NHL Playoff Picture 2023: Bruins Clinch Atlantic Division; Latest Standings, Bracket

The Boston Bruins already clinched a playoff spot earlier this season, but they locked up the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Division with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday at TD Garden.

The Black and Gold also moved to 56-11-5 with the win and hold the NHL's best record, sitting 17 points above the second-place Carolina Hurricanes, which have posted a 46-16-8 record this season.

Boston is also on pace to set the NHL's all-time wins record with just 10 games remaining in the regular season. The Detroit Red Wings set the record in 1995-96 with 62 wins, and the Lightning tied the mark in 2018-19.

The Bruins are likely to end the regular season with the best record in the league. Doing so would clinch the team home-ice advantage throughout the postseason.

Let's take a look at the updated Eastern Conference standings following Boston's Atlantic Division-clinching victory.

Atlantic Division

1. Boston Bruins: 56-11-5, 117 points (clinched division)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs: 43-19-9, 95 points
3. Tampa Bay Lightning: 42-26-6, 90 points

Metropolitan Division

1. Carolina Hurricanes: 46-16-8, 100 points (clinched playoffs)
2. New Jersey Devils: 45-19-8, 98 points
3. New York Rangers: 42-20-10, 94 points

Wild Card

1. New York Islanders: 37-27-9, 83 points
2. Pittsburgh Penguins: 35-27-10, 80 points

Full NHL standings available at NHL.com

The Bruins are hoping to win their first Stanley Cup title since 2011 with players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejčí and Nick Foligno nearing retirement.

David Pastrňák, who agreed to an eight-year, $90 million extension with the Bruins this season, has led the team offensively with 49 goals and 46 assists for 95 points in 71 games. He's looking to become Boston's first 50-goal scorer since Cam Neely in 1993-94.

The 26-year-old's 49 goals rank second in the NHL behind Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who has tallied 60 goals this year. His 95 points rank fifth in the league.

Pastrňák has benefitted greatly from playing on an all-Czech line alongside Krejčí and Pavel Zacha. Krejčí, who rejoined the Bruins this season after spending a year with HC Olomouc in the Czech Extraliga, has notched 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points in 66 games.

Bergeron and Brad Marchand have also been impressive this season. Bergeron, who will likely be up for the Selke Trophy, has tallied 27 goals and 30 assists for 57 points in 72 games, and Marchand has notched 20 goals and 43 assists for 63 points in 64 games.

On the defensive side, Hampus Lindholm should be in the Norris Trophy conversation with 10 goals and 39 assists for 49 points in 71 games. He leads the league with a plus-47 rating, and Bruins teammates Matt Grzelcyk and Brandon Carlo rank behind him in that category at plus-45 and plus-39, respectively.

Boston also has two of the best goaltenders in the league in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Ullmark will likely be up for the Vezina Trophy with a 36-5-1 record, 1.92 goals-against average and .937 save percentage, all of which lead the NHL.

The Bruins made some key reinforcements at the NHL's trade deadline, acquiring Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals, and Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. All have meshed well in Boston's system, making the team much stronger for a deep postseason run.

The Bruins are still waiting on the returns of Foligno, Taylor Hall and Derek Forbort, who are sidelined with injuries. If they return for the playoffs, the Black and Gold will be even stronger than they've been of late.

If the Bruins don't win the Stanley Cup this season it will be a massive disappointment, especially considering their dominance during the regular season. But as we all know, the postseason is a completely different beast.