BOSTON — Wednesday night could have gone down as one of the more historic nights in Boston sports history.
When you consider the résumé the city has built over the last 20 years, that’s a pretty insane realization.
But Game 7 between the Bruins and St. Louis Blues was the first time Boston played host to Game 7 of a championship round in 35 years.
However, with the stinker put forth by the Bruins in a 4-1 loss to the Blues, culminating in Bruins fans watching another team celebrate with the Stanley Cup on their ice for the second time in six years, you’d think the Bruins would have been better off playing this one on the road.
But Tuukka Rask and Charlie Coyle both were adamant that they did not think the nerves of a home crowd waiting to erupt weighed on them.
“No. We were pretty excited to play here. It’s Game 7, play at home, I just wish we — I don’t know,” Coyle said. “I wish it was a different result obviously but we can’t draw it up any better than a Game 7 in this building and being the home team, getting that opportunity.”
“You know I think you’re playing in the Stanley Cup, in the playoffs, in the finals and there’s always pressure,” Rask added. “I don’t think it matters to us that we we’re home. It definitely didn’t look like it. We played a good first period, but you know when you’re down 2-0, you try, you try, you try and nothing goes through, then, you know it’s, what can you do? That’s how it goes sometimes. I don’t think it was pressure.”
It’s worth mentioning that Boston won Game 7 at home in the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But the Blues were a notoriously good road team throughout these playoffs, and had played the upsetter in Games 2 and 5 at TD Garden.
They handed Boston the ultimate upset Wednesday night.
