The Boston Bruins lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last year and returned this (abbreviated) regular season to post the best record in the league. They were very much a title contender, a mostly veteran group with everything to play for.
Yet on Saturday, just two hours before Game 3 of an opening-round series with Carolina, their starting goalie, Tuukka Rask, announced he was leaving the team and the league’s Toronto-based bubble anyway.
Just like that, Boston’s Cup chances took a massive hit because of the mental and emotional challenges unique to trying to play an entire playoff while quarantined and away from home and family.