It plagued the Bruins all year, and was a glaring issue in their ultimate demise as the New York Islanders ended Boston's season with a 6-2 verdict in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Injuries to blueliners proved quite bothersome.
Boston was without defensemen Brandon Carlo and Kevan Millar on Wednesday. Miller had been out since Game 4 of the Bruin's first-round series against the Washington Capitals after taking a high hit in open ice. Carlo, who missed quite a bit of time this season after a regular season hit from Tom Wilson, has been out since hitting his head on the boards after another from Islanders' Cal Clutterbuck in Game 3.
Not that it matters now, but Bruce Cassidy believes they would have made a difference, and was willing to share that Miller at least may have been available for Game 7. You know, if Boston forced another elimination game.
"As for Carlo and Miller, I don't think Brandon would have played Game 7," Cassidy said after the game. "Miller was skating and had an opportunity. We'll never know now so I don't want to speculate or speak for Kevan but he was trending well, that if we're able to get to Game 7 that he had an opportunity to play. Carlo, no."
It is what it is, and we'll never know what could have been had Boston's defense been 100 percent.
