2008–09 Boston Bruins season

The 2008–09 Boston Bruins season was the Boston Bruins' 85th season of operation. The Bruins finished 1st in the Northeast Division and lost in the Conference Semi-finals to the Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to 3.
===Pre-season===
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 defending Stanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings. Boston maintained a 3–4–1 record through the pre-season with victories against the Habs, Caps and Wings, including an impressive 8–3 victory over arch-rivals Montreal in their first match-up.
==Regular Season==
Arguably the two biggest events to occur during the Bruins' off-season were the acquisition of Canadiens forward Michael Ryder, a noted 30 goal scorer, and Blake Wheeler, a promising 21-year-old from the University of Minnesota. 12-year veteran Stephane Yelle was another strong addition to the roster. 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 postseason, expectations were high for the team.
===October===
On October 9, the Bruins opened their regular season against the Colorado Avalanche, at the Pepsi Center. 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, including a shootout loss to rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.
The Bruins home opener took place on October 20, with the team suffering another shootout defeat, this time to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston secured its first home victory of the season on October 25, 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. Winger Milan Lucic recorded his first NHL hat trick in the game, also adding an assist in the 5–4 victory.
On October 27, in Edmonton in overtime and Oct. 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).
The Bruins ended October with a loss to Calgary on the road, and finished the month with a 5–3–3 record.
===November–December===
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. 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. One of those wins was a convincing 6-1 victory over the team's hated rivals, 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. In the return leg, on November 17, Matt Hunwick scored his 1st NHL goal as the Bruins once again defeated the Leafs. Two days later, Marc Savard would secure his 600th NHL point with a goal and 3 assists in the Bruins 7–4 win against the Buffalo Sabres. On December 18, centre David Krejci recorded his first NHL hat trick in an 8–5 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Phil Kessel also scored two goals in the match, his second bringing up his 100th career point.
Boston finished the month of November with an 11–1–1 record, including an 8–0–0 record at home. They would carry that form through the month of December, finishing with a remarkable 12–1–0 record and remaining undefeated at The Garden (4–0–0). Phil Kessel maintained an 18-game point streak from Nov. 13-Dec. 21, the longest such streak overall for the season and equalling Ed Olczyk's record for the longest point streak by a U.S.-born player in NHL history. 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 Carolina's Dennis Seidenberg. Bergeron would go on to miss the next 15 games.
===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. 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 San Jose.
From January 12–29, forward Phil Kessel was sidelined with mononucleosis. 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. 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. 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.
===All-Star Weekend===
thumb|Tim Thomas, winner of the 2008–09 Roger Crozier Award
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. Coach Claude Julien was also named as head coach ahead of Montreal counterpart Guy Carbonneau. Over the course of the weekend Blake Wheeler was named MVP of the YoungStars game with a 4 goal performance, Zdeno Chara recorded the hardest ever shot (105.4 mph) in the SuperSkills Competition, while Chara, Savard and Thomas celebrated victory in the All-Star Game, with Savard tallying 3 assists while Thomas was awarded the win for his efforts in both the overtime and shootout periods.
===March===
On March 4, the Bruins acquired defenseman Steve Montador from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Petteri Nokelainen. 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. Three days later, on March 7, Recchi scored a pair of goals in his second outing for the Bruins, against the Chicago Blackhawks.
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.
===April===
On April 2, against the Ottawa Senators, Boston recorded their 50th win for the season, the 8th time in franchise history and first since the 1992–1993 season that the mark had been achieved. 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. 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 took home the League's Plus-Minus award, narrowly beating out rookie team-mate Blake Wheeler. 
The Bruins claimed their first division title since 2004 and clinched top seed in the East for the first time since 2002.
===Final Standings===
====Divisional Standings====
====Conference Standings====
 
===Game Log===
2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log 	2008–09 Game Log
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" width=100%
Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)	Preseason: 3–4–1 (Home: 1–3–0; Road: 2–1–1)
# 	Date 	Score 	Opponent 	Location 	OT 	Decision 	Game Winner 	Attendance 	Record 	Pts 	Recap
i 	September 22 	8 – 3 	Montreal Canadiens 	Metro Centre 	 	Kevin Regan 	Andrew Ference 	7,792 	1–0–0 	- 	
ii 	September 23 	1 – 2 	New York Islanders 	Moncton Coliseum 	OT 	Tuukka Rask 	Trevor Smith 	3,278 	1–0–1 	- 	
iii 	September 25 	3 – 4 	Detroit Red Wings 	Metro Centre 	 	- 	Brad Stuart 	- 	1–1–1 	- 	
iv 	September 26 	2 – 1 	Detroit Red Wings 	Joe Louis Arena 	 	Tuukka Rask 	Michael Ryder 	15,266 	2–1–1 	- 	
v 	September 27 	3 – 4 	Washington Capitals 	TD Banknorth Garden 	 	Tim Thomas 	Chris Bourque 	13,660 	2–2–1 	- 	
vi 	October 1 	1 – 3 	Montreal Canadiens 	Bell Centre 	 	Manny Fernandez 	Patrice Brisebois 	21,173 	2–3–1 	- 	
vii 	October 4 	1 – 3 	New York Islanders 	TD Banknorth Garden 	 	Tim Thomas 	Jonathan Sim 	12,428 	2–4–1 	- 	
viii 	October 5 	5 – 4 	Washington Capitals 	Verizon Center 	SO 	Manny Fernandez 	Patrice Bergeron 	14,585 	3–4–1 	- 	
==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. 
===Boston Bruins 4, Montreal Canadiens 0===
Boston played the 8th-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 10 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 Two, Marc Savard had two goals and an assist, while Chuck Kobasew, Shane Hnidy – named as a replacement for the injured Matt Hunwick – and Michael Ryder also scored as the Bruins won 5–1. Milan Lucic was suspended for game three after receiving a match penalty in the closing stages of game two for striking Montreal's Maxim Lapierre in the head with his stick. Boston then travelled to Montreal for Game Three, where they secured another 4–2 victory with goals by Kessel, Ryder, Kobasew, and Shawn Thornton. They completed the sweep by winning Game Four, 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.
===Carolina Hurricanes 4, Boston Bruins 3===
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 in 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 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 	2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;" 	
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%;"
Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 Montreal Canadiens: 4–0 (Home: 2–0 ; Road: 2–0)	Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs #8 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 	
*Scorer of game-winning goal in italics
==Player Stats==
===Skaters===
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalty minutes
 	Regular Season	 	Playoffs	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	Player	GP 	G 	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	 	GP	G 	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
 	82 	25 	63 	88 	25 	70 	 	11 	6 	7 	13	2 	4 	 	 	 	
 	82 	22 	51 	73 	37 	26 	 	11 	2 	6 	8 	6 	2 	 	 	 	
 	70 	36 	24 	60 	23 	16 	 	11 	6 	5 	11	7 	4 	 	 	 	
 	74 	27 	26 	53 	28 	26 	 	11 	5 	8 	13	4 	8 	 	 	 	
 	79 	13 	37 	50 	32 	34 	 	11 	0 	7 	7 	3 	4 	 	 	 	
 	80 	19 	31 	50 	23 	95 	 	11 	1 	3 	4 	1 	12 	 	 	 	
 	81 	21 	24 	45 	36 	46 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	 	 	
 	68 	21 	21 	42 	5 	56 	 	11 	3 	3 	6 	3 	14 	 	 	 	
 	72 	17 	25 	42 	17 	136 	 	10 	3 	6 	9 	12	43 	 	 	 	
 	64 	8 	31 	39 	2 	16 	 	11 	0 	5 	5 	3 	11 	 	 	 	
 	75 	6 	24 	30 	-1 	16 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	-6	2 	 	 	 	
 	53 	6 	21 	27 	15 	31 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	 	 	
 	77 	7 	11 	18 	6 	32 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	-4	2 	 	 	 	
 	82 	5 	12 	17 	20 	76 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	5 	7 	 	 	 	
 	18 	10 	6 	16 	-3 	2 	 	11 	3 	3 	6 	0 	2 	 	 	 	
 	47 	1 	15 	16 	7 	40 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	1 	4 	 	 	 	
 	19 	7 	6 	13 	9 	8 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	65 	3 	9 	12 	6 	45 	 	7 	1 	0 	1 	-1	0 	 	 	 	
 	79 	6 	5 	11 	-2 	123 	 	10 	1 	0 	1 	0 	6 	 	 	 	
 	65 	3 	7 	10 	16 	44 	 	11 	1 	0 	1 	4 	2 	 	 	 	
 	35 	4 	3 	7 	0 	18 	 	5 	1 	1 	2 	0 	2 	 	 	 	
 	25 	1 	4 	5 	-10	10 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	14 	2 	2 	4 	-1 	4 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	33 	0 	3 	3 	-1 	10 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	13 	0 	1 	1 	3 	18 	 	11 	1 	2 	3 	5 	18 	 	 	 	
 	16 	0 	1 	1 	1 	10 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	6 	0 	1 	1 	-3 	0 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	54 	0 	1 	1 	— 	6 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	— 	0 	 	 	 	
 	28 	0 	0 	0 	— 	2 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Totals	— 	270	465 	735 	60 	1016	 	— 	34 	60 	94	9 	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	 	Playoffs	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"	Player	GPI	MIN	GAA	W 	L 	OT 	SO	SA	GA 	SV% 	 	GPI	MIN	GAA	W 	L 	OT 	SO	SA	GA	SV%
 	54 	3259	2.10 	36 	11 	7 	5 	1694	114	.933 	 	11	680	1.85	7	4 	0 	1 	323	21	.935	 	 	 	
 	28 	1644	2.59 	16 	8 	3 	1 	791 	71 	.910 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	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	Regular Season Milestones 	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones	Regular Season Milestones
Player 	Milestone 	Reached 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Blake Wheeler 	1st NHL game1st NHL goal1st 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 game1st 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 Bruins coach Claude Julien and the Bruins' 5-4 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens on April 9, 2009, was the 400th NHL game coached for Julien.
Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones	Playoff Milestones
Player 	Milestone 	Reached 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Byron Bitz 	1st playoff goal 	May 14, 2009 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===Awards===
Player 	Award 	Notes
Claude Julien 	Jack Adams Award 	Awarded to the coach adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success.
Zdeno Chara 	James Norris Memorial Trophy 	Awarded to the defenseman who demonstrates the greatest all-round ability in the position.
Tim Thomas 	Vezina Trophy 	Awarded to the goaltender who is adjudged to be the best at this position.
Tim ThomasManny Fernandez	William M. Jennings Trophy 	Awarded to the goalkeeper(s) playing for the team that conceded the fewest goals.
Tim Thomas 	Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award 	Awarded to the goaltender who finished the season with the best save percentage.
David Krejci 	NHL Plus-Minus Award 	Awarded to the player who leads the league in plus/minus statistics.
Patrice Bergeron 	Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee	Nominated by the Writers' Association for league-wide recognition.
Zdeno CharaTim Thomas 	NHL First All-Star Team 	Voted by representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
Milan Lucic 	NHL.com Fans' Choice Award 	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.
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 SavardZdeno CharaTim 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 Fourth-round pick (#107 overall) in 2008Fifth-round pick (#137 overall) in 2008	To Boston Bruins Fourth-round pick (#97 overall) 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 LukacevicFourth-round pick in 2009 draft
March 4, 2009 	To Anaheim Ducks Petteri Nokelainen 	To Boston Bruins Steve Montador
March 4, 2009 	To Tampa Bay Lightning Matt LashoffMartins Karsums 	To Boston Bruins Mark RecchiSecond-round pick in 2010 draft
;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 	 	Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) / University of Denver
2 	47 	Maxime Sauve 	Center 	 	Val d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL)
3 	77 	Michael Hutchinson	Goaltender	 	Barrie Colts (OHL)
4 	97 	Jamie Arniel 	Center 	 	Sarnia Sting (OHL)
6 	173	Nicholas Tremblay 	Center 	 	Smiths Falls Bears (CJHL) / Clarkson University
7 	197	Mark Goggin 	Center 	 	Choate-Rosemary (HIGH-CT)
==Personnel==
===Roster===
===Staff===
==Farm Teams==
;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.
==See Also==
*2008–09 NHL season
==References==
Category:Boston Bruins seasons
Category:2008 in hockey
Category:2009 in hockey