The Boston Bruins lost their series to the Tampa Bay Lightning after a 3-2 defeat in double overtime on Monday, and forward David Krejci took the loss to heart, knowing the end of an era could be near.
"It just hit me after the game," an emotional Krejci said with his head bowed down, according to the Boston Globe's Matt Porter. "... The core group, we have one or two or three years left."
"It's just kind of a little sad (right) now," he added.
Krejci is 34 years old and scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after next season. Fellow forwards Patrice Bergeron (35) and Brad Marchand (32) are also aging.
"You never know how many opportunities you'll have to win a Cup," Marchand said.
Boston's blue line might look much different as early as next season. Torey Krug is a pending unrestricted free agent. As is Zdeno Chara, who could retire at 43 years old.
"I haven't made that decision," Chara said. "I just finished the game. I'm going to be open-minded."
Krejci, Bergeron, Marchand, and Chara were all members of the Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup-winning team, and the 2013 and 2019 squads that lost in the finals.
However, there's still plenty of youth on Boston's roster. The best years are likely ahead for Charlie McAvoy (22), Brandon Carlo (23), Jake DeBrusk (23), and David Pastrnak (24).
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