins become 1st team to clinch playoff spot
China Wong / National Hockey League / Getty
To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Boston Bruins are the first team to clinch their spot in the playoffs.
Boston officially punched its postseason ticket after the New York Islanders' loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday. It's the Bruins' seventh consecutive playoff appearance, equaling the third-longest run in franchise history.
Boston became the fastest team in NHL history to 50 wins earlier Saturday with a comeback victory against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Bruins are 50-9-5 on the campaign. With 105 points through 64 games, they're on pace to break the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens' NHL record of 132 points in a season.