Last season Boston swept Carolina in the Eastern Conference final, but the two teams are riding different momentum entering this playoff series.

Boston went 0-3 in the seeding games after entering the NHL bubble with the league’s best record.

The Bruins can now finish no higher than the third seed after losing to the Lightning, 3-2.

The Bruins look to shake off the rust and deal with challenging ice conditions after scoring just two goals in their last two games.

Boston goalie Tuukka Rask did not test positive for COVID-19, but reported a cough and the protocol kicked into gear, forcing him to miss Sunday’s 4-1 loss to Philadelphia.

Boston, which had the NHL’s best record before the coronavirus shutdown, loses 4-1 to the Flyers its first seeding game leading into the playoffs.

Boston is the first NHL team to announce its intentions to highlight racial injustice as part of what players said is ‘a sign of solidarity with the Black community.’

When the season resumes, contenders will face a challenge they’ve never seen before.