- Viktor Arvidsson revealed the hit from Mattias Samuelsson left him with a broken rib and punctured lung
- The Bruins winger missed the final two games of Boston’s first-round loss to Buffalo
- Read below for what Arvidsson said about gearing up for a Game 7 return that never came
The Bruins are still digesting their first-round exit, and Viktor Arvidsson just gave them another reason it stings.
Boston’s Swedish winger spoke with reporters Sunday during the team’s end-of-season availability. Arvidsson said the hit he took from Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson early in Game 4 left him with a broken rib and a punctured lung, per Bruins reporter Bridgette Proulx:
He told the room that breathing and moving were both a struggle, and that he was still aiming for a Game 7 return in Buffalo if Boston could force one.
It never came. The Bruins were already down 3-1 in the series after Game 4 and dropped Game 6 at home to bow out.
The check landed 1:44 into the opening period. Samuelsson chased Arvidsson down on a dump-in and finished him hard into the wall. The Boston winger logged 3:13 of ice time and didn’t come back to the bench. Here’s the sequence:
Boston got rolled 6-1 that night and never recovered. Buffalo closed it out in six for its first playoff series win since 2007.
Arvidsson finished the playoffs with two goals in four games. Both came in Boston’s lone win of the series, the 4-2 Game 2 victory at TD Garden.
The 33-year-old had a strong first year in Boston, racking up 25 goals and 29 assists for 54 points in 69 games. The Bruins acquired him from the Oilers on July 1 for a fifth-round pick, and he’s in the final year of a two-year contract that carries a $4 million cap hit.
He wasn’t the only Boston player grinding through something serious. Nikita Zadorov played the series with a torn MCL, while Charlie McAvoy is staring down an in-person hearing for his Game 6 slash on Tyler Benson.
