Boston Bruins fans have seen plenty of great nights in the playoffs. They’ve also lived through some of the most crushing ones, and a few of those losses still sting years later.
The heartbreak list starts in 1979 against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 7 of the semifinals. Boston was up 4-3 with four minutes left, but a too-many-men penalty with 2:34 remaining opened the door for Guy Lafleur to tie it. The Bruins couldn’t recover in overtime, and Yvon Lambert finished the game.
Another brutal collapse came in 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Boston wasn’t expected to make much noise that spring, but after upsetting the Buffalo Sabres in the first round, the path looked open when the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd seeds were all gone from the Eastern Conference.
The Bruins jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, but a broken wrist for David Krejci on a Mike Richards open-ice hit changed everything. Boston dropped the next three games, then grabbed a 3-0 lead again in Game 7 before the Flyers stormed back with four straight goals to win the series.
The 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks belongs on any Bruins heartbreak list too. Boston had a team built to answer the pain of the year before, and Game 6 at TD Garden looked like the right kind of response. The Bruins were 76 seconds from forcing Game 7 on the road, having done a classic job of shutting down Chicago’s offense, when Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland scored back-to-back goals to flip the whole night.
Then came 2019, when the Bruins had a shot at their second Stanley Cup of the decade in Game 7 against the St. Louis Blues at home.
The Garden was buzzing, and Zdeno Chara’s return with a broken jaw only added to the feeling that everything was lining up. Instead, Jordan Binnington took over in the first 10 minutes, St.
Louis cashed in its chances, and Boston was buried in a 5-1 loss.
The most recent gut punch on this list is the 2023 Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Boston had just finished the greatest regular season in NHL history and looked like it would roll through the matchup after taking a 3-1 series lead.
The Bruins also had a chance to close it out at home in Game 5, but they lost that one and then dropped Game 6 as well. Carter Verhaeghe’s overtime winner ended the dream season, and fans were left with the image of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand embracing at the end.
David Krejci also retired, closing the door on an era.
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The wrinkle is how Lohrei fits with the rest of the defense after the offseason addition of Will Borgen. There is at least a sense that those two could work together, and if that pairing gains traction it could ripple through the rest of the lineup in a way that leaves Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy in a different kind of alignment than before. For a Bruins group looking for balance, that decision may end up being one of camps more interesting ones. [Read more 🡒]
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Jeremy Swaymans place on the list carried its own weight, too, especially for a goaltender coming off a strong season in which he piled up 31 wins and finished third in Vezina Trophy voting. The wrinkle, of course, is where both Bruins landed in the overall pecking order, and that kind of placement is the sort of thing that usually sparks debate long before puck drop. [Read more 🡒]
Bruins Fans Need To Watch Dean Letourneaus Next Big Decision
Dean Letourneau is heading into his junior season at Boston College with a decision looming that Bruins fans will want to keep an eye on. The forward remains part of Bostons longer-term picture, but the end of the season could force a choice between turning pro and sticking around college hockey for another year of development.
The timing matters because the college game has changed fast, with NIL rules and player development now playing a bigger role in those decisions. Bostons new coach, Marco Sturm, has also made it clear that young players may not walk straight into NHL roles, which adds another layer to the conversation around Letourneau and what path makes the most sense next. [Read more 🡒]