It has been just over six weeks since the Boston Bruins were bounced in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Buffalo Sabres. It was a frustrating ending to what was already a big step for a team that was supposed to be Year 1 into a retool. Not many envisioned the Black and Gold collecting 100 points in the standings and finishing as the first Eastern Conference wild-card.
After the Game 6 loss at the TD Garden, there were some interesting quotes to come out of the Bruins' locker room. Two of the top players for first-year head coach Marco Sturm voiced their thoughts toward the front office about going forward. Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak didn't beat around the bush about next season and beyond, as well as with what has happened in the past.
The next couple of weeks are going to be big for the Bruins, Pastrnak, McAvoy, and, more importantly, GM Don Sweeney. One quote from Pastrnak following the season-ending loss is not aging well as the important part of the offseason gets underway.
Bruins David Pastrnak's quote after playoff elimination shoud hit the front office hard
The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in six games over the Vegas Golden Knights. What does that mean? Well, that means that Taylor Hall, Brandon Bussi, and Mike Reilly get their name on the Cup. Pastrnak has yet to have his name engraved on it. It isn't going to be lost on the superstar.
“I’m turning 30 in a couple (of) weeks. You know, I had one sniff at the Cup so far. It gets harder every single year,” Pastrnak said after Game 6.
So, what should we make of that? It's a clear shot fired at the front office in terms of offseason moves. Running it back currently as is won't help the Bruins advance past the first round of the playoffs next season. Heck, they might not even sniff a postseason berth by running it back.
Now that the offseason moves are going to heat up, it's imperative that Boston's front office makes some moves and some big ones to complement their stars. Pastrnak had three goals and seven points against the Sabres, but one big takeaway is that more help is needed. He is coming off a spot on the NHL's Second All-Star Team, and another year has passed with no Stanley Cup. It's time to put up for the front office this summer, beginning as soon as possible.
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