By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter/X @TCalauttis
The Boston Bruins are currently staring down the barrel of a loaded gun with the trigger cocked. After battling back to tie their first-round playoff series at one game apiece, they’ve dropped two consecutive home games to the Buffalo Sabres and will now head on the road for a must-win Game 5.
The Black and Gold have made their fair share of mistakes in this series. They failed to close out a two-goal lead in the opener, almost choked away a four-goal lead in Game 2, and couldn’t solve Alex Lyon in Game 3. Those errors were costly, but compared to what the team did on Sunday, they’re downright trivial.
Everything was lining up for the Bruins to put forth a competitive effort in Game 4. They had an extra day of rest, injected some speed and puck movement into their lineup, and were playing in front of a pumped-up matinee crowd at TD Garden.
How did they reward their loyal fans? They surrendered four unanswered goals in 11 minutes and put up a complete no-show in their most important game of the season.
“We should be embarrassed because it was embarrassing, said head coach Marco Sturm following the loss. “At the end of the day, we have to move on, too. So yeah, I am embarrassed. And we all should be. And we’re all pissed.”
Embarrassed doesn’t even begin to describe how the team should feel following their Game 4 effort. For the second straight game, the Bruins failed to generate any perceptible offense, refused to take care of the puck, and looked utterly disinterested in competing with their backs against the wall. They eventually fell to Buffalo 6-1, registering their worst playoff performance since 2020.
“Man to man in here, if we’re not f**king embarrassed with what just happened, then I don’t know what to say,” said alternate captain Charlie McAvoy in his postgame scrum. His words ring true, but now his team’s actions have to back them up.
Things aren’t looking good for the Bruins. They’re down 3-1 in the series, have lost two consecutive home games, and it looks like the Sabers have found some rhythm and momentum in their game (not to mention better goaltending).
In any other situation like this, the mantra surrounding the team would be all about survival. ‘Play with desperation,’ ‘whatever it takes,’ and ‘leave it all on the ice’ are just some of the cliches Boston’s coaching staff would be using to motivate their players in this situation. But after the disaster that was Game 4, the Bruins shouldn’t worry about survival; they should be playing for pride.
Let’s not kid ourselves: the B’s have had an entertaining, expectations-exceeding season that deserves to be lauded for its hard work, resilience, and results. David Pastrnak reaffirmed himself as one of the league’s elite playmakers, Charlie McAvoy had a career-best season, Jeremy Swayman should get Vezina votes, and the team saw youngsters like Fraser Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov prove they belong in the show.
The Bruins battled their way into the playoffs, registered a 100-point season, and fought off a myriad of postseason hopefuls in the process. That effort and accomplishment shouldn’t be forgotten when this season comes to a close. However, given the team’s postseason track record and their recent failings in big games, it’s impossible to ignore the elephant in the room.
This leadership core has faltered on the big stage numerous times before. They were plastered on home ice by the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals, dropped a gut-wrenching Game 7 to Florida in 2023, and then fell asleep at the wheel in their 2024 first-round, resulting in them having to win a decisive Game 7 in overtime against the Leafs.
The questions about this core and its performance when the lights are brightest are starting to bubble to the surface again. None of Pastrnak, McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, or Pavel Zacha has truly excelled in postseason play. You need your best players to find a different gear when the going gets tough. And so far this postseason, Boston’s big guns haven’t been able to do that.
They may not be able to complete the comeback and win this series against the Sabres, but the least they can do is prove their mettle and show some fight in Game 5.
What happened Sunday afternoon was the single-most embarrassing playoff loss this writer can remember. Maybe that’s because this team is an overachiever that simply doesn’t have the horses to compete with the Sabres. That could certainly be the case, but it doesn’t excuse the lack of gumption, effort, and fortitude this team has shown over its last two games.
The Bruins are technically in ‘year two’ of their re-tool. That means (if management is true to their word) there’s plenty of room for this roster to continue to change and evolve as they look to return to contender status.
Tuesday night’s game should be a major factor in deciding how this team looks in the future. If they punch back and claw their way back into the series, maybe it was just one bad game we can all put behind us. If they put forth another effort like Sunday, maybe it’s time to shake things up even more.
The Boston Bruins are utilizing the slogan ‘toughness is tradition’ for this year’s playoff push. It’s high time this team plays with some toughness and pride; otherwise, it may be time for more seismic changes to this roster.
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