The Bruins' historic season came to an abrupt end when Boston was defeated by the Florida Panthers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the players have answered a lot of questions surrounding their premature exit.
Not being able to articulate how they're feeling about the elimination is something across the board for the majority of the players, including Brandon Carlo.
"I think you see it with everybody in the room, you know, guys are asking each other what are you going to do? And none of us were even planning on being in this situation. So we all have no plans. So yeah, I feel lost right now," Carlo said during Tuesday's exit interview day at Warrior Ice Arena. "I've just been trying to do stuff around the house to keep my mind off of it. And it's unfortunate, but there will be a phase where we kind of take a step forward and look at this from a learning experience. But I think it's good to feel this thing for a little while and not wallow in it for too long, but you got to feel it."
The 26-year-old defenseman has expressed the need for self-awareness when it comes to mental health issues across the National Hockey League.
"I think for myself, just over the course of the last year, I really focused a lot on just the mental side of things," the seventh-year pro explained. "I think that's a conversation that's kind of out there now with mental health and whatnot. And there were times when I was pretty anxious for games and whatnot, and I wanted to change that. So I knew just being as competent as I could be with lead to putting in the work. So yeah, I feel like for me just taking steps mentally was a big part of that this year for sure."
Despite the heartbreaking ending for the Bruins, Carlo didn't want to feel ashamed of what he did or didn't do on the ice during the best-of-seven series.
"I don't ever want to look at situations with regret," Carlo said. "Each day of the series, I woke up, and I did my best, so that's all I can do. And from a team standpoint, I trust that everybody in this room is going to continue to do the same thing. So obviously there were moments where our best wasn't good enough, and that's unfortunate. But no, I'll never say that I have regrets, especially with this room."
With Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci contemplating their futures with the team, Carlo like many other members of the Bruins organization understands the void that would be left without them.
"Just from not only on the ice, but off the ice, the friendship level that we have with both of those guys. I love just being around them every day," Carlo said. "Bergy obviously has held this room together like the glue for a long time and taking care of a lot of us mentally and then Krejci as well. I've never had anybody with as much humor as him so if that is missed, it will definitely be a big hole within this room. But it's our responsibility to pick up the pieces."
Fellow defenseman Charlie McAvoy is just a year younger than Carlo, but the alternate captain stepped up this year along with forward David Pastrnak as leaders on and off the ice.
"It's been great to see you know. He's stepped up from the very beginning, from the first playoffs that he was in for his first couple of games. He has been great for the fabric of this team and the leadership aspect as well," Carlo said of McAvoy. "I really noticed throughout different parts of this series even throughout this year with him and Pasta, be more vocal in the room. I was really proud of them in the way that they took steps in that regard. And I think that they're just going to continue to be like I said, parts of the big pieces of fabric with this organization going forward."
The Colorado native said one thing people should remember is in the playoffs nothing is given to you and it's hard hockey no matter what team you are playing. And the goal for the Bruins is to learn from the experience and not let it happen again.
