Editing Boston Bruins (section)

===The new millennium (2000–2015)===
In the [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000 season]], the Bruins finished in last place in the Northeast Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs. During a game between the Bruins and the [[Vancouver Canucks]] on February 21, 2000, [[Marty McSorley]] was ejected for using his stick to hit Canucks forward [[Donald Brashear]] in the head, and subsequently suspended for what resulted in the rest of his career.

After a mediocre start, the Bruins fired coach [[Pat Burns]] in favor of [[Mike Keenan]]. Despite a 15-point improvement, the Bruins missed the playoffs in [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]], and Keenan was let go. Center [[Jason Allison]] led the Bruins in scoring. The following season, [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02]], the Bruins won their first Northeast Division title since [[1992–93 NHL season|1993]] with a core built around [[Joe Thornton]], [[Sergei Samsonov]], [[Brian Rolston]], [[Bill Guerin]], [[Mike Knuble]] and [[Glen Murray (hockey player)|Glen Murray]]. They lost in six games to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs.

The [[2002–03 NHL season|2002–03 season]] found the Bruins finishing seventh in the East, but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion [[New Jersey Devils]] in five games. In [[2003–04 NHL season|2003–04]], the Bruins won another division title and appeared to get past the first round for the first time in five years with a 3–1 series lead on the rival Canadiens. However, the Canadiens rallied back to win three consecutive games, upsetting the Bruins.

[[File:Chara, Zdeno.jpg|thumb|left|The Bruins acquired [[Zdeno Chára|Zdeno Chara]] on July 1, 2006, naming him the new team captain.]]
The [[2004–05 NHL season]] was wiped out by a [[2004–05 NHL lockout|lockout]], and Bruins management eschewed younger free agents in favor of older veterans. The Bruins fired general manager Mike O'Connell in March and the Bruins missed the playoffs for the first time in five years.

[[Peter Chiarelli (ice hockey)|Peter Chiarelli]] was hired as the new general manager of the team. Head coach [[Mike Sullivan (ice hockey)|Mike Sullivan]] was fired and [[Dave Lewis (ice hockey)|Dave Lewis]], former coach of the Detroit Red Wings, was hired to replace him. The Bruins signed star defenseman [[Zdeno Chára|Zdeno Chara]], and center [[Marc Savard]]. The 2006–07 season ended in the team finishing in last place in the division. 

After the disappointing [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07 season]], Lewis was fired as coach, replaced by [[Claude Julien (ice hockey)|Claude Julien]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhl.com/news/bruins-hire-claude-julien-as-coach/c-319894 | title=Bruins hire Claude Julien as coach | access-date=August 27, 2022 | archive-date=August 27, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827212631/https://www.nhl.com/news/bruins-hire-claude-julien-as-coach/c-319894 | url-status=live}}</ref> 

The [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08 campaign]] saw the Bruins finish 41–29–12 and making the playoffs. Although Bruins center [[Patrice Bergeron]] was injured with a concussion most of the season, youngsters [[Milan Lucic]], [[David Krejčí|David Krejci]] and [[Vladimír Sobotka|Vladimir Sobotka]] showed promise in the playoffs.

After a slow start to the [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09 season]], the Bruins went on to have the best record in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the playoffs for the fifth time in nine years, facing the Canadiens in the playoffs for the fourth time during that span, defeating them in four games before losing in seven games to the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] in the conference semifinals.

On January 1, 2010, the Bruins won the [[2010 NHL Winter Classic|2010 Winter Classic]] over the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in a 2–1 overtime decision at [[Fenway Park]], thus becoming the first home team to win an outdoor classic game. They finished in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and a 2010 NHL playoff opening round appearance against the Buffalo Sabres, which they won 4–2. Boston became only the third team in NHL history to lose a playoff series after leading 3–0 when they lost in game 7 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

[[File:Milan Lucic Stanley Cup celebration.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Milan Lucic]] with the [[Stanley Cup]] after the Bruins defeated the [[Vancouver Canucks]] in game 7 of the [[2011 Stanley Cup Finals]].]]
In the [[2011 Stanley Cup playoffs]], the Bruins eliminated the Montreal Canadiens in seven games. On May 6, the Bruins swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games to advance to the conference finals for the first time since [[1992 Stanley Cup playoffs|1992]]. Boston then defeated the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] in seven games and advanced to the [[2011 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] for the first time since [[1990 Stanley Cup Finals|1990]] to face the Vancouver Canucks, defeating them in seven games for the team's first Stanley Cup since 1972. The 2010–11 Bruins were the first team in NHL history to win a game 7 three times in the same playoff run.

Following their Stanley Cup win, the Bruins lost [[Mark Recchi]] to retirement and [[Michael Ryder]] and Tomas Kaberle to free agency. The Bruins went on to finish second in the Eastern Conference with 102 points, winning the Northeast Division title, but losing to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the [[2012 Stanley Cup playoffs]] in seven games.

During the off-season preceding the [[2012–13 NHL lockout|lockout]], Tim Thomas made his decision to sit out the [[2012–13 NHL season|2012–13 season]]; his rights were traded to the [[New York Islanders]]. The Bruins battled the Montreal Canadiens for leadership in the Northeast Division all season, before a loss to the Ottawa Senators in a make-up game following the [[Boston Marathon bombing]] on April 28 gave the Canadiens the division title. 

[[File:Boston Bruins Prince of Wales Trophy 2013-06-07.JPG|thumb|The Bruins were the [[2013 Stanley Cup playoffs|2013]] Eastern Conference champions, their second Conference title in three years.]]
In the opening round of the [[2013 Stanley Cup playoffs|2013 playoffs]], the Bruins took on the Toronto Maple Leafs, defeating them in seven games. They went on to beat the New York Rangers in five games and the Pittsburgh Penguins in a four-game sweep to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals and the Chicago Blackhawks, falling in six games, with three going into overtime.

In the [[2013–14 NHL season|2013–14 season]], the Bruins won the [[Presidents' Trophy]] after finishing first in the newly formed [[Atlantic Division (NHL)|Atlantic Division]] with a record of 54–19–9 for 117 points. Their regular season success, however, would not translate into another conference finals appearance. Despite winning their first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings, the team fell to the Canadiens in seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals during the [[2014 Stanley Cup playoffs|2014 playoffs]].

In the [[2014–15 NHL season|2014–15 season]], the Bruins finished with a record of 41–27–14 for 96 points, missing out on the playoffs by just two points after the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators clinched the final two playoff spots in the East. The Bruins therefore became only the third team to miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents' Trophy in the previous season. The 96 points they earned that season broke the record for the most points earned by a team that did not make the playoffs.