The Boston Bruins arrived in Ohio on Monday. They’re set to resume their series with the Blue Jackets on Tuesday in Game 3 with Game 4 coming 48 hours.
The Bruins would like nothing more than to reclaim home ice advantage in enemy territory. But this two-game trip is more than a pair of hockey games for one of Boston’s bottom-six cogs.
Third-year forward Sean Kuraly isn’t a stranger to returning to his Ohio roots. He skated in two regular-season tilts inside Nationwide Arena during his Boston tenure. But this homecoming is a little different with a trip to the Eastern Conference finals on the line.
Kuraly grew up in Dublin, a Columbus suburb located about 20 minutes northwest of Ohio’s capital city. He attended many Blue Jackets games as a kid, but now has his sights on taking down his favorite childhood team.
“I think it will be fun. But we’re treating it like it’s an important playoff game,” Kuraly said following Monday’s practice at Warrior Ice Arena. “I had a lot of friends and family that were there during the regular season and I kind of got that [return] out of the way. Now it’s all business.”
The 26-year-old had Ohio hockey running through his veins at an early age. Kuraly captained the Tier 1 Ohio AAA Blue Jackets and later played his four collegiate seasons at Miami University in Oxford.
Kuraly sparked Boston’s offense since return from a hand injury in the Maple Leafs series. They’ll need him again come Tuesday as the Bruins look to take down the Blue Jackets. He’s embracing the chance to play in front of the raucous Columbus crowd — for its first second-round appearance in its nearly 20-year history — and that notorious cannon.
“They’ve got a great fanbase and they’re excited, as they should be. And we’re looking forward to playing in that atmosphere,” Kuraly said. “The cool thing is that both teams get to play in it and feed off the energy. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we’re looking forward to it.”
Kuraly made the transition from Ohio to Massachusetts. But some of his friends remain loyal to the hometown Blue Jackets. He’ll have several friends and family members in attendance for Game 3. But questions surrounding their allegiances remain.
“Yeah, they’re Bruins fans right now, but some of my friends…I don’t know if they made the jump, but they’ll be hearing about that this summer.” Kuraly said. “That’s for another day.”
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