BOSTON -- The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 on Saturday night, and with it clinched the final playoff spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference. Three hours earlier, at Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers finished off a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers game shouldn't have been a concern for Bruins fans; after all, Detroit lost and the Bruins should have clinched third place in the Atlantic Division. All they needed to do was beat Ottawa on Saturday afternoon.
But, the Bruins didn't. Instead, in front of yet another disappointed, frustrated and somewhat hostile crowd at TD Garden, the Bruins grabbed their season by the neck, threw it into the toilet and watched as it flushed away.