Did that really just happen? I keep waiting to wake up and find that it was all just some horrible nightmare. I’m Leo Dicaprio, spinning that totem, waiting for it to keep spinning to let me know that this is some cruel inception.
But unfortunately it is not.
Game 6 really did happen.
The Bruins really did lose.
That stupid totem fell over.
What happened on Monday night was like a punch to the solar plexus. All your air expelled from your body so rapidly, leaving you desperate to catch your breath while your lungs burn and struggle.
Since that night, I’ve taken the time to reflect on it all and I’m now at a point where I can talk about it without getting all teary-eyed. The melancholy has faded and been replaced by an overwhelming sense of pride in my hockey club.
Despite the horrible way that it all ended, I still love this Bruins team. In fact, I love them even more than I did at the start of the season. They showed a grit, determination, and unity of which they, their fans, and the city of Boston should be exceptionally proud. They bared their heart and souls and laid everything out there on the line. They got their chance at the Cup. But it just wasn’t meant to be.
Thank you, Patrice Bergeron, for just being amazing and perfect. Seriously. Even Pants (who hates the Bruins with the fire of a thousand suns) will admit that she respects #37. His man is without a doubt the heart and soul of this Bruins team. Patrice Bergeron is the sun, the rest of the Bruins, the planets which orbit in his golden glow.
Bergeron is not the flashiest player, nor is his visage is not posted in the windows of the NHL store.
But there is no denying that he is one of the fiercest competitor in the NHL. He played Game 6 with a separated shoulder, a broken rib, AND torn rib cartilage.
Do you know what a broken rib feels like? Imagine that every time you take a deep breathe in or out, it feels like you are being stabbed with a knife.
So, ya…that’s fun.
In countless post game interviews, the Bruins players talked about how much they loved each other and what it was to play together. We joke about the Seguin/Marchand bromance, but it seems as though the whole Bruins team was just one big collective bromance.
This is a team that was virtually unchanged since their 2011 Stanley Cup win. That run a mere two years ago solidified this unbreakable bond. I imagine that the Bruins are much like a band of brothers who in war time would give their heart, soul, and lay down their lives for each other. Just look at Gregory Campbell.
I can’t take anything away from what the Hawks did in this lockout shortened season. From the get-go, the Hawks were the best team in the league. If anyone deserved to win, it was them.
Their history making win streak to start the season set a pace and expectation that the Hawks ultimately lived up to. They stumbled a bit, had some hard-fought playoff series wins, and while it wasn’t perfect, the shiny fruit of their labor is all that really matters.
As much as I want to hate the Hawks, I can’t. They are an exceptional hockey club and it would be foolish of me as a hockey fan to deride them and their obvious talent simply because they beat my beloved Bruins.
I think what makes it all so heart-wrenching is how it all went down. With so little time left and the Bruins within reach of forcing a game 7, the Hawks came in like some magicians and swiped that tablecloth from right underneath my good china. It all went crashing to the floor, shattering into a million little pieces.
I’m starting to glue the pieces back together, but it is going to take me some time. Like all summer.
The post-game interviews…I still can’t watch. The thought of teary-eyed Tyler Seguin and sad panda face Patrice Bergeron is all too much. I just want to reach through the screen and pull them in for a great big hug.
If only game 6 had been 58 minutes instead of 60 – what would have happened then?
Maybe game 7 would led the Bruins to the Cup or maybe the outcome would have been exactly the same. It is impossible to know.
What I do know is that this is a Bruins team that is something truly special. We’ll have to see what the off-season has in store for us. Who will come and who will go?
But come October, you know where to find me. Decked out in my Black and Gold, ready for another run at the Cup.
Tags: Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, stanley cup, Stanley Cup Finals
You’ve summed it up perfectly. It still hurts thinking of what could have been, but deep down inside I’m proud of the B’s for how far they came. Not ready to start shouting “OMFG, is it October yet?!”, but gimmie a few more days. 🙂
Monday was horrible on all levels. I had to work late thus missing the entire game. As superstitious as I am, I knew if I didn’t watch any of it the odds were, we were going to lose. Being a part of cybear, and having the mobile app-I got all the alerts, and when I saw 3-2, I tried to hold my composure but it didn’t work. When I got home, my boyfriend said I’m sorry, (as a Philly fan he knows of losses more than anyone else I know). All I did was nod my head with tears in my eyes. I’m normally talkative and I have been really quiet, trying to come to terms with the loss with a heavy heart. I too cannot watch/nor read any post game interviews/blogs yet, and I’m not sure when I will be able to. I am so undeniably proud of our team, but wished the outcome was different.
I’ll be the first to admit (right behind Pants) that I am not a fan of the Bruins, but I am proud of that team.
Gregory Campbell’s heroics will never be forgotten, and I have no words for Bergeron. I can’t fathom what it took for him to get out there for game 6 and play for that…not for himself, but so he could contribute all he could to his team. That is dedication (mixed with a little bit of stupidity, perhaps). I hope he is well soon.
It’s heartbreaking to see your team go down like that (been there, done that), but be proud because they left it all on the ice and they never gave up.
Hugs to you all, B’s fans
I’m with Pants. I think my hate for the Bruins is even stronger than a million suns. I was THRILLED to see them watch someone else lift a Cup on their ice. But you do have a recent Cup so hold onto that. It’s more than most have. As a Kings fan that’s what I did when the Hawks beat us.
I’m a huge fan of both teams, so imagine my glee and dread in knowing they’d face off each other in the SCF. It was like hitting the lottery and going bankrupt in the same day!
It was a tough loss for the Bs, but I knew the Blackhawks would win the series (though I thought it would be in seven games).
The Bruins had strength. The Blackhawks had speed.
The Bruins had Tuuka, but the Blackhawks had Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Bickell, Seabs and on and on.
But all season, the Bruins gave up third period leads like it was nobody’s business, and all season, the Blackhawks were comeback kings.
Bottom line: It was a hard fought series. Had to be one of the best, right? Both teams have much to be proud of and I know I’m looking forward to October and watching these two teams meet up again in the regular season.
As a Leafs fan, I know the feels. I too wish games were only 58 minutes. But all the respect in the world to Bergeron, I’m surprised they didn’t hold him together with duct tape. The Bruins played well and you have a recent cup to celebrate and a SCF appearance.
Still my condolences. It may take weeks to get over, and when you think you are and sitting by yourself, enjoying lunch, you’ll hear yourself say, “If only they had held on for another minute or so.”
I look at the SCF this way…
I do like Chicago-so that makes it a LITTLE easier-and they did have a craaaaazyyyyy beginning of the season. They were amazing. I just, like you said, wish the game was 58 minutes that night instead of 60….
BUT, the Bruins had this unbelievable story book playoff season, without the story book ending. Either way it’s heartbreaking…I refused to watch the interviews, I couldn’t handle it. And I have admittedly cried over Ference more than once…And let’s add the punctured lung to Bergeron’s list of injuries…I just UGHHHH. The Cup should be in Boston after everything that went on… 🙁
Congratulations to the Blackhawks though. Incredible run for them. And a new respect as well for that full page ad they took out in the Globe. More than that, I am SO proud of the Bruins fans that were in attendance for not only chanting “let’s go Bruins” and continuing their support for the team even AFTER they lost, but for being SO respectful of the Blackhawks getting the Cup. Did you see the picture of the guy wearing a Bergeron jersey taking a picture of a bunch of kids in Blackhawks gear on the ice? He was smiling. It was adorable!!! and now I’m getting all misty eyed again….damn.