BOSTON – It was another nightmare for the Boston Bruins.
Not only did they lose to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 Thursday night at TD Garden, but it was also a few former Bruins who hammered the nail into Boston’s coffin. Ryan Donato registered his first 30-goal season, Nick Foligno scored twice and Tyler Bertuzzi added a goal en route to victory. Patrick Maroon was the only former Bruin not on the scoresheet for the Blackhawks.
“If we got (Maroon) in there we would have had the whole Bruin trifecta,” Foligno said with a laugh. “Yeah, it’s nice. We all have great memories here. I cherish my time in Boston. There are special people in that room, a special group of guys I got to play with, and my only regret is probably not getting the job done (in 2022-23).”
Foligno was one of the leaders on the Bruins during that historic regular-season run that season, only to see it go to waste with a first-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers. This is his second season with the Blackhawks and there’s a reason he’s wearing the ‘C’ on his sweater. It’s strange for the veteran forward, however, playing for a pair of Original Six teams that the organizations are in disarray and almost unrecognizable
“I’m sure people would say that about our team, too,” he said. “It’s the reality of when you’re not where you want to be as an organization, trying to find pieces and futures, and I’m sure (Boston) is going through it, too, which is unchartered territory for that organization, but they have good people leading the way though.”
Foligno and Bruins’ David Pastrnak become close friends while they were teammates in Boston. In fact, they spent some time together Wednesday night.
“We were neighbors when he played in Boston, so we obviously became really close,” admitted Pastrnak. “We talk a lot and we all know what kind of leader he is, and he’s been doing it for many years, and not just in Chicago but going back to Columbus and even here. He’s definitely a guy you can learn from a lot and he has so many experiences and always something to give.”
