The Boston Bruins vs. Carolina Hurricanes couldn’t have ended more dramatically if you had written the script. With less than half a minute left on the clock and Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov in possession of the puck, everyone, including former Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, thought the game was heading to overtime.

Disaster struck when the defenseman attempted to clear the puck with 25 seconds left in the third period!

While trying to hit the puck past Seth Jarvis, Zadorov’s stick split in two. Yes, you heard that right. The defenseman’s hockey stick broke at the worst time possible. Jarvis reacted immediately, intercepting the puck as it limped across the ice and scoring the game-winning goal. During a post-game interview, Bruins Coach Joe Sacco broke his silence on the bizarre blunder.

“We’re disappointed, obviously,” stated Coach Sacco. It was the feeling everyone shared. Yet, disappointment followed shock and disbelief. Patrice Bergeron was among those who went into denial, “No! That did not just happen,” as he watched it happen on the screen. Fellow former Bruin Andrew Raycroft had a similar reaction. For the Boston Bruins coach, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

“The ending, right now, it’s stinks because of what happened there. The course of events there, with the broken stick. It’s just… It’s unfortunate,” is all Joe Sacco could say. “That’s the way it goes,” the coach added in a tone of helplessness. What else can you do when the seemingly divine intervention from the hockey gods goes your opponent’s way?

Helpless is also something Nikita Zadorov may have felt as he dashed across the net, hoping to put his body in the way of Seth Jarvis’s shot. However, the Hurricanes forward didn’t miss, blowing past Zadorov and goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, this was more than just any other unfortunate loss.

Have the Boston Bruins lost their chance?

When the stick broke, followed by the last-second goal, the Bruins felt the impact of losing a precious point. Even if they lost during overtime, the Eastern conference team could’ve earned a point, keeping their slim chance of making the playoffs alive. However, the 3-2 loss to the Canes marked their third in a row.

Now, Moneypuck.com puts their chances of qualifying below 5%. So, several things need to go the Boston Bruins’ way, perhaps far more than realistically possible. Even in late February, the team had a 15%+ chance of making the playoffs, as per Moneypuck.

Unfortunately, the Bruins may have lost too many games to recoup now. Without further ado, they’ve started rebooting.

Instead of trying to salvage whatever is left of this season, the Bruins have already started trading players. Trent Frederic and Max Jones were the first to get traded. Forward Justin Brazeau followed, just hours after the Bruins’ shocking loss to the Canes.

With just hours left until the trade window closes, Boston may try to surprise the NHL by trading Brad Marchand as well. Either way, a big change is coming to the Boston Bruins’ roster, and this loss may have just accelerated that change.