Winning a championship is ever...

This season, the Boston Bruins won 65 games. It was three more than any other club in the NHL's century-plus history and, obviously, the most for a franchise that began play in 1924.

They annihilated Washington on opening night and never stopped. They got off to a 10-1 start. By early December, they had 20 victories. They didn't suffer a home defeat until December. They completed with a 15-1 record.

Blowouts. Comebacks. Overtime. Whatever. They simply kept winning. They'd go behind and then come back. They won seven or more games in a row on five distinct occasions. There were just two such "losing streaks." The first lasted three games, while the second lasted two.

Every night, there was another big goal, save, or performance by, well, the entire lineup. They arrived in waves of speed and skill, line after line. They battled when they needed to. They appeared to be killing people for amusement.

Twenty-six players scored goals, with eight becoming career highs. Linus Ullmark, who threw one into an empty net against Vancouver, is among them. A game winner was posted by eighteen different players (David Pastrnak had 13 all by himself). Trent Frederic had six... in the third line.

Meanwhile, Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman alternated shutouts and embraced after each win. Boston concluded the season with a remarkable goal differential of plus-128 (second place was Carolina at plus-61).

This was an incredible, steamrolling run through the league. It was even more remarkable given how little was anticipated of the squad entering the season (maybe a wild-card spot). Instead, they gave the finest six-month stretch of hockey ever seen.

But does it really matter? Will it, or won't it?

Is it all for nought if they don't win the Stanley Cup?

The Bruins took the opening step in their playoff campaign on Monday, defeating Florida 3-1. They require 15 more. It will only get more difficult.

Except for the fan who has never seen anything like it. Don't get me wrong: they'd swap a record regular season for a Cup in the end. However, the final aim cannot be the only metric of success. The joyride nevertheless took place. All of the games. All of those triumphs. All of the recollections. Nobody should ever forget it.

The Bruins are the least accomplished of Boston's main professional clubs. They receive just scant coverage in the local media. Even at their finest, they cannot or have not taken over the city's mind in the same way as the Celtics, Red Sox, or Patriots can or have.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of Bruins supporters who prefer them to the others. For a reason, Monday marked the team's 541st straight sell out.