Left wing Jake DeBrusk, still wearing his pads and skates, sat with his head in his hands.
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy was at a loss for words.
Team captain Zdeno Chara had to blink away the tears.
The mood in the Bruins’ locker room Wednesday night was one of devastation, dejection, and disappointment. Voices quivered, as players did their best to make sense of what had just happened in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“It wasn’t meant to be,’’ McAvoy said softly.
With a chance to hoist the Cup on home ice for the first time since legend Bobby Orr’s iconic game-winning goal, the Bruins didn’t get on the board until there were just two minutes and 10 seconds remaining in the third period.