Having played, reffed and coached my share of hockey games like The Game 7 That Shall Not Be Named, I can safely say there’s no worse way to lose a hockey game.
The Bruins came out on fire and threw everything they had at Jordan Binnington, and Binnington stopped everything they had. Those kind of games are THE. WORST. It’s so demoralizing when you’re getting grade-A chances and nothing’s going in. Then, to give up not one, but two goals on your only breakdowns of the first period?
The first, a deflection by a Conn Smyth-winning player. The second, a heartbreaking fast-break goal featuring a poor decision by a star player in the closing seconds.
Goals at the end of periods are bad enough. One like that on the grandest stage was even worse. And it was one of your best player’s fault. Ick.
Some will criticize a goalie for any goal, but Tuukka Rask bore little blame for why the Bruins didn’t win the Stanley Cup this season. If anything, the team let him down in what would have been a Conn Smythe-winning run.
The Bruins had strong special teams all post season but the referees called this game like a Game Seven should be called. Just one penalty that they had no choice on. As a ref myself, this is a playoff game I aspire to.
Bruce Cassidy rode his stars into the ground, and it was their stars (outside the crease) that failed to deliver. Credit to the Blues stars, led Ryan O’Reilly who played tougher, grittier hockey over seven games, especially in the last one with everything on the line.
That’s a bitter pill to swallow for the Bruins players. Hence why the locker room was like a morgue.
It’s hard to find any answer other than “we got outplayed at home in a Stanley Cup Game Seven.”
Ultimately, like all the glaring Patriots’ losses, this will only make me love the Bruins that much more. I’m just not sure how much longer this window, with Bergy, Marchy, Krejci and the ultimate warrior that is Zdeno Chara, will be open.
The good to take from this run: That Tuukka is an all-time Bruin. That Bergeron and Chara have only further cemented their place there as well. Torey Krug continues to make a case he belongs up there too.
Don Sweeney pushed every right button this season. Adding Charlie Coyle and Marcus Johansson worked out perfectly. Johansson was often their only effective offensive player in the finals. Coyle delivered in the middle two series and will return for another season, bringing two-way play and versatility.
Bruce Cassidy came one game short of pushing every right button, and even then it’s not like the Bruins came out flat in Game Seven. They just couldn’t solve Binnington and paid the ultimate price for their few mistakes. Cassidy proved he’s one of the best coaches in the league. His two-plus years in Boston have been outstanding.
Charlie McAvoy emerged as a number one defenseman, while the glaring hole left by Matt Grzlyck in the finals was arguably the turning point. Brandon Carlo and Connor Clifton brought needed toughness.
McAvoy and Carlo are restricted free agents, (along with Danton Heinen. Noel Acciari and Marcus Johansson will be unrestricted free agents) but the young defensive core for Post-Chara is there.
Update with no JFK next year. pic.twitter.com/95B5kTYag8
— $14M=BruinsCapspace (@bruinscapspace) May 21, 2019
Assuming something is done with David Backes, five of the top six and the most important offensive pieces will return, they’ll just be a year older.
Four of the bottom six, including the Sean Kuraly, Joakim Nordstrom and 7th Player-winning Chris Wagner, are back. All elevated their games in the playoffs and proved they can be auxiliary forwards who bring toughness and some goal-scoring touch.
There will be some holes to fill upfront but the Bruins’ development system continues to churn out surprisingly solid players.
The effective pairing of Tuukka and Jaroslav Halak will also return. Halak should once again be able to play another 40 games, enabling Rask to be fresh for another epic playoff run like he just put together.
So yes, this core is still around for another year, and that’s why they can bounce back once they heel from the two-month war they just endured.
It was a special Bruins season for me, getting an up close look at a team that had the ultimate goal in sight but fell just short. It only makes me that much more excited to see them pick themselves up next season and make another run at it.