Boston Bruins can tie NHL single-season wins record Saturday vs. New Jersey Devils as part of first 16-game day in league history

If you are a hockey fan, Friday is rough as the league is dark for Good Friday. The good news, though, is Saturday features the first-ever 16-game schedule league history, highlighted by the Boston Bruins hosting the New Jersey Devils in a possible Eastern Conference Finals preview. ABC has the national prime-time telecast. Boston has wrapped up the Presidents' Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs and is one win shy of tying the NHL single-season record of 62.

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There never had been 32 teams in the league before, and as far as I know no clubs have played a doubleheader previously, so there couldn't be 16 games in a day in previous years. The first puck drops Saturday in Buffalo vs. Carolina at 12:30 p.m. ET and the last is Colorado at Los Angeles at 10:30.

Boston got win No. 61 on Thursday by rallying for a 2-1 overtime win vs. Toronto in what could be an Eastern semifinal preview. David Pastrnak's 57th goal of the season was the winner. He looks to join Phil Esposito (four times) as the only 60-goal scorers in franchise history. Esposito's mark of 76 in 1970-71 is safe forever.

Pastrnak does have two goals this year vs. New Jersey. The Bruins then finish at Philadelphia, vs. Washington and at Montreal, so Pastrnak has a very realistic shot at 60 unless the team shuts him down for the final game or two to rest up. Pastrnak has 11 game-winning goals this season, tying Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl for the league lead. Thursday was Pastrnak's fourth overtime goal of the season – only four players in NHL history have recorded more in a single campaign.

If the Oilers' Connor McDavid wasn't having one of the best offensive seasons in recent NHL history, Pastrnak would win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. Yet McDavid all but has the award locked down, as well as the Rocket Richard Trophy, which is given to the league's top goal-scorer. McDavid has scored 62 goals. It's mathematically possible for Pastrnak to catch him, but very unlikely.

The record of 62 wins was set by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning. The record for most points in a season is 132 by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, and they did it in 80 games. Those Habs were an absurd 60-8 with 12 ties. Boston is 61-12 with five overtime losses, good for 127 points.

The Bruins are +280 favorites to win the Cup. Surprisingly, no Presidents' Trophy winner has won the Cup since the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.

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