A dreadful weekend in Boston sports has mercifully come to an end.
For the first time in 10 years, neither the Bruins nor Celtics advanced to the second round of the playoffs.
The last time it happened was in 2016, when the Bruins failed to qualify for the playoffs after a 6-1 loss to the Senators in their regular-season finale on April 9, and the Celtics were ousted in six games by the Atlanta Hawks on April 28.
The Bruins were eliminated at home Friday night by the Buffalo Sabres in a result that felt all too predictable. They dropped all three home games in the six-game series and have now gone just 3-11 in their last 14 playoff games at TD Garden, a slide that dates back to 2023.
WEEI’s Scott McLaughlin summed up their series loss with one very depressing stat.
FINAL: Sabres 4, Bruins 1
Buffalo wins the series 4-2. The Bruins scored one goal in regulation in each of the final four games of the series.
— Scott McLaughlin (@smclaughlin9) May 2, 2026
While the Bruins exceeded expectations this season and returned to the playoffs after missing out a year ago, it still ended in familiar disappointment for a fan base that has seen this story play out too often.
Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2011, the Bruins have been eliminated on home ice in 10 of their last 12 playoff appearances, a pattern that has become all too familiar for their fans.
Boston’s roster is filled with promising young talent, and rookie head coach Marco Sturm guided a team widely expected to finish near the bottom of the standings into a playoff spot. There are plenty of reasons for Bruins fans to feel optimistic about the future of the Black and Gold, but that optimism will have to wait. For now, they’re left watching the rest of the NHL playoffs unfold without their team.
Then came the Celtics.
Just two hours before tip-off, it was announced that they would be without Jayson Tatum for their Game 7 matchup against the 76ers due to left knee stiffness.
Tatum missed 66 games during the regular season while recovering from an Achilles tear last May, but he quickly returned to his superstar level, averaging 21.8 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He carried that production into the playoffs, posting 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and a career-high 6.8 assists per game.
The Celtics held a commanding 3-1 series lead and were up by as many as 13 points in the third quarter of Game 5. From that moment on, however, they were outscored 237-185.
In Game 7, the Celtics’ offensive struggles came into sharp focus. After the score tightened to 99-96, they missed 10 straight shots in the fourth quarter. The game also entered the record books, as they became the first team in NBA history to have three starters finish a playoff game scoreless, with Luka Garza, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr. all failing to score. A team built heavily around the three-point shot connected on just 13-of-49 attempts, good for 27 percent, and never led by more than a single point on Saturday night
The Celtics became just the 14th team in NBA history to lose a series after leading 3-1, and the first in franchise history to do so. It also marked the first time a Philadelphia 76ers team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit.
The Celtics are just two seasons removed from one of the most dominant championship runs in recent NBA history, a postseason in which they lost only three games. But after back-to-back early playoff exits against teams they were favored to beat, questions have started to surface about whether change is necessary.
That could mean adjustments to the coaching staff under Joe Mazzulla, or even major roster moves, including a potential blockbuster pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The NBA offseason rarely lacks drama, and Brad Stevens could be in position to reshape Boston’s roster in a significant way.
If fans were hoping for a silver lining this weekend, they did not find it at Fenway Park.
After opening the series with a 3-1 win on Friday night, the Red Sox went on to drop the next two games against the Astros, falling 6-3 and 3-1.
Promising young pitcher Connelly Early struggled on Saturday, allowing five runs over just four innings, including a towering home run that Boston was unable to overcome. Sunday offered little relief on Lansdowne Street, as the Red Sox dropped an extra-innings contest in which the offense never found its footing. Boston went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base in the loss.
The Red Sox were already dealing with injuries in their starting rotation, with Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray both missing time. That situation worsened on Sunday when Ranger Suarez exited the game against the Astros with hamstring tightness, further thinning an already depleted rotation. The severity of Suarez’s injury remains unclear, but it is a tough break for Boston after he appeared to be settling into a strong rhythm.
The Red Sox are now 13-21 on the season and have one of the least productive offenses in baseball. They rank 28th in OPS at .664 and 29th in slugging percentage at .351, while also sitting tied for second-to-last in home runs with just 22 on the young season. It is an offense that lacks consistent power and has few reliable sources to turn to for it.
If John Henry had been hoping the team’s struggles would go unnoticed this season, he was sorely mistaken. Before Friday night’s game, a plane flew over Fenway Park towing a banner that read, “Fire Craig! Sell the team!”
A plane with a banner that says, “Fire Craig! Sell the team!” is flying over Fenway Park pic.twitter.com/Y1rKoulpB0
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) May 1, 2026
It is another clear indication that fans have grown frustrated with how the organization has been run since its last championship season in 2018. After the dismissal of Alex Cora, interim manager Chad Tracy has gone 3-4, and there has been little evidence of any real momentum shift to turn the team’s season around.
New England’s football team may soon be tasked with lifting the region out of a sluggish start to the month. While Patriots training camp does not begin until July 22, there is a chance the Foxborough faithful will not have to wait that long for headlines involving their team.
All eyes in Boston are now turning to June 2, a date that could potentially set the stage for a long rumored move for Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown, an addition that would offer a welcome spark after an underwhelming spring.
