For the first time since January 19th there is no tomorrow.
For the first time in what seems like ages, there will be no "next game" no next meeting for Tuukka Rask rebound, no next meeting for Luchic to wake up and be more physical. For the first time in what seems like ages, the Bruins have lost loss that sting more than any other. At exactly 10:52 eastern time, the Chicago Blackhawks eliminated the Boston Bruins from the Stanley Cup Finals. This one is going to hurt for a long time.
Last night was really a what goes around comes around night for the Bruins I mean with a 1 goal lead with 1:30 left in the game who would have thought that Chicago would score to tie the game then blast one in to take the lead just 17 seconds later. But then again who imagined that in the final minutes of game seven against Toronto the Bruins would be able come back and tie the game to win in OT. Regardless of that, this series and this playoff season began as one of epic comebacks an unexpected wins and losses meaning that it is only fitting for it to end that way.
Opening the scoring just 7 into the game, Bruins Tyler Seguin and Chris Kelly snapped into a marginal 2 on one with 4 Hawks racing back into the play. Now with 2 Hawks in front of the crease Tyler Seguin somehow managed to shoot the puck across to Kelly who, with the puck on his stick, didn't miss. The Bruins were up one nothing going into the second frame but it could have been far worse for the Blackhawks as in the first 20 minutes of the game, Cory Crawford was spectacular literally robbing the game for Chicago.
Nevertheless, while Crawford was making the stops, just under 5 minutes into the second period he was finally given some scoring support. After a bad pass by Zdeno Chara right as time expired on a Boston power play, Johnathon Toews took the puck up ice and ripped one through the five hole to Tuukka Rask to tie the game and one and plan a seed of doubt in Boston's bench.
The game was tied and while it would remain that way for the reminder of the second period, about 13 minutes left in the period that tie would be broken all by Milan Lucic. With David Krejci camped out behind the Chicago net, Milan Luchic rotated to the front as Krejci lofted the bouncing puck in the direction of his hard hitting teammate. Settling the pass, Lucic took his time before smacking the puck along the post past Crawford and in for a 2-1 lead.
Was this what it would take for the Bruins to win game six? Nope. As close as they were, as close as the Boston Bruins were to repeating history and forcing Game Seven, last night was a game of, like I said before, what goes around comes around and also one of nearly every negative emotion on the face of the earth.
I do not need to repeat what many already know but regardless of that I will. With Boston up by one with a minute and 30 seconds left on the clock, Brian Bickell took a pass off the pads from Jonathon Toews and smacking the shot in past Rask to tie the game at 2. "So okay game goes to overtime" one thought as the time continued to tick off the clock, but Less than 20 seconds later we were proven wrong. At exactly 10:52 time seemed to stop as Doc Emeric screamed in shock, announcing the this game had flipped into Chicago's favor. At exactly 10:52 the Bruins season might as well have been regarded as over. I mean we all knew that while the Bruins had made epic comebacks before, but when the Hawks took the lead in the third you knew this game was over.
Over the next few weeks, consolation will be a word that will get thrown around like a beach ball in Boston. But one underlying fact remains the same. Second place is not first. Little kids across the world don't dream of going to the Olympics and winning the silver medal: they dream of snagging to gold. And when you play hockey you play to win the Stanley Cup not just play in it.
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