Bruce Cassidy gets a little emotional during Bruins tribute video, ovation from Boston crowd
BOSTON -- Monday night was no ordinary night at TD Garden. With the Boston Bruins hosting the Vegas Golden Knights, it was a matchup between the best team in the Eastern Conference (and all of hockey, for that matter) and the best team in the Western Conference.
But that was just a smidgen of the intrigue heading into the tilt. There was also the little matter of Bruce Cassidy making his return to Boston, now as the head coach of Vegas. It was a job that he landed almost instantly after being fired by Boston last June.
Cassidy was dismissed by the Bruins after six successful seasons in Boston, and it wasn't exactly a clean divorce. After the Bruins were ousted in the first-round of the NHL playoffs, Cassidy was told by Bruins GM Don Sweeney that his job was safe. A short time later, he was unemployed.
But there were no hard feelings on Monday night. In the first period, just after the Knights had taken an early 1-0 lead, the Bruins played a video tribute for Cassidy. The Boston crowd then serenaded him with a loud ovation.
Cassidy thanked the fans with a wave, as he fought back tears from the Vegas bench.
"That's something I'll get choked up about, obviously, probably in about three seconds," Cassidy said after Vegas' 4-3 shootout win. "I appreciate it. It's that simple. I appreciate it."
Reilly Smith, another former Bruin who now represents Vegas (and scored the game-winner in the shootout), offered Cassidy a towel from the Vegas bench.
"You don't know how it's gonna be. I don't know what the reaction's gonna be," Cassidy said. "So it was a really nice gesture by the Bruins organization and I appreciate it. I've said it all along: I have a tremendous amount of respect for them and I'm thankful they did it."
Cassidy said he enjoyed a quiet few days in Boston ahead of his return to TD Garden. He had dinner at Ray Bourque's restaurant on Sunday, and enjoyed a nice walk around the city.
But this was a business trip for Cassidy, and his focus was on getting a win Monday night. The Knights did just that, snapping Boston's 14-game home winning streak to start the season. Cassidy said that streak wasn't on his mind ahead of the game, but he had a little fun with it after the Vegas victory.
"Now that you brought it up…," he joked. "I'm used to hearing 'Dirty Water' at the end of the games, so I'm glad I didn't hear it tonight. The streak is really irrelevant to me. It's just nice to come in and play well."
After the game, Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron had an extended chat with his former coach outside the visitors' dressing room.
"We were just sharing some thoughts on each other and our time together. It means a lot to me," Cassidy said. "I have a tremendous amount of respect for pretty much every guy in that locker room. They played hard. Every player in there worked hard to get better and I have a lot of respect for everyone."
His first return to Boston is over, but Cassidy will see the Bruins again soon enough. Boston will be in Vegas on Sunday night, which will conclude the regular season series between the two teams.
It's a shame the two teams will only meet twice, since Monday night featured a furious comeback by the Bruins after they fell into a 3-0 hole. But maybe there are more trips to Boston in Cassidy's future, when the temperature will be much, much warmer.
"I would like to be here in the spring," Cassidy said when asked about a potential Bruins-Knights Stanley Cup bout. "Wouldn't that be nice, eh? Two good hockey teams that are trending that way. A lot's gonna happen between now and then, I'm sure."