Bruins getting a much-needed day off between Stanley Cup playoff games

TORONTO – It’s important not to think about hockey on a day like this.

That may sound absurd -- every day is a great day for hockey. But after a long and arduous regular season, and with three Stanley Cup playoff games in the books, erasing the ice from one’s mind for a day can work wonders at this point of the year.

That’s exactly what the Bruins plan on doing Tuesday.

With two days off between Games 3 and 4, Bruce Cassidy thought it best to give the players some much-needed down time.

“Everybody’s off today,” Cassidy said Tuesday. “Guys might be having a snowball fight out there.”



The weather is terrible here, and there’s enough snow to indulge in the youthful pastime. So it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see David Pastrnak surprising teammates with a face full of snow outside the team hotel.

Of course, not everyone thinks a snowball fight is a good idea on an off day.

“Not for me,” Torey Krug said with a smile.

The Bruins lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 after the Maple Leafs posted a 4-2 victory in Game 3 on Monday at Air Canada Centre. Given the seriousness of the situation, it made one wonder whether or not there was any discussion for the team to skip town and find somewhere quiet to regroup with the extra day, similar to what the Bruins did during the first round in 2011.

That season, the Bruins and the Canadiens were engulfed in a heated battle, with Montreal leading the series 2-1. With an extra day off, Boston’s management wanted the team out of town to help the players stay focused. So, the Bruins set up camp in Lake Placid, N.Y. for a couple of days to prepare for Game 4.

The rivalry between the Bruins and Canadiens was heightened that season because of the Zdeno Chara hit on Max Pacioretty in March, so that was one reason the Bruins didn’t want to stay in town. Turns out, a bit of debauchery helped pave the way for the Bruins to a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 4. And that small bit of team bonding was one of the building blocks for the team’s Stanley Cup run that spring.

The best part was witnessing David Krejci insert $1 into a jukebox and play "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey. When the song began to play, he started to sway and was tapping his foot. Later he claimed the song wasn't the one he chose, but we all now the truth behind it now.

There were a couple of trips that season that also helped. The Bruins began the season in Belfast, Ireland and Prague. Plus, being on a trip to western Canada after the trade deadline that season was also key when it came to team building.

This season for the Bruins is different. There’s no negative news around the team, and its been a close group from Day 1. So, there’s no need to get out of town.

“Just relax,” Krug said. “It’s about recharging right now and getting your mind and body right and preparing -- not just for the next game, but we have a (practice) day (Wednesday) to get on the ice, probably look at some video and be prepare for that.”

Cassidy is a student of the game. He loves the history and has visited the Hall of Fame plenty of times when the team is in town. When asked if there was any discussion of moving the team for a couple of days, the coach didn’t think it was necessary.

“No,” Cassidy said. “The discussion, a little bit, was should we go back to Boston, to be honest with you. But, we’ve had so much travel in March that staying here was the ultimate call. We did think about it, but the logistics, putting it together, we certainly could have got through all that, but let’s just stay here and we’ll have a day off. We’ll practice on Wednesday and get ready for Thursday. There was no great debate on it, no.”

Only Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Krejci, Adam McQuaid, Brad Marchand and Tuukka Rask remain from that ’11 team, so the new blood has only heard stories about that trip to the small town in the Adirondack Mountains.

This time around it won’t be as exciting. But the current team is fine with that.

“Playoff hockey you always appreciate the day (off),” said rookie defenseman Charlie McAvoy. “I was texting a buddy the other day and we were talking about hockey, and he said three playoff games will equal 10 regular-season games with how the physicality goes and how much emotion goes into it. So you take a day like (Tuesday) to get your mind off hockey. Go walk around, Toronto’s a nice city, so go find something nice to do and spend some time with the guys and refocus. We’ll have a good practice day (Wednesday) and be ready to go.”

Bruins newcomer Rick Nash is as low key as they come, so having an extra day off in the playoffs will give him a chance to decompress.

“It’s a little strange because you’re used to staying in that routine of every other day,” he said. “Anytime you can get a little extra rest, or a little extra time with the guys, and try to keep the bumps and bruises healthy. We’ll watch some hockey tonight and have a nice dinner.”

Just watch out for Pastrnak throwing snowballs.