Bruins
“To see his face and then have a healthy wife and baby. I couldn’t be happier.”
Brandon Carlo scored a goal on the same day his son Crew was born. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee
SUNRISE, Fla. — As soon as Brandon Carlo’s wrist shot from the right circle hit the crossbar and dove behind Sergei Bobrovsky, David Pastrnak made sure to catch the puck to keep it safe.
Certainly, it’s not often that a stay-at-home defender like Carlo lights the lamp.
But Monday’s goal meant much more to Carlo than just another etch on the stat sheet. In the Carlo household, this will be a treasured heirloom for Crew Corbett Carlo – Brandon’s second child and first son, born around 3 a.m. earlier that morning.
“Definitely 24 hours that I won’t forget,” Carlo — tired after little sleep and 18:40 of ice time against the Panthers — said after Boston’s 5-1 Game 1 victory.
Carlo’s total and Boston’s convincing series-opening victory over Florida at Amerant Bank Arena emphatically marked an eventful two days for Carlo and his wife, Mayson.
As Carlo and his teammates celebrated a dramatic overtime triumph against the Maple Leafs on Saturday night, the 27-year-old defenseman received the news. His wife was in the hospital and their son was on the way.
As his teammates quickly drove to South Florida on Sunday afternoon, Carlo stayed with his wife at the hospital and waited out the end. The weather wasn’t exactly on Carlo’s side, especially with the first game against Florida scheduled for Monday night at 8 p.m.
“We accelerated the process as quickly as possible. We were turning her over, putting her inside out – whatever we could do to get this baby out of there,” Carlo said of the prolonged wait at the hospital. “So yeah, it was great.
“Last night we finally fell asleep for about an hour, the doctor came in and said, ‘Alright, let’s start this process.’ » He came out about 30 minutes later. Seeing his face and then having a healthy wife and baby. I couldn’t be happier. …I’m so grateful, so proud of my wife too.
Carlo’s next task was to travel to Florida to join his teammates. He stayed all morning with Mayson, Crew and his daughter, Wren, but then took a flight around 2 p.m. Monday.
After getting what little sleep he could on the plane, Carlo joined his teammates at Amerant Bank Arena just hours before the puck was dropped.
Even with his busy schedule and little rest, Jim Montgomery knew Carlo was going to be a key part of the lineup for Game 1.
“He goes through the whole process and sleeps very little. And when you have incredible experiences in life, like the birth of a child, it’s incredible: the energy it gives you,” Montgomery noted. “That’s why when he got here we were going to put him in the lineup.
“Because I mean, when my children were born, I don’t think so – it’s like winning a championship, you get such adrenaline that you can’t believe it for three days. And when that adrenaline stops, you crash.
Carlo rewarded Montgomery’s faith in him with another strong playoff performance. In his 18:40 of ice time, Carlo notched six hits, blocked three shots, logged 3:42 of shorthanded reps on a penalty kill that went a perfect 3 for 3 in the evening – and, of course, buried that second. -period account.
“I don’t celebrate often, but I put my hand up with that one,” goalie Jeremy Swayman said of Carlo’s goal. “It’s so incredible what he did today. Just the attitude he brought, he was so excited. I can only imagine what it’s like to leave your little one and your wife at home right after.
“And Mayson is a big part of this team as well, because of that, allowing him to come and be here and support him. And it’s probably one of the most memorable moments I’ll have with this playoff series, without a doubt.
Carlo will have time to reunite with his now extended family (along with some much-needed sleep) on Tuesday during Boston’s off-ice day. It was a long day for the Bruins defenseman, one he wouldn’t trade for anything.
” I do not know why. But I always turn around on the bench and look at all the boys’ faces and it always excites me so much,” Carlo said of his reaction after scoring his goal. “Because like I said, I’m not the type to score very often. So just the faces of happiness when the guys support me like that – it means so much. I feel so lucky to be a part of this group.
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