Some may argue that the Boston Bruins were already the biggest losers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After buying into a retool, they unexpectedly made the playoffs, then fell to the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the NHL Draft, and then watched their first-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs slip away after they won the draft lottery.
The Bruins didn't put up as much of a fight in the first round against the Buffalo Sabres as fans would've liked. It was good to see them persevere and reach the 100-point threshold during the regular season, but the playoffs exposed that the Bruins are farther from contending than most fans would've liked.
The Bruins could be the playoffs' biggest losers if the rest of the series continues to trend in a certain direction. After defeating Boston in the first round, Buffalo is now in a 3-2 hole with a Saturday night game at the Bell Centre staring them in the face. If the Canadiens manage to finish the job, the Carolina Hurricanes, who will be the favorites in that series, are waiting for them.
While I don't necessarily believe that the Hurricanes will walk over the Canadiens as they did to the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina feels like they are going to be a tough out. The Hurricanes would then advance to take on either the Colorado Avalanche or the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche are going to be the favorites to go the rest of the way and win their second Stanley Cup in the 2020s. If that happens against the Hurricanes, with Carolina defeating Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins would be on the receiving end of one of the most unfortunate stats in the playoffs every year.
How the Bruins could be the playoffs' biggest losers
The Bruins would be the team that lost to the team that lost to the team that lost in the Stanley Cup Final, meaning that they would be the farthest away of any of the 16 playoff teams from being the last squad standing.
The St. Louis Blues were that team in 2025. They lost to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, who then lost to the Dallas Stars in the second round, who then lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final, who then lost to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final. The Blues, like the Bruins, looked like they were taking a step in the right direction, but fell back down to earth this past season.
It isn't the most meaningful stat and there is some variance involved, but it does tell a story of how far away the Bruins truly were.
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