Manager Alex Cora was well aware that the Red Sox were far from the only sports show in the city of Boston on Sunday.
And while the Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 7-1, at Fenway Park, Cora understood many were waiting with great anticipation for the 6:30 p.m. ET puck drop at TD Garden between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers in Game 7 of their first-round series in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
With the Bruins’ season on the line, Cora had a message for the team and their fans.
“Enjoy the game. No panic,” Cora told reporters following the win over the Guardians, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith.
Cora knows the pressure of postseason play since taking over at the helm of the Red Sox, but a Game 7 since taking on that role is foreign to him. When Boston rolled to a World Series title in 2018 under Cora, the Red Sox never even made it to six games in a series.
Regardless, Cora’s message lines up with what Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery will want from his team, hoping they play loose and free in the tension-filled environment.
And only time will tell if the Bruins can actually carry out that mission and not let any Game 7 jitters get to them.
