A golden achievement rises from rubble

Less than two years ago this month, the Bruins were postseason DNQs again, winning only 35 games under the untidy tutelage of Dave Lewis. Now they have 50 wins after last night's 2-1 snipping of the Senators, and they still have a chance to finish with the NHL's best record in 2008-09.

"You could play your whole career with one team and never get to 50 wins," mused goalie Tim Thomas, who turned back 31 shots for his 33d victory. "And [you could] still have some real good seasons . . . so it's quite an accomplishment."

In and of itself, win No. 50 wasn't one of their best. But these are the dog days for the Bruins. There is little suspense left to the regular season. The only issue is what day - not if - they will clinch the Eastern Conference title, and more important, what color the opposition will be wearing when the first round of the playoffs begins in less than two weeks.

Will it be the Canadiens, Rangers, or perhaps the Panthers? Check boston.com hourly (we know who's clicking, and we know where you live) for the sorting out of the also-rans and the DNQs.

In the three completed seasons since the lockout, only six franchises reached the 50-win plateau. The Red Wings did it three times (and stand at 49 this season). The Sabres did it twice. Ottawa, Carolina, Dallas, and Nashville did it once, and have been joined this season by the Sharks and Bruins.

"Our biggest accomplishment [so far] is getting to 50 wins," said veteran defenseman Aaron Ward, who arrived late amid the carnage of the 2006-07 season, acquired in a swap with the Rangers for Paul Mara. "The reason I think people picked us so low in the standings [in the preseason] was we had a lot of young guys, and we were discounted because of that."

As things have turned out, noted Ward, the kids have been the difference-makers in this year's edition of Black and Gold.

"The old guys, everyone knows what to expect from us," said the 36-year-old Ward. "We're vanilla and chocolate. But the young guys bring the spunk and they've been a central component to our success."

Case in point last night, as he was two nights earlier with his spirited play against the lowly Lightning, was Milan Lucic. The broad-shouldered winger crossed the blue line in the first period and put the hammer down on a steaming 42-foot slapper that ex-Boston goalie Alex Auld barely saw as it nearly tore a hole through the net. The other Boston goal came from the vanilla-and-chocolate combination of senior citizen P.J. Axelsson and Marc Savard, Axelsson setting up Savard for a mid-slot wrister.

The Bruins hadn't piled up 50 wins since the 1992-93 season, notching their 51st and last some four years before Axelsson, the 177th pick in the 1995 draft, reported to training camp with a couple of guys named Joe Thornton and Sergei Samsonov.

Asked if he were surprised by the franchise's relatively quick resurgence, Axelsson said, "Yeah, a little bit. It's really nice, especially when you look where we were two years ago. We've come a long way, but there is still a long way to go."

The reasons are many, and well chronicled over the last six-plus months. Although he gets ample credit, Thomas really doesn't get enough. Now he's a legitimate Vezina Trophy candidate, sporting the best save percentage and goals-against mark in the league, and he's by far the game's best bargain (and how that will change in the days leading up to July 1, when he could hit the market as an unrestricted free agent). He arrived here in the craziness of 2005-06, played astoundingly well amid the mayhem, and has turned himself into one of the game's elite stoppers.

Following win No. 50, Thomas summed up the key points of the turnaround:

"The young kids becoming better."

"The new additions to the team, including the guys we got [Steve Montador and Mark Recchi] at the deadline."

"The veterans stepping into roles, sometimes new roles, and playing well.'

"The stars [Zdeno Chara and Savard] playing at the top of their games."

"The coaches keeping everyone on the same page."

"Two good goalies [himself and Manny Fernandez]."

Thomas paused for a moment.

"Should I go on?" he asked.

Oh, not really necessary. Points made.

And wins piled high - higher than we've seen around here since the days when Adam Oates finished third in league scoring with 45 goals and 142 points (did that really happen?) and Joe Juneau chipped in with a somewhat modest 102 points (did that really happen, too?). Had it not been for Cam Neely's aching leg and hip . . . should I go on? Oh, not really necessary.

"We knew there would be some growing pains," reflected coach Claude Julien, whose previous career high was 47 wins, his total when the Devils sent him packing just two years ago. "But again, I don't think anybody probably thought that we would be in this position this quickly."

Fifty wins . . . and counting.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com.