Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron leads the Bruins in the end-of-series handshake after Florida eliminated Boston in the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Photo: NHL.com
Wow. Where do I even start on this one? I’m genuinely curious because it’s still hard to comprehend the utter failure and humiliation I witnessed last night. A 65-win season. Talent and quality depth up and down the lineup. The best defense in hockey. A Vezina trophy-winning goalie with a backup who could probably start for a few teams. They went up against a team with a shell of the identity that made them regular season gods the year before and couldn’t decide which goalie they wanted, and they made the playoffs in the last week of the season. A 3-1 series lead where Florida was dead.
Do you realize what you’ve just done, Bruins? This is, bar none, the greatest choke job in NHL history. This is a collapse for the ages. Do you know how bad it was? Fans around the league felt actual feelings of sympathy for Boston. BOSTON. Do you know how bad things must get for that to play out?
And the worst part about this? This was their best opportunity to win another Cup this window, and they choked it away again. Besides 2011, this is all they’ve done in this window. Look at the Scottie Walker series in ‘09. Washington in 2012, which they also lost in an OT Game 7. A 2-1 series lead against Chicago with home ice in the Cup Final in 2013, culminating in their 3rd-period collapse in game 6. Losing to the Montreal Canadiens in a home game 7 as the Presidents’ Trophy winners. Missing the playoffs in 2015 and ‘16, and being invisible in ‘17 and ‘18 thanks to organizational ineptitude. Wilting in a home game 7, in the CUP FINAL, to a St. Louis team they were far better than.
And now this. All your opportunities, all that talent: Wasted. This may have been Patrice Bergeron’s last game. He’s been playing through a herniated disc that he injured playing in the season finale, and who knows if he ever plays for the Bs again. Brad Marchand is getting up there too, and certain aspects of his game will not age with grace. David Krejci is getting older.
You guys had a deep playoff run placed on a tee for these guys to have their final ride into the sunset, but you just had to let them down one last time. Come back down to earth. You’re one of us now, Boston. Now run along and die on the golf course like everyone else.
