It certainly hasn’t been a spring for the history books in the Boston sports world.
The Bruins’ dream season came to a screeching halt in historic fashion. The Celtics followed up that act by laying an egg in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals after becoming the 4th team in NBA history to climb out of a 3-0 deficit.
In a rather morbid coincidence, both teams were eliminated by 8th-seeded teams from Miami.
Not only is it the first time it’s ever happened, but both losses also came in TD Garden.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are as average as a baseball team could possibly be and firmly settled into the bottom of the AL East.
The 2023 Red Sox couldn't be more mediocre if they tried.
Record: 33-33
Expected W/L: 33-33
Run Scored: 323
Runs Allowed: 323
Run Differential: 0 pic.twitter.com/Raes8lNn7I— Thomas Carrieri (@Thomas_Carrieri) June 12, 2023
Could it Get Any Worse?
At least with the Celtics, there was a very strong argument that even if they made the Finals, they would’ve lost Denver. The Nuggets batted Miami aside in five games and played with an efficiency that would’ve torn Boston to shreds.
The Bruins, however, can’t say the same. After stunning the hockey world, Florida tore through the rest of the Eastern Conference. The Panthers reeled off eleven wins in twelve games, dismantling Toronto and handing Carolina their customary Conference Finals sweep.
They left a trail of broken franchises, befuddled coaches, and rubber rats in their wake.
“We didn’t lose four games. We got beat but…we were right there.”
Rod Brind'Amour doesn't see the ECF as a true "sweep" 👀 pic.twitter.com/pU4yC52pIm
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 25, 2023
The only team left standing in their way were Bruce Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s a cruel twist of fate that the ex-Boston head coach was already back in the Finals after being unceremoniously dumped by the Bruins brass.
Even worse was Vegas carved Florida to pieces in five games, something the Bruins failed to do themselves.
Seeing Cassidy hoist the Stanley Cup was salt in a still-open wound.
Despite all the social media hindsight, Boston had entirely justifiable reasons for letting Cassidy go last summer. There were consistent rumors that he had lost the locker room, substantiated by Bergeron and Krejci opting to return soon after his dismissal.
The Bruins had strong regular seasons under his tenure; they consistently underperformed in the playoffs. Save for 2019, when the East parted like the Red Sea, Cassidy couldn’t guide Boston past the second round.
It was the right decision to let him go, but after how the playoffs went, it’s undeniable that Bruce got the last laugh.
Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
