One thing the Bruins have on their side going into Sunday night's game at TD Garden is experience.
A Stanley Cup playoffs first-round Game 7 isn't anything new to Boston's long-running core. In each of Boston's last three trips to the Stanley Cup Final, the long postseason journey began with an opening-round battle that went the distance. Two of those memorable Game 7s were decided in overtime, an indication that a drawn-out, hard-fought series can go a long way in preparing a club for the rigors that come with a championship chase.
A few of Boston's longest-tenured players, as well as a relative newcomer, looked back on past early-round grinds as the Presidents' Trophy winners prepared for their winner-take-all tilt with the Florida Panthers.
"The first round is hard," head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters Sunday morning, per a team-provided video. "They talked about the 2011 Stanley Cup team. Down 2-0, go up 3-2, lose Game 6, win Game 7 in overtime, go on to win the Cup. And (Dmitry) Orlov had a similar story. They (2017-18 Washington Capitals) were down 2-0 and then they were down 3-1, I think, to Pittsburgh -- came back and won in seven in the second round. It's not easy to win the Cup."
Of course, the Bruins on Sunday night won't be thinking about the Cup or even their potential next opponent, the Toronto Maple Leafs. As Patrice Bergeron explained Saturday, Boston will be fixated on staying present throughout its first-round series finale.
