Steven Stamkos of the Lightning and Jake DeBrusk of the Bruins fight for the puck during Game 5. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- When the playoffs began, no one would've envisioned the Celtics advancing deeper in the playoffs than the Bruins.
But, that's why games aren't played on paper.
C's are a win away from the East finals, while Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, and the rest of the B's got licked in a five-game second-round loss to the Lightning.
"Disappointing," Bergeron said. "We could've done a lot more, obviously. We believed that we had a better team."
"It's disappointing that the run ended so quick," Rask said. "At the end of the day, they were so much better five-on-five."
That was a big part of it. Bruins didn't score a five-on-five goal after Game 2, and they didn't get one from a forward after Game 1.
They were exposed. Bolts were deeper, faster, and just better. That's why they were favored to win.
But, don't go crazy demanding trades or ignoring what Boston accomplished.
Fifty wins, 112 points, and a trip to the second-round. Entering the season, those feats wouldn't have seemed realistic.
Sure, the B's still need a top-four defenseman and a more reliable power forward than Rick Nash, but this young team gained great experience, developed significantly, and is well-built for sustained success in the future.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports