What a CRUSHING way to end the season. Minutes away from a game seven. B's took their foot off the gas. You can't do that against Chicago. That's why they were the best team all season.
We almost didn't get to see a season at all. Instead we were treated to one of the best Finals we saw in our lifetime, despite the disappointing ending.
Some people are blaming the refs. The officiating throughout the ENTIRE playoffs was atrocious and the Bruins got more power play opportunities than the Blackhawks in Game 6.
Some people are blaming injuries. No one is healthy this time of year.
Some people are blaming Rask. These people are absolute morons who should never watch hockey again. Seriously. If you blame Rask for ANYTHING you're a complete and total dumbass. Rask was a stud. A goalie can only do so much. He can't play defense too.
Some people are blaming Chara. As big as he is, he can't literally be everywhere at once.
There's too many excuses floating around.
To us, the reason the Bruins lost this series is very simple. Boston was the better team for two games, Chicago was the better team for four games. That's it. There's a reason Chicago was at the top of the league all season.
The Bruins had their chances to win. You can say "what if" all you want but you never know. It was a great series between two great teams. Both sides played their hearts out. Unfortunately for us Boston came out on the short end.
If they had to lose to someone, we're glad it was Chicago. They're a great team with some great players. Great fan base too. Congrats to all our Chicago pals. Your old owner was just as shitty as our current owner and it's good to see just how good things have turned around for that franchise.
To the Bruins, we say thank you for a great season. No one expected them to make it this far based on how they ended the season. When they were down 4-1 in Game 7 against Toronto we all had pitchforks and torches ready.
But they persevered. They were resilient. They gave us one of the best comebacks in NHL history against the Leafs. Then they went on to school the Rangers. And then they shut down the leagues best offense and cockiest team in the Penguins in just four games.
There's a lot to be proud of with this team. Seriously. This ending is going to sting for a long, long time. But this is still a great team and they'll be back. We're convinced of that. Julien is a great coach, even if we wish he'd open the offense up a bit more. Just look at how badly he out coached Dan Bylsma. And he did everything he could against Chicago. We don't think he got out coached as much as his players got out played.
But we love you Bruins.
Bergeron was, well, Bergeron. Heart and soul of this team. We're lucky to have him. He played Game 6 with various rib injuries, dislocated his shoulder during the game, and still played his heart out. There are 29 other teams in the league that would kill to have Bergeron. We're honored that he's a Bruin.
Despite what James Murphy says, Chara still deserves the C. He had a rough series but most players on the team did. Not a single other D-man in the league we'd trade Chara for. He's a fantastic player and a fantastic captain.
Jagr, it was a pleasure to see you in black and gold. People are shitting all over him for his lack of goals, but his puck possession and incredible passes were key in a few games. We'd love you back for another season, even though we know this probably won't happen.
Lucic, you were an absolute beast in the playoffs. We're sorry we gave you so much shit in the regular season. If you play like that in the playoffs every year we don't even care if you literally take the entire regular season off going forward. Incredible effort on his Game 6 goal. Never gave up on the play.
Krejci kind of disappeared in the Finals but he was clutch again for most of the playoffs. It was great to watch his playoff performance as a fan. He gave us so many great moments during the Bruins run. He was clutch. He still finished the playoffs as the points leader, seven points ahead of second place Patrick Kane. That's one hell of a stat line.
Seguin, we know you struggled on offense but it was good to see you grow in the playoffs. Even though you weren't scoring we saw you battling, we saw you make fantastic defensive plays and we say you play with a desire in the Finals we hadn't seen before. We know you'll grow and learn from this but you played great and have nothing to be ashamed of. We saw how hard you tried. It's not just goals that matter, it's overall play.
Shawn Thornton, you will always be a legend to us. The ultimate team player. The very definition of "heart." We hope you retire a Bruin. Not any time soon though. You're still the third greatest NHL player of all time. We hope you know how much the fans truly appreciate everything you bring to this team. And we're not just talking about the fights. There's so much more to you.
Jeremy Jacobs, you're still a complete shit bag and we hate you.
Julien, thank you for continually proving your critics, including us, wrong. You always make us feel good about being so very wrong. We're glad you're this team's coach. You always seem to know the right buttons to push at the right time. Thank you.
Rich Peverley, you came through when it mattered. You upped your game in the Finals. That's what really matters.
Campbell, you literally left everything you had on the ice. You brought us an iconic moment that none of us will ever forget. You were a living definition of a Bruin. You, Thornton and Paille will never be "the fourth line" to all of us Bruins fans. No one pins the other team in their zone quite like you guys.
Marchand, you're a pest but you're our little pest and we love you. You're one of the best young players in the league and it's so much fun watching you play. Some of the best moments of the 2011 and 2013 Finals runs center directly around you.
Paille. The Bruins real Seventh Player. You work so fucking hard every game. EVERY GAME. You kill penalties, you create chances and you even dish out fantastic hits. One of the most under rated trades in Bruins history. We may poke fun at your hands from time to time but we love you Daniel "Sudden Death" Paille.
Soderberg, you got tossed into the fire and we thought you were great in the Finals. We waited so long for you and so far we haven't been disappointed. You were throwing the body around, poke checking like a beast. Looking forward to see what next season brings for you.
Johnny Boychuk, we may be fan boys of you here at Days of Y'Orr but we thought you were the best Bruins D-man in the playoffs. Timely goals, great defensive plays and big hits. You certainly lived up to the Destroychuk name in so many ways.
Horton, we can't imagine how much it sucked to play four rounds with a beat up shoulder. But you never quit. You even scored some clutch Horton goals. We really hope you're back next season. If you're not, thank you for all the great memories.
Kelly, you scored some key goals in the Finals, even without your helmet cage!
Seidenberg, we still love you. You are hands down one of, if not the, most under rated D-men in the NHL. Rough series, but we're glad you're a Bruin. You're awesome.
Krug, it was fun watching you develop before our eyes. We love the effort you bring at both ends. You certainly brought an element to the back end that the Bruins were missing buddy!
Dougie Hamilton, we know you'll be great someday. And we know the experience you had will make you that much better next year.
Bartkowski, you've made huge strides over the past year. You may not have seen a time of ice time in the playoffs but when you were on the ice you showed us just how much you've improved and how we can continue to be excited about the future of the Bruins D-corps.
McQuaid, you showed great perseverence all season, even in the end. After all the injuries and bad luck, you just kept coming back. You're an inspiration. And you have great hair.
Ference, thank you for making Boston your own. Thank you for embracing our community and always being willing to stick up for your team mates.
Tuukka. Sweet, sweet Tuukka. There are no words that can do your performance justice. You are the biggest reason the Bruins made it as far as they did. Even though the Bruins lost, you were the Conn Smythe Winner in our eyes. You were unbelievable in the playoffs. Literally. Just insanely good. You finally got a real chance at being the number one goalie and not only did you seize that opportunity but you CRUSHED it. Don't worry, only a minority of idiots in Boston want you traded. Those of us with a brain love you and hope you're here for years and years.
Chiarelli, good thing you're the GM and not us fans. You never make panic moves and the trust you showed in the roster really seemed to motivate the players. In Chiarelli We Trust.
To our fellow Bruins fans, we loved the standing ovation for the Bruins after the loss. It was great. It was also well deserved. So was the applause for Chicago. It was good to see TD Garden acknowledge a great series and a deserving winner despite the heart breaking loss. And also, thanks for not being idiots and not rioting.
And again, to Chicago and it's fans, congrats. You weren't arrogant assholes like Vancouver or cocky little cry babies like the Penguins. Chicago is a fantastic team and a VERY deserving Cup winner. Hopefully we get to see a rematch next year.
The Days of Y'Orr staff will be taking a little break. You may not see much of us over the next week or so. That loss stings, but we're so proud of the Bruins. We're confident it won't be long before we seem our team in the Finals again.
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