BRUINS GDT Garbage Bag Day
- Thread starter Fenway
- Start date
- Status
BOSTON BRUINS QUOTES
May 2, 2023
May 2, 2023
BOSTON BRUINS GOALTENDER LINUS ULLMARK…
On if he was battling injuries…
“You know what? Here’s the deal. We all go through things in life and we all go through things when it comes to playoff times. We all battle our own things, whether it’s mentally or physically, we all have our stuff. We all want to be out there and help the team out to the best of our capabilities. Yeah, it’s pretty evident that I didn’t play the way that I wanted to. It wasn’t as good as I wanted to be, unfortunately at the worst time possible. That’s something I have to live with, and I am just so grateful for all the guys in this room, in the medical room, in this organization. Especially the guys in the medical room doing everything they can for us, they’ve been true warriors throughout the season. I fully respect everything that they have — and you know, the trust that we have for them is immense. They helped me throughout this whole season to keep me in shape.”
On how much injuries were a factor for what he went through…
“It’s tough to answer that question. I don’t think there’s a great answer to it. Frustrating… Yeah, it is frustrating. Because this is the most fun time to play hockey, is in the playoffs. You want to feel at your best when push comes to shove. When you’re not, you just got to deal with it. That’s the hand you’ve been dealt. You got to own up to it. Try to learn from it for next time and try to enjoy it as much as possible.”
On if he was healthy enough to play…
“I had full confidence in my abilities every single game that I played. That’s the honest truth, otherwise I would have stepped aside. This is a team game, we win together and we lose together.”
On the injuries he was dealing with…
“With respect of everybody around, especially me and everybody, I just decided not to clarify that whole thing.”
On if he needs surgery this summer…
“We have physicals later on today. We’re going to go through everything and see where everybody’s body is at this moment.”
On if he’s confirming an injury…
“Confirming?”
On if he got hurt during the series…
“No. Yes and no.”
On if that is a yes or no…
“No. Yes and no.”
On if an original injury was in the Washington game…
“Yes and no on that one as well. Maybe. It’s hard to describe, really. Is it one of the reasons? I don't know. It’s something I was dealing with at that point, and we got me back in shape for Game 1. That’s it.”
On if he was hurt during the series…
“Felt great. Played to the best of my capabilities. At the end of the time, you just got to own up to it that it wasn’t enough at the end of it.”
On it seeming like he was laboring throughout the series…
“This is also something that people that play the game understand and have gone through. Are you hurt, or are you injured? You can be hurt and still play. That’s the thing we’re doing. You have guys that are dealing with different kinds of things. People have broken bones. You have Chara, that had a broken jaw. Stuff like that. Was he hurting? Yeah, he was hurting. Somethings you can play through without it making you play worse. Stuff like that.”
On if he’s saying he was hurt and not injured…
“I think that’s a good way to describe it at the same time. It’s one of those things where you’re just trying your best. Every single night you’re trying your best. Evidently, it didn't go as planned.”
On if he ever had a thought that he shouldn’t have been in there…
“No.”
On if he could have played Game 7…
“I could have played Game 7. I fully respected the decision to put Sway into play that one. If the team feels like that’s the way they want to go, I want to fully support it. That’s the thing that we always talk about in this organization and on this team as well. We win together, and we lose together. It doesn’t matter who’s out there… Everybody try to own up to their role. At that point, I was put on the bench and all the things I did throughout that day was to fully support Sway to the best of my ability.”
On the difficulty to recognize the line between being hurt and injured…
“I think it’s easier when it’s regular season compared to playoffs. Because you know that the other team is hurting as well. They know there's some bruises, there’s some bumps, there’s everything like that. You don’t want to be a liability to your team, and you have to know the time to step back. Like I said before, with the help of the medical team and everybody around, I felt confident for every single game.”
On if he’s saying he wouldn’t have played if it was the regular season…
“No. I didn’t say anything like that.”
On how hard it was to fight through that and not let the injury hinder him…
“This is a special group. It’s always going to be one of those things where you care so deeply for each other, and you just want the best for each other, and you want to be there to support and be able to help and pull the ropes the right way. Looking at it now, this is going to be one of those things that’s going to haunt me. It is. God’s honest truth. Being in a position that me and Sway are in as goalies when we are not good enough, it shows. It’s very easy to see that. It’s pretty evident. That’s also the beauty of it. When you’re on your A-game, that also shows.”
On if he was fighting to find himself in Game 6…
“Yeah, but this is what mental fortitude and what the mental training and what we’re doing… You’re working on your body, but you’re working on the mental aspect of the game as well. So you don’t want that to get in your way of performing. It’s one of those things where it comes back to the same things. It can be frustrating, yes. But it doesn't get to me. When I look back at it, probably I can say yeah that was frustrating. But in the moment, I didn’t feel frustrated because in the moment, all I can think about is the next puck. Always the next puck. Trying to make that next save, try to make that next save, and try to make enough saves to enable us to win.”
On how much he wants to run it back next year…
“For sure. We’re going to run it back hard next time. That’s all I can think about. The motivation and the inspiration that you get from these ones is huge. All I can think about right now is I want to get back into the gym, get back on the ice, and just run it right back and show them that that was a fluke and that we’re better than this.”
On what he says about the criticism towards Montgomery…
“I think that everyone that works in this —like you guys, it’s very easy, and also something that everybody does when things aren't going the way they want to is that they’re trying to find a scapegoat. Right now, everybody is going at different directions. They’re going at Monty, they’re going up top, they’re going at me, they’re going at different people. That’s not what we’re about. We lose as a team, we win as a team. We’ve done that through the whole season. We try to do it as well now in the playoffs as well. Unfortunately, we lost four games in this series. That cost us to not go on to the second round, and that’s what it is. That’s human nature. Trying to find a scapegoat when things turn to shit. It’s natural, but it’s also not the right thing to do. I do love Monty. He’s been great for us all season long. I have full faith in him and whatever decisions he makes out there. He’s one of the best coaches, if not the best coach that I’ve had.”
BOSTON BRUINS GOALTENDER JEREMY SWAYMAN…
On dealing with Game 7…
“Still disappointed, it’s one of those things that hasn’t really settled in quite yet and take this week to marinate on it and really digest what happened and what we can do better next year.”
On if there’s anything he or the team would want to do differently…
“I think there’s a lot of things we could have done differently, and that’s the special thing about experiencing things, right? You don’t want to make the same mistakes twice, and that’s something we’re going to look back on and make sure we don’t do the same thing again.”
On his takeaways of the season…
“It was a unique one, for sure. It was probably one of the most fun years I’ve ever had playing hockey and that wouldn’t be possible without the elite coaching staff we have, the players in this room, the leadership we had, and of course the incredible fan base we had. Right now it stings, but to look back on what we really accomplished as a team is something that I’ll never forget.”
On what he wants to build on during the offseason…
“The feelings I have right now, and to make sure I never have them again. Just a lot of potential and I don’t think any one of us are ready to be done. We’re going to use that fuel to make sure this doesn’t happen again. That’s what we’re focused on right now, just taking everything that happened, really digesting it and taking the positives out of it and moving forward into the summer and making sure we do the right things to put ourselves in a position to succeed.”
On if he’s heard from the team yet…
“No, I leave that up to the agents and the guys that are good at that. I’m excited for sure, I absolutely love it here and it’s going to be a fun process.”
On if anyone has said anything that has stuck with him…
“Multiple guys — you know, we’ve gotten together and it’s a tight-knit group. It’s something that I’ll cherish forever. The moments we’ve had together — countless moments it seems like, to have incredible conversations. But yeah, the older guys and the guys that have been here for a while, to really understand what they feel and the emotions that we’re expressing right now, it’s important to get that out. To really understand what’s going on and how we got here and what we want to do better next year.”
On if he feels like young guys have to go through trials and tribulations before winning…
“That’s definitely a good way to look at it. It’s rare to have someone come in and win all the time, right? The highest peaks come from the deepest valleys, right? Climbing to those summits, the journey is important along the way. When you get there, which we will, it’s going to be that much sweeter.”
On if USA Hockey contacted him about Worlds…
“I haven’t checked my phone.”
On what he’s doing next…
“I’m going to stay in Boston and again, just digest everything and stay put for a little bit. But until then, yeah, just travel home and see the family. Get outside.”
On his terms for a contract…
“I would like to be playing hockey, and ideally in a Bruins sweater.”
On if there’s any reason that wouldn’t happen…
“Again, I’m just taking it day by day and letting my agent be involved and take control. I have no doubt it will be a fun contract and good things will happen.”
On if he’s had a conversation with Linus…
“We’ve talked plenty, and that’s just the uniqueness of our relationship, is that we’re able to do that and obviously, we’re both upset with what’s happened and we want to make sure that moving forward, we do whatever we can to make sure it won’t happen again. We took so many positives this year, made so many incredible things together. Come playoff time next year, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure we make it to that second round, third round, fourth round.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD GARNET HATHAWAY…
On if he’s made a decision for the offseason…
“I haven’t really had a chance to put much thought into it. There’s going to be a lot of time and emotion and thought that goes into that decision. I think that’ll come once the dust settles here I’ll be able to think more about it.”
On the switch from Washington to Boston…
“From the moment I got here, I’ve said it a few times — I felt welcomed. It was a group that brought me, Orly and Bert in as if we’d been here all season. That was how it felt. That’s how it transitioned onto the ice too, the chemistry was great with the lines we were on and the team we were with, and I think that was built from how the guys treated us and the characters in this room. It was really special.”
On what he wants to do…
“Yeah, we just talked about that. There hasn’t been a lot of time to put thought into that decision. The group of guys is incredible, the organization has treated me well. I feel very, very lucky to be here.”
On what he’s been told about the process…
“I actually haven’t met with them yet, I just got here not too long ago. I’ll give more light to the situation as I go through those meetings, call my agent in the coming week. There’s no rush right now. I think we were all caught off guard, so that decision hasn’t really been put in front of everyone.”
On if he’d like to stay if it all works out contractually…
“I’ve loved it here, but like I said, it’s one of those things were both sides need to come together and make an agreement and talk and that just hasn’t happened yet.”
On Patrice Bergeron…
“He’s an unbelievable guy. The highest-character guy I think I have ever played with and it was really special for me to be able to share the ice and share the locker room with him and see how he is. And try to soak as much as I could in every single day that I was with him. He rubs off on every guy in the room too, you can see how much guys look up to him and want to be like him and lead like him. He’s just such a great role model, that he makes guys want to put that much extra effort and time into each other and make sure that everyone is doing well and everyone is on the same page. It really is a close-knit group because of how he leads.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD DAVID KREJCI …
On how tough it has been for him and the team…
“It’s been tough.”
On what’s going through his mind and when he will decide if he will continue to play or not…
“Yeah, I’m going to obviously, there’s lots to think about. I’m going to go home soon. Talk to my family, but definitely want to make a decision soon.”
On if a part of him wants to come back because of the way it ended…
“Yeah, I mean. Those are the things, like I said, I want to get away from this, because everything’s really raw right now. I don’t want to make any decision that I am going to regret. Yeah, I just got to get away from everything and really clear my head. Think some things over. Figure it out.”
On his game down the stretch…
“Yeah. I don’t want to say what I had or, you know. I wish I was 100% for all seven games. Unfortunately, that wasn’t, that wasn’t the issue, so. I’m happy I came back for Game 6, Game 7.”
On his decision to possibly come back independent to what Patrice would do…
“Me and Bergy. Yeah, one hundred percent. He’s got his own stuff he’s got to decide, you know, we both have families, live in different places. Yeah, whatever he wants to do it’s his own decision and it’s not going to have any given impact on my decision.”
On how he’s been feeling since things ended…
“Lots of mixed emotions. Yeah, you get one of the feelings is we had a good team and this one’s going to hurt. I have lost some tough years before, but this one I would put probably right next to 2019. This one’s going to hurt. Then you have another thing, that could’ve been my last game. There’s just lots of emotions. I don’t even like to talk about it, because we have talked about it with lots of guys in the last couple days. It gets emotional and just not ready right now. It’s only 4 p.m.”
On if the reason it’s painful is because everyone expected so much more…
“Yeah. I really thought this was the year. Never planned on going through like this. If you look at the goalies, what a year they’ve had. We’ve had good defensemen right, but all of them all together it’s like yeah, it was insane. How deep we were as forwards, it showed in miles too. I think everybody stepped in at some point and that’s what you need in the playoffs. It just ended the way it is, so.”
On if there was a check factor in deciding between playing or not playing…
“No. Now it’s either come back or be done. If I come back, then yeah it would be NHL. I did what I did last year and I’m happy I did that. No regrets. But I closed the door so I will make a decision soon. It would be NHL. Obviously be the Bruins.”
On if it’s more of a mental, family, or physical decision…
“It’s really raw and those are the types of questions that are already going through my mind. But those are that’s what I’m going to try to figure out the next couple weeks, because I don’t want to let the team down. I thought maybe I did a little bit in the playoffs. I was supposed to be playing. If you can help the team, it’s tough, you know.”
On how he views the season after looking back on the whole thing…
“Great season. Tough, tough ending. It’s tough to judge it right. It still hurts just even talking about it. Obviously, you’re proud. Sixty-five wins, that’s a lot. You know our names are always going to be right next to that record. I guess that’s the positive you can take out of this. We were all planning on playing till the end of June and we’re not, so it’s not like it’s disappointing it just really, really hurts differently than the other losses.”
On how challenging this year was with his family not being here…
“I think it was one of the best years, but also one of the worst years. It was a rollercoaster. There were a few times this year that were disappointing. If we were not doing good, I would just pack it up and go back. From that standpoint it was tough but coming here every day and seeing the guys just made it worth it.”
On what was missing in the playoffs…
“I wish we were doing these interviews a week or two after, because this is still raw. I would definitely have more answers, but like I said, I think everyone stepped in at some point and that’s what you need when you play a couple games without me and Bergy. For example, Chuck, Coyle, and Pavel Zacha, Taylor Hall — that’s the best I’ve ever seen them play. Everybody did their part, we just didn’t get it done.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD BRAD MARCHAND…
On how tough it is to look back on this…
“Yeah, it’s tough, you know obviously I just kind of sit and dwell on the opportunity lost and how things played out. It doesn’t get any easier and I’m sure it won’t for a while, but you have to take it for what it is. At the end of the day, the sun still rises and these are the things that you go through that make your team stronger down the road. Obviously, it’s not the way that we would’ve liked to end the season but I think the worst thing that we could do is not try to learn from it and not try to take out what we can from this year, and from our experiences and our failures. The year we won in ’11 the year before that, Bruins were up in the series, up in Game 7, and they learned from that. The next year they went out, and it made them stronger, and they achieved it the next year. So it’s something that we can learn from and build upon, you know we won’t be the first to say that we expected a lot more out of this run. We expected to be playing into June, but that’s not how it was meant to be.”
On how hard it is not to play the “what if” game in the last 48 hours…
“Yeah, I mean you’re going to. It’s just inevitable, everybody will, you know we’ll look at it and there will probably be one hundred different things we’ll look back at and wish we did different, wish we could change, but at the end of the day you can’t. You can’t change anything that’s happened, again, I’ll say the worst thing you could do is not learn from it. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to be any easier to realize the opportunity lost. But it’s probably how it’s all going to play out, is we’ll look back and kind of wish there were some things we could change, and then it will be time to get ready for the next season and move on. I think we’ll forever look back at this, I still look back at past playoff series and times we’ve lost, and I wish there was things that I had done differently. And this one won’t be any different.”
On how difficult it has been to process being that close to Round 2…
“You know what, that’s not even the moments that I’ve — it’s part of it, but it should’ve been over long before that, you know what I mean? Yeah, we dropped the ball with a minute left in Game 7, but it should’ve been done in Game 5, and we had opportunities in Game 6 to close out and we had multiple leads. Them tying it up in Game 7 with a minute left, yeah that sucks, but it’s the ones before that I kind of look at, and those are the ones that sting more.”
On not being able to find the answers for the intensity and speed of the Panthers on the forecheck…
“Yeah, just because we’ve been so resilient all year. I still think that we had more, and we didn’t play our best, but unfortunately that’s just part of it. But at the same time, you have to give Florida credit. They were not an eighth seed team, they didn’t play to their potential throughout the year, they had a bunch of injuries that affected the way that they played, and they have a goalie that showed up when he got in and made some big saves at the right times and made the ones that he needed to, which he wasn’t really making earlier in the year. That’s how it goes in playoffs, you run into a hot goalie or you run into the wrong matchup and that’s why the Cup is so hard to win, because it’s not just the best teams that win, but every year those teams that you don’t match up as well against as other teams. If you look at our record against Florida this year, it’s not like we dominated them throughout the season. It’s 2-1-1, you know, they’re a very competitive team. They were the President’s Trophy Winner, that and Matthew Tkachuk, they’re still a hell of a group. There’s so much competition in this league now, that just because of the season we had, we knew that we were still going to be in for a really tough run coming out of the East, and with all that being said we expected to go much further than we did. And we also expected to be the team to come out of the East but they played really well and they were determined, and they were living off the fact that they wanted to be the team to knock us off and end our season. When you have hope and you’re able to latch on to something like that, it can get dangerous, and it did.”
On the success of the regular season not amounting to what they thought it could be…
“You know, with the group that we had and the depth that we had, it’s very hard to match up when you’re not specifically looking to pick teams apart. You know, when it’s playoff time you pick every single thing about a team apart, you pick out the player part, you find every weakness, and you try and attack that. Regular season, you get a quick blurb about how a team plays and you’re just trying to outplay them. With the depth that we have with the way through and the season that Ully and Sway were having, we were a really tough team to beat any given night. But come playoff time, it is, it’s a different animal. So many different things come into factor and into play, and it could change the course of a series. Again, we could’ve ended that thing in 5, and we probably should’ve. Otherwise, we would be in a much different spot right now, but that didn’t happen.”
On being anxious to know the future of Patrice and how that will affect his future…
“Yeah, but obviously everyone is very eager to know what’s going on there. But I’m sure just like last year, he’s going to take some time to process and decide to do what’s best for him and his family. He’s going to be busy with his family at home and stuff, so I’m sure he’s going to enjoy that and kind of take some time to regroup, so time will tell whatever he decides to do.”
On how inspiring it was watching Bergeron play through a herniated disc…
“Yeah, I mean, he’s such a special player. He went through that a couple of years ago in training camp, and he missed way more time than he did. I mean you hear that over and over about Bergy, the way that he plays through different injuries and ones that guys would be out for months for. That’s part of why everyone has so much respect for him, and everyone loves him so much, is because he’s the most selfless guy to ever walk through this room and everything he does is for the betterment of the group. He sacrifices so much of his body and years of his life to help other guys achieve success, and try to build something special here. He’s the kind of leader that is born, you can’t teach it. Once in a generation, the best leader in the NHL by far. To have a guy like that, and watch him continually play through the pain where most people can’t function — it’s pretty impressive. And guys rally behind that, so, it’s tough to see him struggle through it, but again, it’s another reason why he’s a legend.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD TYLER BERTUZZI …
On any conversations contract-wise...
“No, nothing yet. Just meetings going over how I played, how I liked it, just that for right now.”
On his plan as far as wanting to stay or test the market…
“Yeah, I haven’t really thought about it honestly too much. It’s kind of been a whirlwind here, only kind of two days after, so talk with some family and then we’ll go from there.”
On his first take of the Stanley Cup playoffs…
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. Special group in here. It definitely stung a lot. We had more expectations and we had a better plan, but it was a lot of fun and a good experience.”
On if the stunning part didn’t scare him away…
“No.”
On if he’s had an emotional experience like this in his career…
“I mean, not at this level obviously. We lost in a cup final one year. That was probably the biggest thing, yeah.”
On what will drive him in the offseason as he makes his decision and looks at future…
“I mean, just that feeling of watching them celebrate and the feeling in the room after. Obviously, it’s not a good feeling, you live, you learn, and you try to move on and get better from it.”
On if this is a place he could see his family settling down long term…
“Yeah, we loved it. We honestly had such a blast. We were in the north end. Ate pasta everyday, went for walks, we had a lot of fun, and we enjoyed it here. So yeah, we could definitely see it.”
On the forwards throughout the series…
“Yeah, I mean that’s a good hockey team over there, highly offensive and they showed it. They kept it simple and shot a lot of pucks.”
On if he feels like this is a place that could be a good fit…
“Yeah man, the fans here are awesome, arena like everything about it, I loved it.”
On the most important thing going into free agency…
“Just having a little girl, she’s probably going to be going to school soon, there’s a lot of things that factor in, but I’ll make a decision.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSEMAN HAMPUS LINDHOLM…
On what went wrong…
“I think we’re all a little stunned and shocked by it. Just felt we had so much more in this group. We overcame everything that was thrown at us this year. I think we had a lot of chances to close it out. It’s a series I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of. How much it went back and forth and up and down. I think that didn’t really feed into the game that we like to play. It’s tough. It’s going to sting for a long time… You learn from it and use that coming into next season. That’s where my head’s at.”
On if the foot injury late in the year lingered into the playoffs…
“I’d say I was fine. Everyone has bumps and bruises that time of year. There’s no excuses on that stuff. I think even if you were to have something linger — like we had guys play through stuff. It’s just that time of year. You try to find ways. We couldn’t really do that this year.”
On what guys have done better to dictate the tone of the game…
“I think Games 3 and 4, we didn't play the sexiest game, but we played a winning type of game if we could've kept a little more of that style. It might look boring, but you don’t really feed into the energy of the other team. Keep the momentum on your side. I think that’s something we got away from a little bit there in Games 6 and 7.”
On what Florida did right…
“Obviously, they came hard. They forechecked us really hard. They really took advantage of the chance when they got their chances. Like I said, they used that momentum to their advantage. They came back. Like we scored, and they come right back. Like I said, that’s as much a style as we can learn from and do a little better. Like cleanup. They did it well because they end up going and executing and scoring after big-moment goals from us. That’s what I would say they were doing well.”
On takeaways from this season…
“I think it was a really fun year overall. I think a lot of smiles in this locker room. A lot of great guys. Having the privilege to be around guys like Bergeron and Krejci. It’s something I’m never going to forget. You learn so much from sitting next to them on the plane. Just being around them all day every day. Obviously, they’ve built this organization the last couple of years. It’s fun to be a part of and to learn from me personally. Like I said, it’s been a privilege. It’s sad we couldn't do more with the group we had. That’s just life sometimes.”
On what was hard getting a foothold to stop Florida from scoring…
“Everyone can be smart looking back. Going through shift after shift. If you want to win in playoffs, you have to find ways to shut down the other team. We did score a lot of goals in some games. Enough goals to win a hockey game. I think there’s definitely something there to keep the puck out of our net. Kind of like keeping the momentum too. It’s not always about the goals but over the whole series just kind of like being happy while playing, kind of like a boring hockey game and winning games that way.”
On if there was a sense of panic…
“It’s hard to point a finger at what exactly… Like you said, we got away from our game a little but I think that’s something we can learn from, and I think it’s human. There’s going to be struggles in playoffs and all year. I think it’s going to be more of how quick you can get back out. I think we didn't get back to our game quick enough.”
On what he wants to build on as a leader on the team…
“I want to keep feeding off all the stuff you learn from Bergy and Krech and the culture that’s been here. Obviously, coming out and having a better season than I had this year. I think I haven't reached my ceiling yet. I think I have a lot of hockey left in me. I feel like this is the first year I really got to showcase what I can be as a player. I think that’s something that I’m going to learn from the playoffs and the end of the season that didn’t really end the way we want. And really have a feed into the future next season, and all that comes with that.”
On what he’s learned from Patrice Bergeron…
“He’s like the perfect human being. How he treats himself off the ice, how he’s around his family, how he’s around us in this locker room, the staff. No one should be more proud of himself than Patrice. He’s a great human being. Fun to be around. I learned a lot from him, and everyone in this organization loves him, and it’s for a good reason. He earns everything he does out there. And even though he’s accomplished so many things, he treats everyone the same. It’s been a privilege and fun to be around.”
On what he’s learned from David Krejci…
“He’s out there on the ice, he has no pulse. I call him Iceman. He just skates around and makes plays. Obviously, a really fun guy. I heard a lot about him here when I came in. To be able to play was a privilege. He’s such a great guy and great player as well.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD TOMAS NOSEK…
On his feelings since losing Game 7...
“It’s been tough for sure, hard to find words still — it’s one of the toughest losses I have experienced for sure, it’s on the top of the list with losing Stanley Cup Finals with Vegas. It’s going to sting for a while for sure, but it is what it is, it’s part of the game. It’s not the first time or the last time happening — it’s just really, really sad right now, but that’s the sport.”
On his health...
“Health is fine. I’m fine.”
On not being able to combat Florida’s forecheck...
“That’s a good question, I don’t have an answer for that. If I knew, if we knew, we would do that but, we didn’t — I really don’t know what happened but — sorry guys, I don’t have an answer for that.”
On his thoughts on potentially staying in Boston...
“I really like the group of guys here so I would love to stay, hopefully we can, and I can stay here for sure, it’s my number one priority.”
On forming chemistry with his line...
“I got my confidence back for sure, offensively. Felt better too, this year, first year is always tough when you change places and teams. Especially for a guy like me, I’m a little bit quiet so it should — now I know everyone a little bit more and I really like the group, the guys were amazing the whole season, we’ve been tied together, and how I said before, if there is a chance I can stay here, I will stay here.”
On his takeaways from the season...
“You always take positive things right, so we’ve been great, especially in PK, that’s my job, so probably that, and I learn from the mistakes that happen, and be mentally tougher, stronger and we don’t choke again.”
On what he has learned from Patrice Bergeron this season...
“I learned from him so much. I told him right away after the game, thanks for a chance to play with you and like I learned so much from him and he’s a great guy too, not just a hockey player. Yeah, it’s a sad ending for him, and we wanted it to be better for sure, but it is what it is and wishing him all the best and grateful to play with guys like David Krejci and Patrice [Bergeron], they were special for sure.”
On what factors into his future decisions...
“Like, I want to stay here, it’s my number one priority. We love Boston, my family, love Boston and if there’s a chance I sign here, I want to stay here, but it’s not up to me, right now, and we’ll see what’s going to happen.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD PAVEL ZACHA…
On his emotions a couple of days later…
“Yeah. You know I wasn’t expecting it. I think everyone wasn’t expecting it to happen like this. I think it’s going to, we’re going to feel it for a while like this, having big expectations for myself and for the team. It was too short I think.”
On motivation and pressure playing a factor for Florida…
“Yeah, I don’t know. Maybe for some players or for certain situations. I think, you know, losing 3-1 is something that you want to be in a series to have the chance to win that one game and be done. For me, I was excited, not nervous about every game, it’s just the start of the playoffs a little bit. Then you can enjoy. I was thinking about it the whole time that I didn’t get a chance to play that much in my career, for me that was a great opportunity to play. It was just sad how it ended.”
On his first season in Boston and what he would say about the team…
“Yeah, it was great. I think personally it helped me a lot for my growth, my growth as a player, and as a person too. We had great leaders the whole season and being able to learn from Bergy, Krech, and Marchy, these guys, it was great for me. To grow as a player and the team that we had, I am never going to forget and I think it was a special group and for me to start my first season here as a Bruin and this team was something special. Just wish we played a little bit longer.”
On his excitement about being here long term now…
“Yeah, I’m happy that happened kind of mid-season so I could stop thinking about if I’m going to be here for a little bit longer or not. It’s kind of now my focus in a little bit is going to be just basically get ready and be even better so I can help out the team next year more than I did this year. I’m lucky enough to be able to be here for four more years and do the most that I can to help the team be better.”
On getting more work at center next year, and what he learned from Bergeron and Krejci…
“I mean they’re two, one of the two best players, two-way centers in the league. I was just trying to watch them at practice like faceoffs and stuff like that, that kind of helped me a little bit too to get better at mine. Just the way they interact in certain situations and what they do on the ice, so I was able to watch them the whole season. It was great for me moving forward.”
On what he thinks it means for his overall game if he lines up at center next year…
“We’ll see what happens. I think I played a couple games at the end of the season this year and try to get back to how I was before at center and get better and that’s what I’m going to have to focus on next year depending on where I’m going to be played.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD JAKE DEBRUSK…
On anything that stood out…
“I think, obviously, a lot of things had to go wrong. But it is still raw. Personally, been hanging with the guys the last two days and just trying to… Still don’t really know what happened.”
On if this stings more than losing the 2019 Stanley Cup Final…
“It’s different. But I think you have to go down there in the dark ages to feel that one out again. It’s one of those things where I wouldn’t compare them. I think every year is different. Obviously, we didn’t get it done.”
On what he’s learned from Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci…
“A lot of words, I guess. If it is, I mean, obviously, I’m just thankful I got the opportunity to meet those guys. To come into this organization and be shown the ropes by them. Obviously, It’s one of those things where they’re amazing players for this organization their whole careers. Truly special. They’ve both had silver sticks this season. Nice little gifts too. At the same time, I can’t say enough about the quality of guys that they are, let alone the players. We all know how they play, but now all of us know them personally. It’s one of those things, we’re going to miss a lot of things differently.”
On mentally preparing for time without Bergeron and Krejci…
“I haven’t prepared for anything the last two days, to be honest.”
On if this year was important to build off his play going forward…
“That was my goal at the beginning of the year, was to have a year to grow off of the year before. It’s hard to kind of think about that right now, but there’s lots of good moments in some ways. You take those positives with it. That’s kind of what you use to go into the next offseason of training and things like that. It’s fresh, so I honestly don’t look at that too much.”
On if he’s happy that he wasn’t traded and got to experience this year…
“For sure. It was obviously a crazy year ago at this point in time and even before that. I did feel lucky. I felt lucky to be here every day. Even just with the start that we had as a group. With the guys in this locker room, it just felt special, and I tried to take every moment I could of any day that I was here, and I was just really grateful for the opportunity. Obviously, at the same time, it was not the result we wanted, so it stings as well.”
On if he will watch any of the playoffs…
“I’m from Canada, man. The Oilers are in. I don’t know, it’s probably going to be everywhere… I got my family and my girlfriend there, so I’m kind of in one on that side of things. Of course, you always watch especially the finals. As a competitor, you try to take different things, and also as a fan, I guess. I’ll probably get away from hockey for a little bit.”
On if he was fully healthy…
“Yeah. There was nothing that was major. I felt, obviously, pretty good. I feel great right now. Obviously a little bruised and battered but nothing that needs procedures.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD TAYLOR HALL…
On his feelings…
“It’s still pretty confusing and shocking, it’s going to take a while to get over that one. I don’t know, that's the way it goes sometimes, that's life. A lot to be proud of this year but ultimately didn’t get the job done. It’s still hard to grasp what happened and how quickly it happened. You go from being up 3-1 in the series to being done, it can take a while to process that. That one is going to sting, it’s going to hurt for a while. It was a great regular season and I guess you could call it a failure in the playoffs.”
On lessons learned from Bergeron and Krejci…
“What I would say I learned is everyone can lead in their own way. You don’t have to be a rah-rah guy you don’t have to be a super positive bubbly guy, you can lead in your own way. They are professionals and they are great people. They care about everyone in the room. It was a great environment to come into when I got traded here. If they aren’t here, it’s up to us to keep fostering that environment and that tradition.”
On his health…
“I felt good. I don’t know, when you lose the series you feel like you had more to give and I didn’t have any production in the last two games, and maybe if I did, we wouldn't be doing exit meetings today. There are always things to build off of and get better at. I felt more like myself in the playoffs than I did in the regular season. It wasn’t a tremendous season personally, but 65 wins and being a contributor on a team like that is special and something I'll never forget. I want to have a better season next year than I did this year. There are some things for me to get better yet. I want to come back a better player. It's hard when you’re 31, but I really do think I have more to learn and more things to get better at.”
On watching playoffs…
“I don’t know if I’m going to watch it. That's going to be really hard. Especially Florida tonight. Eventually I'll tune in, I’m sure because I do enjoy watching playoff hockey, but it’s still a bit of shock to understand and get used to. You want to get away from the game mentally.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD DAVID PASTRNAK…
On Krejci and Bergeron and their leadership…
“Those two guys are the perfect example. They are some of the best leaders on the team and in the sport and they’ve been here for a very long time, so… They’ve been my teachers for a very long time and the player I am and the person I am as well, it’s big thanks to those guys too. It’s amazing the impact they have on the young guys, as older guys and as the leaders they were.”
On taking on a leadership role when guys like Bergeron and Pastrnak were out…
“Yeah, obviously I feel ready. How I said it, I had the best teachers from these guys. They are incredible people and incredible hockey players, so I always — when you’re looking at them, you want to be like them, right? As a leader, the stuff they say, no matter how young you are, you want to be like them. So, I’m definitely very thankful and the way I grew as a person and a player, thanks to them. So, I’m excited and we’ll see.”
On his thoughts and emotions over the last couple of days…
“Well it’s still early. It’s definitely one of the losses that is going to hurt through time. It’s very quick and when you’re going into playoffs, you aren’t thinking of this day. All you’re think of is moving forward and right now. I couldn’t even think. No, it’s very early. Honestly, every time you try and dig into this series, it’s very painful. You really try to stay away from thinking about it, to be totally honest with you. It sucks, obviously losing and you have to look forward now.”
On if them being as good as they were in the regular season was the most painful part…
“Yeah, one hundred percent, for me I’m always a believer, like you guys know that every time I show up here in September my goal for the team is to make the playoffs because it doesn’t matter where you end up with the standings for the playoffs. You just have to get there, and anything can happen after that and I’ve always believed in it and I always will. This series is a perfect example of it again. Yeah, I mean it was definitely — don’t get me wrong, it was an outstanding season, the group we had, the memories that we went through. I think we deserved better, but this is life and the sport of hockey. It’s going to hurt, but how I said, I’m very thankful for every single guy and I’m very proud of every single guy in the room.”
On if there is a timeline where he can turn the page to next year and get excited again…
“I think for every single athlete it starts fairly quickly because it’s really hard to dig into something that happened in the past. You automatically want to prepare right away, so it’s going to start really soon. For me, I haven’t made any plans, I’m going to be in Boston. Just have to turn the page and get ready.”
On if he was battling any injuries…
“Yeah… You know that’s hockey, I was healthy the whole year, I was. Yeah.”
On if the injury happened in the playoffs…
“Yeah, first game, first shift. It was just a shoulder injury. It sucks because all you want to do… It’s a sport where you can’t be healthy every time, but it’s definitely painful to not be able to give your one hundred percent and play my game for this year. Especially, after the year I had, and I’ve been healthy and I know what I can do when I’m healthy. It just sucks.”
On how he was able to find his game in Games 6 and 7 and what he did to help with the injury…
“I will say that Game 7, like I would’ve been one hundred percent in the second round for sure. That was one of those things right… You battle things in your head, obviously, but I remember Game 6… Obviously, it’s a lot of emotions and a lot of things running through your head, but I turned the page and got better in my head and was able to perform better.”
On if he’ll need any procedures or anything like that…
“No, no, no.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD PATRICE BERGERON
On how he feels two days after Game 7...
“Same, the emotions are still hard, the scar is new, it will be there for a while. I think nothing’s changed, it’s still too early, too raw.”
On his post-season discussion with Jim Montgomery...
“It’s good, I mean obviously it’s always, after the fact, a lot of questions and a lot of questions are unanswered for now, so yeah trying to put your head around everything, and obviously we talked about the whole year, so we had a great conversation.”
On what questions about the team are left unanswered...
“I don’t know, I’m not sure what to say to that question to be honest with you. I think there’s a lot of questions needing to be answered, every year. Every summer, you have to look at yourself and everyone individually, and I think as a team and an organization, I think there's always a, I guess a lot of balls in the air, and you have to manage a lot of things and it’s going to be the same thing this summer, even more so after this type of year.”
On his timeline for making a decision about retirement...
“Not yet, I mean it’s early right now to even make a sound decision, so I really want to make sure, obviously you make, I make the right call, and we make the right call as a family, so I don’t know I guess, how long it’s going to take.”
On how long that decision took him last year...
“I wanted to give Sweens [Don Sweeney] an answer before free agency, so somewhere in June.”
On if his decision is between playing for the Bruins or retiring...
“Yes, for sure.”
On what factors will go into his retirement decision...
“Same, it’s physically, mentally, trying to make sure you’re invested and you’re all there, and you’re ready for another go at it, so it’s kind of like the mindset — same mindset as last year.”
On how this year went for him health-wise...
“Yeah, overall, I was healthy all year you know my, it’s always been the same kind of things with me, hips and groins and all that, but yeah, it was manageable all year, and obviously the back flared up, unfortunately at the wrong time.”
On if he was injured before the Montreal game...
“No, I was healthy, again, to that question, you know it’s, it was the plan, we’d talked about it, for two, three weeks, probably two weeks in advance, or two and a half or whatever — I talked about my hips and my groins, and I needed to not play the back to backs and kind of heal that and make sure I was staying on top of that, not necessarily healing because it wasn’t that much of an issue. But then that last week, everybody was going to be part of those two games to be ready for the playoffs. So that was the talk that Monty [Jim Montgomery] kind of had with me, and I agreed, so the Montreal game I was healthy, and it was a coincidence that it was in Montreal. It’s just an unfortunate moment and timing to happen and — looking back, if I had a crystal ball, obviously I wouldn’t have played in that game, but nobody knew that.”
On his teammates sharing about his impact on the team...
“It means a lot, it’s kind of why you play the game — to try to leave an impact or help a few teammates here and there and create some friendships. That’s what’s going to last forever, all the memories and whatnot, so that’s definitely specialand hopefully if I can help, if I was able to impact any of those guys that might not be coming back or whatever, yeah, it means a lot.”
On if he feels different than he did a year ago in regard to his retirement decision...
“It’s a good question, I mean, you know, right now, I think it’s a different emotion, feeling, because it hurts a lot more with the way that things ended, with the year that we’ve had. But yeah, I think it’s similar, I’m kind of in the same mindset where I want to take a step back, and make sure I weigh the pros and cons, and have a conversation with the family.”
On how much more he has to give as a player...
“Yeah, I’ll see, and you know that’s why, you want to make sure you do have it, and you do want it and that you can still help, on and off the ice — and physically, mentally being at your best and performing, so it’s also part of it.”
On if he did anything differently while leaving the Garden after Game 7...
“No, I didn’t, you know it’s, it was more — we stayed for a while in the locker room with the guys, but I can’t say I did that.”
On his embrace with Brad Marchand after the game...
“Yeah, you know it was a lot of emotions in that moment, and obviously I’ve always said, we feel pretty lucky to have had that bond and playing together for so long, so it’s obviously extra special, so obviously it got to me when it got to him, and it’s one of those years that we know, we failed to accomplish what we wanted, so, trust me, it hurts just as much as we know the fanbase is hurt as well and hurting, it stings, we feel the same way.”
On if he had conversations with his teammates about the decision to retire...
“I did have some conversations last year, during the process, with some of those guys, so I’m guessing I might do the same thing. We’ll see, I guess right now, I’ll be honest, I just didn’t really take the time to even think, you know, it’s been a tough couple days.”
On if this loss being as painful as the team’s Game 7 loss in the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals...
“It’s very disappointing and frustrating and definitely on the same line and it’s disappointing for sure.”
On if his retirement decision will be impacted by David Krejci’s...
“It’s a good question, haven’t thought about that. You know what, we’ll see. I guess everything is going to unfold, I’m going to let everything kind of, come back down a little bit before I could really even say that.”
On if surgery is needed for his back...
“No, just time and yeah, letting it heal.”
On what went wrong in the series...
“Yeah, it’s a good question. I think — in a situation like this, you’re trying to think about every moment and try to wish you would have done this or that. To me, the most uncharacteristic for this series was our third period and not being able to keep leads, or we did gain some leads at times, and we couldn’t keep them, which was not how we’ve done it all year, and hurt us in the end for sure.”
On if he would have retired if they won the Stanley Cup Finals...
“I didn’t know, I still don’t know. Probably would have maybe— I don’t know, I wasn’t really thinking about that, I didn’t know.”
On his legacy on the franchise if this was his last season...
“It’s a good question. I’m not sure. I guess if it is, I left everything out there I guess is all I can really say, and I’m thankful and grateful, but we’re not there yet, so we’ll see.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD NICK FOLIGNO
On his emotions since the loss...
“Yeah, I think like anyone, I think we’re extremely disappointed, and I think we have to look honestly in the mirror and realize we didn’t get the job done. I think that’s the way you move forward, you take it on the chin, and you reflect and remember this feeling and put it toward what it’s going to allow you to become better from it. So, it’s been a really emotional few days for every guy, you know, with everything that’s at stake here and what we felt like we had with this group, and I think it will take some time where you start to see the bright side of things if there ever is, but it doesn’t take away from this group, I think that’s the, it’s a results business and we didn’t get the job done so we’re disappointed for ourselves and the work we put in and our fanbase and the excitement that we created this year with the run we went on and not getting it done hurts, but it doesn’t take away from what this group’s accomplished and what we bonded over all year long and we talked about a special group, it doesn’t take away from that, it is a special group and will continue to be and we have to make sure we keep sight of that as well.”
On what went wrong in the series...
“We just didn’t execute, I mean really, look at the difference between our turnovers to their success and scoring goals off of some of our plays and they made us pay, and we didn’t. You go up 3-1 in the series, you’ve got to find a way to put the nail in the coffin and for whatever reason, all year long we’ve been that team’s that’s done that and we didn’t, so you’ve got to give them credit first, but then look at ways you can improve and then try to figure out — guys, I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t think anyone has an answer, I’m sure you’ve heard this comment before, but if we did, we probably we would have fixed it and been playing tonight. This is a hard one for everybody in the room, but we know we didn’t get the job done, and there’s no excuse for that. The fans aren’t going to want to hear some excuse of, oh this happened, we didn’t get the job done, so we all have to take it on the chin and realize that it’s not acceptable, and this group definitely expected more out of ourselves and that’s going to be the hardest thing to take.”
On his message to the team...
“I think you, the biggest thing is you’ve got to find any failure, it really only is a failure if you didn’t learn from it. So, I think I tell every guy that, every guy has realized that you’ve got to work through the emotions of this and find a way to come out the other side a better version of yourself. That’s obviously what it’s going to take for our group to move forward, you can use this as a springboard and look at other teams that have gone through heart aches and heart breaks like we’ve gone through and have become better, have become Stanley Cup champions because of it, are better players, are better versions of themselves — so that’s the message in here, that’s what have to do as a pro and as an athlete. There’s only one team that wins a cup every year, so all those other players and other teams are looking for ways to improve and we’re one of those now. We really thought we had what it took to become a champion and we didn’t get it done, so we look internally at what we can do better, but that won’t be answered today it will be over the course of a summer and putting into your training and your mindset.”
On what’s next for him...
“No, I think that’s probably the most emotional part too, not really knowing what’s going to happen here. I think it’s no secret, I love it here. I’ve bonded with these guys, and we’ve gone through a lot, and I’ve felt like I’ve given what I can to this group, and I hope to come back and finish what we’ve started. That’s my biggest thing, I don’t know, I can’t control what Sweens, and Cam and the staff decide, I think the feeling’s mutual, just got to try to figure out something, but we’ll see how that goes. Obviously, I would prefer to come back, especially with the way things ended and what I foresee for this group, there’s still a lot of great players, and it’s hard to see because there’s going to be change, but you hope to be part of it and rectify what went wrong this year.”
On his future...
“I can’t think any other way, you know, and I’m so committed to this group that I can’t say in the past that, this is all of us right now, and I would love to stay, and I still feel like I’m a part of this team, a big part of this team and can help this team, so, it’s a hard one to answer because there’s so much unknown going into this offseason but I hope to be standing here again in the fall.”
On if he would play with another team...
“Absolutely, yeah, definitely, I still feel like I have lots to give and especially with the motivation of this year going into the summer, it can only burn the fire inside me even more.”
On if Don Sweeney has offered him any optimism for next season...
“Yeah, I think there’s a mutual respect for I what I bring and what I can bring to this group, and I think he — we’ve talked about that, it’s obviously just going to be shaken out as the year goes on, but just to at least know that there’s mutual interest is a good feeling.”
On if there have been discussions between management and his agent...
“Not really, not as of right now, no. I mean we hope to have those conversations when we get to that point, but I don’t think we’re expecting to have those conversations right now. So, as it goes on, I’m sure we’ll get into more dialogue.”
On his health...
“I feel 100%. So, it’s tough, to not be on that Game 7 and have to watch — I care a lot about this group, we’ve been through a lot, and we want nothing more than to be out there with them at that time. So, that one will eat at me a little bit, but it’s not going to change who I am or how I approach things. It’s only going to make me better; I’m looking for to putting that into my offseason.”
BOSTON BRUINS CHARLIE COYLE
On his original thoughts…
“It’s a shock. It just feels like a nightmare, to be honest. I just wish it would end. You just replay stuff over and over in your head of, could have closed it out here, could have closed it out there. It’s how it happened. It’s unfortunate, and you wish we could go back, but you can't. So the only thing you can do now is we learn from it and grow from it. It’s hard. It’s so many emotions that come in right now. Trying to process it all. Try to turn things into a positive. I think you have to. You can’t do anything about it now. It sucks. It’s still a shock, but we got to learn from it. We got to grow from it. We can. We will. It’s just a shame. You feel for everyone, but there’s certain individuals you really feel for. We wanted to make the most of this great opportunity, and we gave ourselves a great opportunity this year. I don’t think a lot of people expected the season we had. Then we grew it. We believed, and all of the sudden, we had this big opportunity, and we had some big goals, and we came up short. It’s never easy. It’s hard to win in this league. It is. And it makes you realize that more and more. That’s all you can do. We’ve got to grow and learn. I think we do that. We move on with our heads up and start preparing for next year.”
On what Bergeron and Krejci mean to him…
“It’s tough. They mean so much. From watching them. Playing with them. You feel really lucky. You do. I don't have the words for what those guys mean to us, to the team, the organization, the city, and beyond. It’s pretty remarkable what they’ve done, and the careers they’ve had. To get a chance to just watch them and then, an honor to play with them. Be in the same locker room. Learn from those guys and be a part of their great careers. It’s pretty special. That’s why you want to make the most of those opportunities. That’s what’s hard. That’s what’s hard to swallow. We wanted to make the most of this and do it for those guys. Have them go out on a winning note. That was the goal. It was there. But it doesn’t take away from what those guys have done, their careers, and what they’ve done for everyone around here. Those guys are unbelievable players, unbelievable people. I know people around here are very lucky. I think they know they’re lucky that they have those two. That they’ve had them for so long and what they brought. They’re just very special. They’re very special people.”
On stepping up to the top line and what it meant to him to lead…
“It’s hard to replace those two. You really can’t. It’s, I guess, me being in the center position; it’s a big responsibility. But it was a big responsibility for all of us. Everyone kind of chipped in and did their part. That’s what we do. That’s why we’re a good team, is our depth and the people who can step up and take on that responsibility when you have guys of their caliber who are out of the lineup. You’ve got to take pride in that. That’s what you want to show, is what we’re made of, and what we can do. That can build confidence within guys and within our team to know that we can handle that and do that. But it takes everyone. I just try and do my part and do the best I can. It’s always an opportunity when you are in that position, so you just want to make the most of it.”
On his health during playoffs…
“I was pretty healthy.”
On his process for and experience in moving on…
“You kind of learn more and more as you go. Processing things, taking some time, getting away a little bit, and kind of resetting. If you are dealing with stuff, just physically taking care of your body and letting your body rest, and making sure you’re ready to go. Get in the gym again. Get skinny again. Work on your game. That usual stuff. You always want to be playing. We wish we were still playing. That’s an obvious thing. Right now, you turn it into a positive. We have more time to prepare for next year. You want to do it the right way and take advantage of this opportunity here to get better and use your time wisely. Unfortunately, there’s plenty of time to do that. But we got to make the most of that.”
On Trent Ferederic’s growth this season…
“A lot. A lot. I love [Frederic]. I love playing with him. He’s such a great kid. Great teammate. I really love him as a player. He’s only getting better and better. You can see the strides he’s taken, the confidence that he’s built, and it’s great to see. You can just tell every day he’s working on his game. He’s doing this. He’s getting more confident each day. He’s going to have a big summer here, and he’s going to come back and be even better. There’s no question about that. He’s taken some great strides. It’s awesome to see.”
On what he thinks the difference was for this series…
“It’s hard to think about. It’s tough. We turned pucks over. We kind of gave them a lot. They take advantage of it. They’re good at that. You give them an inch, and they take it and run with it, and they’ll make you pay. You just go over how many times you could have closed it out. How many chances…It’s hard to think about. You wish you could go back, but you can’t. I don’t know. Still kind of processing it all and trying to figure it out. I think that might help with just talking. I don’t have a for sure answer for you. Going to need some more time to process the game.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEREK FORBORT
On how he’s feeling physically…
“I feel pretty good. Obviously, it wasn’t ideal timing, but I was definitely healthier out there.”
On his emotions right now…
“A lot of sadness. Obviously, a big part of this year was trying to do it for [Bergeron] and [Krejci] and guys like that. Sports are cruel sometimes.”
On why the Panthers forecheck was such a problem this series…
“We definitely had some kind of uncharacteristic turnovers. I didn’t really feel like we were kind of hemmed in our zone too much. I don’t know what the zone time comparison was. It just seemed like they were just very opportunistic, and every time we’d make one of those little mistakes, it ended up in the back of our net.”
On feeling a sense of panic over not finding their defensive footing…
“No, I think they have good forwards. They’re not really a big physical group, but they have really good sticks, and they’re fast, and they do a good job checking that way. We just weren’t sharp enough.”
On what he takes away from playing alongside Bergeron…
“Just kind of who he is as a guy. He’s of the best teammates I’ve ever had. The best captain I ever had. I don’t know what his plan is, but he’s an awesome guy to work with.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSEMAN BRANDON CARLO…
On improving his game…
“The mental side of things, I think that’s a conversation that’s kind of out there now, with mental health and whatnot. And there were times where I was pretty anxious for games and I wanted to change that. So, I knew just being as confident as I could would lead to putting in the work. So I feel like for me, just taking steps mentally was a big part of that this year, for sure.”
On a sense of disbelief within the team that they aren’t playing…
“Absolutely, I think you see it with everybody in the room. Guys are asking each other ‘What are you going to do?’, and none of us were even planning on being in this situation… so we all have no plans. So, yeah, I feel lost right now, I’ve just been trying to do stuff around the house to keep my mind off of it. It’s unfortunate, but there will be a phase where we kind of take a step forward and look at this from a learning experience… but I think it’s good to feel the sting for a little while, and not wallow in it for too long, but you’ve got to feel it. You don’t want this result at the end of the year, especially with how amazing this year was and there will be parts where I recognize how grateful I am for the situation that we were able to have throughout the entire year and how much fun we had, but that makes this one really hard.”
On having any regrets about the series as a team and individually…
“In life I don’t ever want to look at situations with regret. Each day of the series I woke up and I did my best, so that’s all I can do. From a team standpoint, I trusted everybody in this room was going to continue to do the same thing. Obviously there were moments where our best wasn’t good enough, and that’s unfortunate, but I’ll never say that I have regrets, especially with this group.”
On a possible era coming without Bergeron and Krejci…
“Yeah, it’s tough to think about. It’s hard to reflect on. Throughout my last seven years here we’ve had that core of guys, including Big Z and some other names as well that have kind of moved on. I think it’s more so important to recognize our responsibility to carry on the values and the things that they brought to this organization, and continue to make them lie within this room, take care of those things that they’ve built into this culture, and continue to work towards this goal that we’ve all been striving for.”
Carlo on what it would mean if Bergeron and Krejci came back next season…
“For me, that would be one of the most exciting things that could happen. Just from not only on the ice, but off the ice, the friendship level that we have with both of those guys… I love just being around them every day. Bergy obviously has held this room together like the glue for a long time, taking care of a lot of us mentally. Krejci as well, I’ve never had anybody with as much humor as him, so, if that is missed it’ll definitely be a big hole within this room but it’s our responsibility to pick up the pieces.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSMEN MATT GRZELCYK…
On if this is the hardest loss to date for him…
“Yeah… Yeah, it hasn’t really set in yet. It’s pretty difficult right now, for sure. The Stanley Cup and losing that one is really hard, but we had such a good team and such a good chance this year and it’s just tough.”
On what he’s learned this year about the playoffs…
“Just that everyone has to amplify their play and everyone brings their best every single night, so you’re not going to catch any team sleeping or off-guard on any night. Maybe you would in the regular season, but it’s much more intense and the play picks up.”
On if he was dealing with any injuries this playoff…
“Nope. I’m really healthy.”
On him getting healthy scratched and how that sits…
“Yeah, it’s tough. Obviously, you want to be a part of it, but at the same time you make sure you’re still being a good teammate and someone who is enjoyable to be around. So, I knew the reality of the situation at the deadline and adding such great players. I think we all had the same goal in mind and that’s to win the Stanley Cup at any cost… Of course, you want to be out there playing, but like I said, be a good teammate and make sure you’re ready when your name is called.”
On if it’s the same uncertainty as last year when it comes to Krejci and Bergeron coming back…
“Yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t really spoken to them yet personally. Just the team in general, you never want to let such a good opportunity go to waste and unfortunately that’s what happened.”
On what he has learned from Bergeron and Krejci if this is it for them…
“Obviously they are amazing players, but just what great people they are. How they treat people, you know when they first get here or first get called up, whether you play for ten minutes or ten years, they treat you the same way and I have so much respect. So, they are just unbelievable leaders and people to be around and at the same time they are both extremely competitive and you see that in practice day in and day out, how they take care of themselves away from the rink. So, it’s just a special treat to be able to play with two legends like that.”
On what he’s seen from Charlie McAvoy as he’s grown as a leader…
“Yeah, I think it’s just kind of been an organic step along the way. It’s kind of more and more responsibility, obviously his play on the ice seems to get better every single year. He’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL and I think that just comes with time and experience and him kind of becoming more vocal with us and we have so much faith in him. So, it’s pretty cool to see how much he’s grown.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD A.J. GREER…
On his thoughts about this year...
“It was really fun to work with everyone. There's definitely a lot of things I will take home with me, and I will remember this season for the rest of my life. “
On how the season ended...
“I feel for a lot of the older guys. You know, it was a terrible ending. Definitely wasn't the way we wanted to be. It wasn't supposed to end this way. But in sports, what makes sports great is the unpredictable. So, we're on the short end of the stick and we can only learn from this, grow and personally, for myself, I'm already looking forward to next year.”
BOSTON BRUINS FORWARD TRENT FREDERIC...
On his feelings after the Game 7 loss...
“I mean, you just kind of feel the shock, you know, didn’t think this was how it would end. To take it in a positive way, I don't know. We had such a good team this year, we had fun every day up until the last second. That was just the most fun I had in a year playing hockey. Great group of guys. You know, with how good of a team we had, I don't know if any of us will be on this good of a team again — so it's kind of hard to wrap your head around that. How do you win if that's how good our team was and that's what happened? So that's something we'll have to just take time and figure it out. I don't know if anyone's really put a finger on what happened and I'm not sure if we ever will.”
On having such a successful regular season...
“I think everyone had a good year on our team and it was fun to be a part of that. It's been a work in progress, and so it was fun to kind of see and hopefully I can keep building on that and getting better as a player, I think I still have a lot to offer and excited, you know, for next year.”
On finding his stride on the ice this season...
“I mean, when you're younger, it helps with the goals and stuff. It gives you, you know how to explain it, but it [scoring] gives you more confidence in yourself. When you have no goals it’s hard to back up the fighting. You just got to do what you got to do.”
On what the future holds...
My agent and Sweens [Don Sweeney] will talk. I don't know much about it. I want to be here for as long as I can. I want to be a Bruin as long as I can. I’ve had fun being here this year, been awesome, and hopefully we can do it again next year.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSEMAN CONNOR CLIFTON…
On what this team has meant to him…
“The guys have meant so much to me the past couple of years. Obviously, great regular season. We’re all extremely disappointed, frustrated and confused by the last loss. Obviously, some years I’ll never forget. I appreciate everyone I’ve got to learn from and play with over the past couple of years.”
On if he has had any contract talks yet…
“No, not really. I was hoping to do that in late June, honestly. Obviously, with the early departure, there’s a lot more time for that in the coming weeks, but no, haven’t talked too much about it yet.”
On if his preference is to stay in Boston…
“That’s right. I love it here. Me and Sweens [Don Sweeney] had a good talk this morning in our meeting. We’ll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.”
On how special this year’s team is...
“It’s a privilege to put on that crest and to compete with guys around this room. It’s something I’ll never take for granted.”
On the challenges he faced with frequent lineup changes...
“It’s hard to do. Obviously, I wish I had done a lot better of a job. Especially having fresh legs because I got to rest [games] 3, 5. Looking back on it now, I wish obviously it went differently. I wish I could come in there with those fresh legs and impact the game in a good way, get that win and close out that series. That’s not how sports work all the time. So, I’m pretty disappointed in how that game went for me personally. I guess you move forward, right?”
On Florida's forecheck...
“We knew they had a really good team. They proved that every game they played. They really brought it to us. They got there on some bounces, got two OT winners, which could've easily went the other way. That’s sports, that’s hockey. That’s what makes it so hard to win, win series and to compete for the Stanley Cup.”
On what Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have taught him…
“They’re Bruins legends. It’s been a privilege and an honor to watch them and work alongside them for, obviously missed [David] Krejci last year, but for the past five years since I got here. I think he takes their demeanor and how they hold themselves accountable for everything, their work ethic every day — honestly, just incredible to get to know them.”
On meeting with Don Sweeney earlier…
“We kind of talked about the past couple years, especially this year. He was proud of the regular season I had. Obviously, I think we both wished the postseason, for me, went a little better. He obviously has a lot of work to do, he said. He hopes I’m part of what we’re building for the future.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSEMEN DMITRY ORLOV…
On how hard it is to win in this league…
“Yeah, it is. It’s true every year how the season is so long and so many games. It’s just so hard for the mental and the physical stuff — makes me understand how tough it is every year when you lose in the first, second round, it’s tough summers. You always worry about that. You always think about what you did right, what you did wrong and what you could do better. It always stays with you. It’s always tough to lose. It was the first time I had a season like that. Where I was traded, there were a lot of things going on — how happy I was in Washington, then I got traded and came here. It was a bright future. I’m thankful for the teammates in Boston, how they welcomed us. We all want to still play right now, and it’s hard to understand how we’re here right now. It’s hard to see when men cry. It’s hard to understand what’s going on. It’s a lot of things I could probably say for another ten minutes and say what I feel. For this whole organization, it’s tough. The team is still good. I think we or they — I don’t know how it’s going to be, how my future is going to be. I think this team is going to be good for sure. I think it’s my opinion because they have a lot of the right people here. It’s nice to see.”
On if he would enjoy being a part of the future of this team…
“It was great from the start. I said once in one interview when I got here, but I just enjoy hockey. I’ve been eleven years in this league, and I played in Russia as a grown-up and as a kid too. You still enjoy hockey. It’s important. It doesn't matter what age. You still want to feel like a kid. You have to have that feeling in your life. It doesn’t matter if you’re twenty or forty years old. It’s important — I enjoyed this time.”
On what factors into his future…
“I don’t know. Right now, it’s dark. What I’m going to do, I don’t know. I still don’t know what my plan is. If I fly back to Washington or stay here. It’s a lot of things. Obviously, I’m going to have to make a decision. Where I’m going to be, and I need to talk to my family and figure it out from there.”
BOSTON BRUINS DEFENSMEN CHARLIE MCAVOY…
On his emotions since Sunday’s loss
“Numb still. It’s hard to really put it into words right now, it’s tough.”
On if he was dealing with any injuries...
“Yeah, pretty much (just end of the year stuff).”
On why the Panthers challenged them...
“I don’t know. I just think they were opportunistic.”
On what’s been going through his head after the loss...
“It’s tough, I mean you have these days, right? You know we try and break everything down here, but it’s so fresh it’s hard to kind of put it into words, like what went wrong or where we went wrong. It’s just the ultimate disappointment right now.”
On his biggest takeaway from this season…
“I don’t know, we won a lot of games, and it really feels like it doesn’t matter, to be honest. It’s always numb, right? Every year you don’t win, you’re a loser, but this one was different. We had a team that was really special and really good, every year we’ve had good teams, but this year just feels like it.”
On Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci this year and their disappointment after Game 7…
“Yeah, I don’t know, it makes it worse almost — but we got everything. A lot of — I don’t know, it just stings, it stings right now, it’s hard. It’s hard to articulate what went wrong or why it went wrong — and you know sometimes you need luck, and in hockey, it just feels like, I don’t know. It’s hard to justify why it couldn’t have been us.”
On getting to play with such a special team...
“Yeah, we had a blast. I mean, just an exceptional group of people and every day you get to do this job is a blessed day. It’s fun, but it’s more fun when you’re winning, and we won a lot this year. Had a lot of good memories with a lot of these guys, and the friendships are definitely the best part about this job, and the relationships we get to make. A lot of guys making new friends and — we had a lot of fun this year.”
On how he has mentally matured...
“I’ve had great people every step of the way who lead so naturally — whether it was Z [Zdeno Chara], or Bergy [Patrice Bergeron], or [David] Krejci, or Marchy [Brad Marchand], you know, you can go back and there’s a ton of people who I’ve learned so much from. I think you just have to be yourself and be genuine and I try to do that… I guess that’s my style of leadership. It’s something I’ll keep getting better at.”
Same here, lost a parent and very close friend about a month apart (Feb and March) - I was thankful for the distraction the Bruins provided and moments of joy, and I hate that they lost and particularly the way they went about it, but in the bigger scheme of life, it is just sport.
Alan Ryan
Registered User
- Jun 1, 2006
- 9,067
- 1,503
There is such a compulsion by folks to assign blame when things don't go the way they expect them to go. What a waste . . .
Hockey games are the same as all sports through the ages. You win some, lose some and some get rained out.
In the end it's just a game. Move on to next year and create new expectations.
Hockey games are the same as all sports through the ages. You win some, lose some and some get rained out.
In the end it's just a game. Move on to next year and create new expectations.
Thanks Fenway, for all of this! This and all the videos!!
- Status
Ad
Latest posts
-
-
Confirmed Trade: [COL/BUF] Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram- Latest: IWantSakicAsMyGM
-
-
-
