Entering Sunday’s season finale with the Florida Panthers, the Bruins had the opportunity they wanted in their hands. A win on Sunday would earn the Bruins the top seed in the Atlantic Division, as well as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
But the Bruins came out and played well for just 15 minutes, looking like a team that had zero interest in the conference’s top seed.
Instead of a first-round matchup with the wild card New Jersey Devils, the Bruins will host the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night as they kick off the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.