A year ago, Tyler Bertuzzi was part of the heartache.
The forward, who the Bruins had acquired from Detroit was relishing playing in the playoffs for the first time and was hoping for a deep run. He thrived in his playoff debut and was tied with Brad Marchand for the team’s postseason scoring lead.
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And like the rest of his short-time teammates, he was stunned to see it end so quickly when the Bruins lost to Florida in the first round.
Bertuzzi and the Bruins were both interested in a potential new contract, but Bertuzzi’s postseason for Boston combined with the Bruins’ salary cap issues made it untenable. Bertuzzi instead signed with Toronto and now is hoping to send Boston to its season straight devastating early playoff exit.
He and the Maple Leafs struggled against the Bruins in the 2023-24 season. Toronto was 0-2-2 vs. Boston and Bertuzzi didn’t register a point.
“We know what they’re about. We played them multiple times this year. We’re excited to get going,” he said. “They play good as a team. Good goaltending. They have some top players who can score goals. We’re excited to shut ‘em down.”
While he hoped to shut down the Bruins forwards, Bertuzzi hoped to shut up the Boston fans in Games 1 and 2.
“They have great fans. very passionate about their sports,” he said. “We have to keep them a little quiet.”
