With Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s futures uncertain, Bruins are aware of stakes involved in Game 7 against Panthers
"This is obviously the biggest thing that we've faced and we get through this — sky's the limit."
Jim Montgomery and the Bruins try to “stay in the moment.”
It’s a mantra that both Boston’s bench boss and his players have echoed time and time again during a record-setting regular season.
Montgomery harped on the need to not get caught up in the future ahead of Sunday’s Game 7 showdown against the Panthers.
But frankly, how could you not?
A crushing defeat on Sunday would stand as an embarrassing black eye for a Bruins team that posted 65 wins from October to April. But it also might mark a heartbreaking final chapter of a fruitful era for this Original Six franchise.
Multiple legacies are on the line Sunday night — especially with Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s futures uncertain beyond this current Cup run.
Taylor Hall stressed Sunday morning that every team has no shortage of avenues to draw motivation from ahead of a win-or-go-home contest.
But potentially keeping Bergeron and Krejci in black-and-gold sweaters for at least a few more weeks is not lost on a dressing room cognizant of the stakes on Sunday.
“You can look everywhere for motivation in this type of situation. But that’s a big one,” Hall said. “I think just overall, not letting this be our last game as a group. This is a special group. Not only Krech and Bergy, but we’ve had so much fun together as a team this year and we’ve overcome adversity at times.
“This is obviously the biggest thing that we’ve faced and we get through this — sky’s the limit. But we’re focused on what we can do and just the excitement of tonight’s game.”
As rocking as Causeway Street might be on Sunday night, the Bruins have preached a restrained, sound gameplan against a Panthers team that thrives off of mistakes and miscues.
When the Bruins operated at their best during the regular season, they clinically snuffed out rallies and smothered opposing teams with a stifling, sound defense and effective puck-possession game.
Those traits have been hard to come by in a series marred by multiple uncharacteristic turnovers.
“We want to hit singles all night long,” Montgomery said. “We’re not looking for home runs in the first period. We’re looking to hit singles and build our game. We build our game, we wear teams down. And we think through the majority of the series, we’ve done that.”
There is little margin for error in a Game 7. Sometimes a season can come down to a bit of puck luck or a fortuitous rebound.
Such is the anxiety-induction scenario that the Bruins have made for themselves on Sunday night.
And if the fortunes don’t fall their way, the results will be catastrophic for a team fixated on one final kick at the can.
“We know what’s on the line. We know guys — that could be their last game as a Bruin,” Hall said. “We know all these things and we’re prepared. At the end of the day, we have to go out and beat them and play just a bit better than we did in Games 5 and 6 and lock things down when we do get a lead.”
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