BOSTON —
The Boston Bruins returned from their Olympic break Thursday, playing their first game back against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Before the game, the team celebrated defenseman Charlie McAvoy and goalie Jeremy Swayman, who helped the U.S. men’s hockey team win gold against Canada.
“It’s starting to sink in now. The reaction that we’ve gotten from the people in the U.S. the second we landed down, and just the outreach of family, it’s a childhood dream come true,” Swayman said. “An unbelievable feeling, incredible feeling that we’ll cherish forever.”
“Honestly, it kind of feels like, I guess, in a way, like a Stanley Cup thing — like, almost like the year should be over now,” McAvoy said. “You had to dial back in and realize that, you know, what this team has done so far this year, this position that we’ve put ourselves in, like what we’ve done, you know, alone, has been really special too.”
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Seven other Bruins who attended the Olympics were also recognized, including General Manager Don Sweeney, who was part of Team Canada’s front office and won silver, as well as defenseman Henri Jokiharju and goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who won bronze with Team Finland.
In the first period, the Blue Jackets took a 1-0, but the Bruins tied the game before the first intermission. Boston went on to win 4-2.
The Bruins have 24 games left in less than two months of the regular season and currently hold the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The team will visit the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday at 3 p.m. The game can be watched live on WMUR-TV.