The day hockey died for me

The date was April 19, 2004.

That was the day when, for the second time in three years, the Boston Bruins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs despite being a higher seed. Two years earlier, when the Bruins were the top seed in the Eastern Conference, they fell in six games to the eight-seeded Canadiens.

Swearing I was giving up hockey for good on that day, I gave Boston another shot in 2004, when it was the No. 2 and facing No. 7 Montreal. The teams split the first three games, and in Game 7 in Boston, the Bruins mustered no offense against Jose Theodore, the same goalie who stymied them two years earlier. He made all 32 saves in a 2-0 win. Keep in mind that Boston led 3-1 in the series before dropping the final three games.

Sure, the Bruins own a lead that is nearly insurmountable for the Habs. But no matter how far they go this year, I won’t be watching.