Bruins proud to 'prove a lot of people wrong' after 1st-round playoff exit

BOSTON -- Regret was evident at the Boston Bruins' practice facility Sunday, when they conducted breakup day interviews and packed bags. There was regret they weren't still playing and didn't have a Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres to prepare for that night.

But there was also pride.

The Bruins were a team few from the outside anticipated qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and went 45-27-10 to clinch the first wild card from the Eastern Conference. This came one season after finishing with 76 points and tied with the Philadelphia Flyers for last in the East and selling off half a dozen players, including captain Brad Marchand, ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

They also believed. Charlie McAvoy mentioned telling anyone who could listen at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour in Las Vegas back in September that Boston would make the playoffs. It did exactly that, falling in six games to the Sabres in the first round.

"Just really proud of the group," said McAvoy, who revealed he broke his right hand in Game 2. "Really, the whole team. Everybody poured everything they had into this season.

"I think we surprised a lot of people. For what our expectations were, it's not really a consolation prize to be standing here after losing in the first round, but as we get a little further away from it, we'll be able to look back on how special this year was.

"We really did prove a lot of people wrong."

The Bruins saw career seasons from goalie Jeremy Swayman, a second line of Casey Mittelstadt, Pavel Zacha and Viktor Arvidsson, and McAvoy himself. They saw young players push themselves into bigger roles highlighted by Fraser Minten, 21, and Marat Khusnutdinov, 23, and a hockey season that nearly extended into May.

But there is also a clock ticking.

After a 4-1 loss in Game 6, David Pastrnak acknowledged he has a big birthday coming, one that makes him think about how many seasons he has left. He said that night, "I'm turning 30 in a couple of weeks (May 25), had one sniff at the Cup so far (in 2019). It gets harder every single year. That's what I tell the young guys now. That's what (former captain Patrice Bergeron) and those guys tell you when I was young."

He doubled down on that Sunday, noting that time is "creeping a little bit, I'm not going to lie."

He's not alone.

Hampus Lindholm is 32. Elias Lindholm is 31. Nikita Zadorov is 31. McAvoy is 28. Zacha is 29. Morgan Geekie turns 28 on July 20. Swayman is 27.

"We didn't achieve nothing," Pastrnak said. "Like I said, yes, positive was that we made the playoffs, especially with the Atlantic Division was so tight and everybody winning the games. But at the same time, now you have long summer ahead of us, and you don't like that as a player. I'm sure you don't like that as a coach, so a lot of work ahead of us."

Even just two days removed from their final game, the questions started about next season, moves Bruins management could make with hopes of improving.

"As far as it goes with (general manager Don Sweeney) and management, every year I've been here they try and put us in the best position," McAvoy said. "They try and field the best team. They do that, they're committed to that, so I have no doubt that's something they'll try and do again this summer."

Zadorov said, "From my understanding, management's going to make adjustments into it and bring the right personnel again to benefit our system as well."

For now, though, it was a chance to be deeply disappointed in what might have been, but also savor a season few on the outside anticipated.

"We expected to be in the playoffs this year," Zadorov said. "I know you guys didn't, but we did in the summer and we did that. But we also could have went deeper, and I think that's what we have to look into it for sure and be more hungry next year."

And no matter what management does in the offseason, including with pending free agents including Arvidsson, and what those outside the locker room believe, the Bruins have seen what this group can do.

They believed in it at the start of the season. They believe even more now.

They will go into 2026-27, and the plan will be exactly the same.

"There is going to be same expectations," Pastrnak said. "There (are) two steps: make the playoffs and then make a run at the Stanley Cup. That's what I'm thinking of when I'm working out in the summers and that's my mental expectation. That's the only two really expectations you should have, coming into the season. That's not going to change."