Heartbreaker!

Congratulations to the 2013 Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks. They defeated the beloved Boston Bruins in six games and are well-deserved victors. The ending of Game 6 was tough to swallow from a Bruins’ perspective as they held a 2-1 lead with a minute and a half remaining in the game only to see the ‘Hawks score two goals in 17 seconds to come away with a heartbreaking victory.

The manner in which the Bruins lost set off a media firestorm as there always needs to be someone to blame in such circumstances. Who cares, as the series is over and healthier minds are more focused on turning the page and moving forward. Players from both teams were battered and exhausted and it was just a matter of a lucky bounce of the puck at the worst possible time for Boston, but that’s hockey. Sure, there were a few disappointing performances by players such as Marchand and Seguin but the fact is that the Bruins had numerous chances to score goals not only in Game 6 but throughout the course of the series. As a team, they failed to deliver on their chances; it’s that simple (and painful). Other than Game 5’s empty net goal, every game was decided by one goal and three of the games went to overtime so hockey fans could not complain that the series featured an overwhelming favorite. This series was as even handed as it gets. Even the referees did an outstanding job, limiting the number of penalties and generally letting the boys play hockey.

And then, there was the courage shown by the players, fighting through painful injuries. After Game 6, Coach Julien advised the media that Patrice Bergeron played the game with broken ribs, torn rib cartilage and a separated shoulder. That sort of dedication is what makes hockey players special athletes and the pursuit of Lord Stanley’s Cup such a unique endeavor. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg were particularly heroic in this effort, each logging approximately 30 minutes of ice time per game. It is little wonder that they were out of gas at the end.

Despite a few untimely defensive breakdowns, no one can complain that the Bruins didn’t leave everything on the ice. As miserable as the players, coaches, management and fans feel at this moment in time, the team gave their level best. It simply wasn’t enough to counter a team that burned through the regular season and was the odds-on favorite to win the Cup.

The Bruins provided their fans with so many thrills during this playoff run that it's difficult to be overly critical of their efforts in the Final. There was the "miracle comeback" in Game 7 against the Leafs in which they were three goals down with 11 minutes remaining in the third only to come back to tie the score in regulation and Bergeron scored the game-winner in overtime. They moved on to have a great series against the Rangers and then swept the heavily-favored Penguins. There were a lot of positives to take away from these past two and a half months of hockey.

So Chicago gets the confetti, a parade and a big trophy and in Boston, well, we now know how the fans in Vancouver felt a couple of years ago. It feels totally sad and empty. Trips to the Big Dance don’t come along every year and who knows when the Bruins will ever get this close again.

Due to a serious cut in next year’s salary cap, we already know that UFA’s Horton, Ference and Jagr will probably not be retained. The B’s have a strong farm system and have been grooming replacements at forward and defense for the past few years.  The core group of this team has gone to two Finals over the last three years. While it’s certainly not time for a complete teardown, it’s time to incorporate some of the promising youngsters into the lineup.  

So, congratulations to both teams and sorry that it didn’t work out this time for the Bruins. But that’s life and that’s hockey. It’s time for us to move on to other things – like the Red Sox and the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Go Bruins!