The Boston Bruins continued a disturbing trend that's emerged in recent seasons, and that is their inability to win at home in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Following Sunday's 6-1 drubbing from the Buffalo Sabres, it handed the Bruins their fifth consecutive loss at home in the playoffs.
It dropped their overall record on home ice to 2-10 in their last 12 playoff games, and overall 3-10 since the 2023 playoffs began.
It doesn't need saying that the 2023 Bruins are wildly different from the 2026 Bruins, but the fact that this trend has carried over through three different playoff runs.
During this recent five-game losing streak, the Bruins have been outscored 20-7 on their own ice. That’s an average of 4 goals against per game, to just over 1 goal for per game.
Any way you slice it, it's an incredibly ugly picture.
The highlight during this ugly run of form is obviously the 2024 Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with a 5-1 Game 1 victory over Toronto.
Those are the two most recent home victories for these Bruins.
Before that, the Bruins had lost three consecutive games to the Florida Panthers in Games 2, 5, and 7 in the shocking 2023 first-round upset.
It's baffling. This year, the Bruins went 29-11-1 on home ice, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for the most-wins on home ice in the regular season.
In 2024, the Bruins went 24-11-6 on home ice, another shining record and example of how hard it was to play in TD Garden.
In 2023, the 65-win Bruins went 34-4-3 on home ice before dropping three straight home games to a shocking first-round elimination.
It's a logic-defying, brain-melting trend that's only continued to get worse.
The 2023 team was led by leaders such as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, both of whom retired after the loss.
The 2024 saw Brad Marchand wear the 'C,' before he was dealt at the 2025 Trade Deadline.
This year's Bruins has no captain, but 'A's are worn by David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Hampus Lindholm, all of whom participated in the 2023 and 2024 playoff runs.
If the Bruins win Game 5 in Buffalo, they'll get a chance to exercise some demons and win a home playoff game for the first time in six tries.
If not, this poor form will stretch into the next postseason run, one likely being led by the same leadership group.
It's the biggest thing that's held back the Bruins over numerous recent playoff appearances, a haunting figure that needs to be dealt with.