Let's be honest: the Bruins should've beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs this season. They didn't. They didn't do their job. No excuses. Not good. OK.
Well, in their defense (and yes, here comes the excuse) they were seriously beat up. How could you expect the Bruins to do well in this series considering how banged up they were? What are these guys supposed to be like Superman or something? Unbelievable. Way too much pressure on 'em. How about we take a look at some of the injuries they were dealing with during this series:
David Backes -- Got a concussion in the second period of Game 5 vs Tampa.
Noel Acciari -- The guy was playing with a sports hernia for most of the year. The Patriot Ledger said it was from November onward and he's getting surgery this offseason to fix it.
Patrice Bergeron -- Concussion. Cold. Groin injury. It's a miracle he could skate, essentially.
Brad Marchand -- Also had a groin injury.
Brandon Carlo -- The defenseman did not compete in the playoffs because he fractured his left ankle.
Riley Nash -- Was coming off a concussion when he played in the playoffs. At the same time, he was dealing with a hip injury.
Jake DeBrusk -- Sprained his AC joint in the first game against the Maple Leafs and missed time because of it.
Zdeno Chara -- The Athletic said he had a left shoulder injury and fractured his right index finger in game 2 against the Maple Leafs.
You see, so while it would have been nice for the Bruins to have made it a little further in their playoff quest, there's some pretty good reasons why they didn't. Just imagine what these guys could do when they're healthy next year. It should be quite the season to say the least.