There's a chance Sunday night's tilt at TD Garden marks the final NHL game for not one, but two Bruins legends.
Jim Montgomery doesn't want that hypothetical occupying the minds of his Boston players, though.
The futures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci beyond these Stanley Cup playoffs are unknown. Bergeron waited until August to re-up with the Bruins on a one-year contract this past summer, while Krejci chose the same time frame to return to Boston after playing a season with a Czech club. Both players also are in their late 30s, an age not often seen among centers in the league.
As such, it only would be natural for the Bruins to play with added motivation against the Florida Panthers as they try to elongate the latest postseason run for Bergeron and Krejci. Montgomery, however, doesn't believe that mindset would be beneficial to the Black and Gold.
"No, no... if someone's thinking about this is Bergy's last game or this is Krech's last game, their mind is in the future and that's no good for us," Montgomery told reporters Saturday, per the team. "The players just got to dig into what makes them a special Bruin. We'll be fine."
If the Bruins do come out on top in Game 7 of their first-round series, they will see a familiar foe -- the Toronto Maple Leafs -- in the next round. NESN's full coverage of the winner-take-all clash begins at 5:30 p.m. ET.
