The Boston Bruins could not stand their good fortune against the Tampa Bay Lightning last night, blowing three different leads at home of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 in an ultimate 6-3 loss in a game they really had to have to keep a secure spot in the race for the playoffs.
And to make matters worse, they gave up each of those three different leads in the span of less than two minutes. Each time. Which means fans had barely finished applauding the goals the home team scored before the visitors sucked all the air out of the building to tie it.
Let's say you're a kid who just got a cone at the ice cream truck. You're understandably excited about the delicious ice cream you're about to eat, so you spin around kind of fast and the ice cream falls right out of the cone. Plop onto the ground. The ice cream truck guy sees this and says "Hey, tough break kid, but you know what, I'm feeling generous today. Here's a new cone for ya. On the house."
"Gee, thanks, mister!" Then you notice your shoe's untied and you lean down too fast to lace it up and sure enough, plop, there goes that ice cream again, right out of the cone. Ice cream guy actually chuckles at this and says "Wow, not your day, kid. But hey, things like this happen. Here's one more cone. Gratis. Go enjoy your day."
You can hardly believe your luck, a new cone has appeared in your hand, free of charge, but, oops, here comes the neighbor walking their new puppy down the street, and that doggie is so cute you just gotta pet him, forgetting that the ice cream cone you've had refilled for a third time is right in that puppy's face and yep, gobble gobble, next thing you know your cone is sans ice cream again. Now I don't care how nice a fella ice cream truck guy is, at this point... you're not getting another cone. No cone for you. And that, ladies and gents, is where the Boston Bruins are after blowing three different leads, losing their fourth straight game, letting a team just behind them in the standings get closer to passing them, and writing the same sad script of playing the worst brand of hockey you can down the stretch of the season en route to missing the playoffs for a third straight year. Nikita Kucherov had a hat trick for Tampa Bay, buy the way, that's three goals, and he gets to keep his ice cream cone.
What else happened in the NHL last night? Oh, look at that! The Toronto Maple Leafs won again, beating the New Jersey Devils 4-2, so now they've opened up a three point lead over Boston for third place in the Atlantic and are waving bye bye to the Bruins like they're on the upper deck of a cruise ship.
Next up for the Bruins is a date in Brooklyn with the NY Islanders, who are just a game behind Boston for the last wild card berth but won't be after they beat them on Saturday. But you know what? With just eight games left in their season, this will all be over soon and I can look forward to spending my summer worrying about David Price's elbow.
Do I take any pleasure in reporting that the Montreal Canadiens lost 4-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes last night? No, I don't, as the Habs are still in first place in the Atlantic, albeit only one point in front of the Ottawa Senators.
In men's college hockey back in the Frozen Four for the 12th time in program history, the Norwich University Cadets look to win another Div. 3 crown, but first they'll have to get by Adrian college in the semi-final tonight in Utica, New York. Game time is 6:30 for the number one ranked Norwich team.
The playoff line up is set after completion of round robin play in the Womens' World Curling championships taking place in Beijing. Scotland has booked a spot in the playoffs after defeating the Czech Republic yesterday, Russia is in, as is Sweden, and team Canada, which has so far not lost a single match.
