Boston Bruins Legend Bobby Orr Sadly Kicks The Buck @76 The centennial season of the Boston Bruins has come and gone. It was a happy time, with era nights honoring the team’s past. One of the best ones was when the 2011 Stanley Cup winners were in the building, taking fans on a pleasant trip down memory lane.

But that was the ride, and the season is over; even though the Bruins made a valiant effort in Game 5 to force a Game 6, the Bruins were ultimately eliminated in heartbreaking fashion thanks to the late heroics of Gustav Forsling. Nevertheless, this season was anything but a letdown and shouldn’t be viewed as such.

The Bruins surrendered a valuable player in Taylor Hall in exchange for cornerstone players Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, who both retired. That kind of vital piece loss is difficult to recover from, but in the end, the Bruins won. What appeared to be a year of bridge became much more than that.

Don Sweeney, the general manager, signed a number of players on a smaller budget, including Danton Heinen, James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, and Kevin Shattenkirk. Most of those men had a significant impact on the Bruins’ excellent season, as they finished with 109 points to place second in the Atlantic Division. Still, a vital offseason lies ahead.

The Bruins surrendered a valuable player in Taylor Hall in exchange for cornerstone players Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, who both retired. That kind of vital piece loss is difficult to recover from, but in the end, the Bruins won. What appeared to be a year of bridge became much more than that.

Don Sweeney, the general manager, signed a number of players on a smaller budget, including Danton Heinen, James van Riemsdyk, Morgan Geekie, and Kevin Shattenkirk. Most of those men had a significant impact on the Bruins’ excellent season, as they finished with 109 points to place second in the Atlantic Division. Still, a vital offseason lies ahead.