Just 84 days after their season came to a crushing conclusion in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, over 10 regulars on the Bruins roster found themselves in a familiar spot — taking to the ice at Warrior Ice Arena.
Wednesday marked the start of informal captains practices in Brighton, with 31 total players participating in the first organized activities in preparation for the 2019-20 campaign.
A short turnaround after such a disappointing loss might seem like another way in which the Bruins will have their legs cut out from under them before the new season can even get underway. But Sean Kuraly begs to differ.
"I think when it’s a short summer, it’s a good summer," the Bruins pivot noted.
Even as that defeat on home ice still lingers on, the calendar finally shifting to fall does provide some semblance of closure for this Bruins club — and an opportunity to start anew with another loaded squad this winter.
"No, I’m not over it. I don’t think I ever will," David Krejci said at Warrior Ice Arena. "You come across some articles or on TV, or a specific song on the radio. It's kind of attached to that Stanley Cup Final and brings up all those memories. It happens all the time.
"I’m sure it will keep happening but that’s just something that you have to learn to live with it. There’s only one way out of it, right? Have a good season and make a push to the playoffs."
Wednesday's roster was not the full complement of players that had to leave the TD Garden ice empty-handed on June 12, but the practice was far from a light session reserved for some of the club's more established veterans.
Along with Krejci and Kuraly, Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, David Backes, Chris Wagner, Joakim Nordstrom, Jaroslav Halak, Connor Clifton, Steven Kampfer, and Karson Kuhlman all took part in the practice.
The prevailing narrative of the day (and what should carry over for most of the season) centered around where exactly the Bruins go from here, in wake of a last year's result.
For as bitter a pill as it is to swallow — both in the immediate aftermath and in the succeeding weeks — the Bruins do have plenty to be proud of when glancing back at 2018-19.
The list of accomplishments is impressive.
- 107 points and 2nd place in the Atlantic Division
- Career seasons for a number of core players — headlined by a 100-point campaign for Brad Marchand
- Even with 253 total man-games lost due to injury, Bruce Cassidy and the Bruins stayed afloat — with youngsters like Connor Clifton and Karson Kuhlman softening these losses with some clutch mid-season contributions.
- Another Game 7 victory over the Maple Leafs — even with John Tavares brought aboard as the great equalizer last summer
- A Prince of Wales Trophy
- Orchestrating a run all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final
Zdeno Chara playing the final games of the Cup Final with a fractured jaw.
Chris Wagner, Charlie McAvoy and others putting their body on the line to keep Boston's Cup hopes alive.
