Bruins
“To see his face and then just have a healthy wife and a healthy baby. I couldn’t be more happy.”
SUNRISE, Fla. — As soon as Brandon Carlo’s wrister from the right circle clanged off the crossbar and dipped behind Sergei Bobrovsky, David Pastrnak made sure to snag the puck for safekeeping.
Granted, it’s not often that a stay-at-home defenseman like Carlo lights the lamp.
But Monday’s goal meant far more to Carlo than just another etch into the stat sheet. In the Carlo household, it’ll be a prized 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 — weary after little sleep and 18:40 of ice time against the Panthers — said after Boston’s 5-1 win in Game 1.
Carlo’s tally and Boston’s convincing series-opening win against Florida at Amerant Bank Arena stood as an emphatic stamp on an eventful couple of days for Carlo and his wife, Mayson.
While Carlo and his teammates celebrated a dramatic Game 7 overtime triumph over the Maple Leafs on Saturday night, the 27-year-old defenseman received the news. His wife was the hospital, and their son was on the way.
As his teammates made the quick turnaround down to South Florida on Sunday afternoon, Carlo remained with his wife at the hospital and waited things out. Time wasn’t exactly on Carlo’s side, especially with Game 1 against Florida penciled in for Monday night at 8 p.m.
“We sped it up as fast as we could. We were flipping her around, putting her upside down — whatever we could do to get that baby out of there,” Carlo said of the extended wait at the hospital. “So yeah, it was great.
“Last night, we finally fell asleep for like an hour, the doctor came in and said, ‘Alright, let’s get this process going.’ He popped out about 30 minutes later. To see his face and then just have a healthy wife and a healthy baby. I couldn’t be more happy. … So thankful, so proud of my wife as well.”
The next task for Carlo was getting down to Florida to join his teammates. He stayed through the morning with Mayson, Crew, and his daughter, Wren, but then grabbed a flight around 2 p.m. on Monday.
After catching what little sleep he could on the plane ride down, Carlo joined his teammates at Amerant Bank Arena just hours ahead of puck drop.
Even with his hectic schedule and the little rest afforded to him, Jim Montgomery knew that Carlo was going to be a lineup lock for Game 1.
“He goes through the whole process, has very little sleep. And when you have incredible experiences in life, like the birth of a child, it’s amazing — the energy it gives you,” Montgomery noted. “That’s why when he got here, we were gonna put him in the lineup.
“Because I mean, at the birth of my kids, like, I don’t think — it’s like winning a championship, you have adrenaline like you can’t believe for three days. And when that adrenaline stops, you crash.”
Carlo rewarded Montgomery’s faith in him with another strong showing this postseason. Over his 18:40 of ice time, Carlo landed six hits, blocked three shots, logged 3:42 of shorthanded reps on a penalty kill that went a perfect 3-for-3 on the night — and, of course, buried that second-period tally.
“I don’t celebrate often, but I raised my hands with that one,” goalie Jeremy Swayman said of Carlo’s goal. “It’s so incredible what he did today. Just the attitude that he brought, he was so excited. I can only imagine what it’s like leaving your little one and your wife at home right after.
“And Mayson’s a big part of this team too, because of that, allowing him to come and be here and supporting him. And it’s just one of probably the most memorable moments I’ll have with this playoff run, no doubt about it.”
Carlo will have time to catch up with his now-expanded 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 that he wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.
“I don’t know why. But I always just turn back to the bench and look at all the faces of the boys and that always gets me just so fired up,” Carlo said of his reaction after scoring his goal. “Because like I said, I’m not a guy who scores very often. So just the faces of happiness when the guys are supporting me like that — It means so much. I feel so blessed to be a part of this group.”
Sign up for Bruins updates🏒
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during hockey season.