A lot can and has changed over the course of the last 448 days, but the energy and excitement Boston Bruins fans have for their team certainly hasn't waned. We'll be reminded of that Saturday night.
The Bruins will begin the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Saturday when they host the New York Islanders in Game 1 of their second-round series. They will do so in front of a "near full capacity" crowd, marking the first time since March 7, 2020, the B's have played in front of a packed house at TD Garden.
Obviously, it's not the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that fans have passed through the Garden turnstiles. Crowds of 12 percent and then 25 percent were eventually let in, and as all restrictions are eased this weekend, the barn will be rocking for the first time in 64 weeks.
"It's been a long time, so you kind of forget what it was like. I thought it was getting loud with 25 percent capacity against the Caps, I can only imagine what it will be with a full house," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday."
The NHL immediately paused its season more than a year ago, as the COVID pandemic infiltrated North America. Eventually, the season was finished late last summer in empty arenas in Toronto and Edmonton. Then this season started largely with empty or mostly empty arenas, too.
"I think from the bubble to the start of this season, you adapt and you adjust to not having fans," B's captain Patrice Bergeron said Friday. "In a way, you almost forget how special it is to have them."
It's unlikely to take very long for them to be reminded Saturday night. In fact, that feeling might be so foreign, it might take some reacclimation.
"It probably will be a little bit shocking at first," Cassidy said. "We've just been so used to quietness throughout the game. It will be a good thing for everybody in any arena. I think for both teams. Crowds obviously are there for the home team, but I think they can also get the visiting team into it, too."
There's also the danger of it being almost too advantageous for the home team, in this case, the Bruins. Even without the crowd, a series-opening game under the bright lights of primetime would cause emotions to run high. Throw in more than 10,000 fans looking to scream and shout into something other than a pillow for the first time in a year, and you might get too amped up.
"The impact they have on the game, the energy they bring that we feed off of is amazing. Having close to a packed Garden will be special. You don't want to get too high and waste your energy," Bergeron explained. "That being said, you have to soak it in, stay in the moment and worry about your games.
"Sometimes, it does make a difference in energy, and you try to get a lift out of that crowd going wild."
This evenly matched series will be a tough one to predict, but it's safe to say that prediction -- that the crowd will be going wild -- is a pretty sure bet.
