Bruins’ Brandon Carlo Details Unforgettable 24-Hour Experience
After an exhilarating Game 7 overtime win, you typically need some time to unwind, but for Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, Saturday night’s thriller was just the beginning.
On Saturday night, Carlo logged 21 minutes of ice time, blocked three shots and doled out three hits to help Boston beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in the winner-take-all showdown of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
What followed was a whirlwind high on stress, anxiety and joy that was short on sleep for Carlo.
By late Monday night, the Carlo family had welcomed a new baby boy to the world, and the Bruins blueliner was making a “SportsCenter” appearance after playing a starring role in a Game 1 win over the Florida Panthers.
“After Game 7, I was talking to (head athletic trainer Dustin Stuck), and he was in communication with my wife and she had gone to the hospital to get the process going with the baby,” Carlo explained in a postgame press conference following Boston’s 5-1 win over Florida.
“I met her over there, took the day, and nothing really transpired and then throughout the day, we ended up going through the whole process.”
That process was a lengthy one, too, with everyone involved doing all they could to get the show on the road as fast as possible.
“We sped it up as fast as we could,” Carlo explained. “We were flipping her around, putting her upside down, whatever we could do to get that baby out of there.”
As Sunday became Monday, the Carlos were able to get a little bit of shut-eye before it was showtime.
“We finally fell asleep for, like, an hour,” the D-man said. “The doctor came in and said, all right, let’s get this process going.”
About a half-hour later, at around 3 a.m. ET on Monday morning, Crew Carlo was born.
“To see his face and just have a healthy wife and healthy baby, I couldn’t have been more happy,” Carlo said.
But that was only the beginning. Or the midway point, at least. After spending some time with mother and child, Carlo knew was ready to make the trek South to Sunrise, Fla. With support from the Bruins’ front office and ownership, Carlo was able to board a plane around 2 p.m. Monday afternoon for the roughly three-and-a-half-hour flight that offered some much-needed time for a gameday tradition.
“I kind of got my best amount of sleep on the plane ride down here. Thankful for the pregame nap,” Carlo said.
Carlo made it to Amerant Bank Arena with some time to spare, He went right to work preparing for the second-round opener against the Atlantic Division champs.
“When you have incredible experiences in life, like the birth of a child, it’s amazing the energy it gives you,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said after the game. “That’s why I knew when he got here, we were going to put him in the lineup.”
At that point, not even a Bruins loss would have been too much of a damper on the day for Carlo. Instead, Boston’s 5-1 rout — in which Carlo scored his fourth career playoff goal — was a great apper to an incredible day. David Pastrnak quickly secured the puck for Carlo, the perfect momento from what had to have been the craziest day of his life.
“That would be pretty special to have,” Carlo said.
“I don’t score very often, so very cool experience for me and there was a part there by God, so very thankful.”