"You spend all this time off leading up with everyone writing articles about how great you are and then you come out and sometimes you've got to eat a poop sandwich," Williams added. "It doesn't taste good. You have to chew on it for a little bit, and we'll have to do it for a couple days and get the taste out of our mouth next game."
The Hurricanes allowed two goals in each of the three periods on Sunday, falling behind 6-0 in the final frame before tallying a couple of late markers.
The shots-on-goal tally was fairly even, with the Bruins leading 25-23 in that area.
However, Boston dominated possession, posting a 76.47 high-danger scoring chances for percentage at five-on-five compared to Carolina's 23.53, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Ralph Krueger is rising on the Buffalo Sabres' list of coaching candidates and will get "a real shot at the job," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman wrote in Sunday's edition of "31 Thoughts."
Friedman adds that Sabres general manager Jason Botterill spoke to Krueger in 2017 before hiring Phil Housley, who was fired last month.
Krueger, the soon-to-be former English Premier League executive, coached the Edmonton Oilers in 2012-13 and led Team Europe to an unexpected run to the World Cup of Hockey final in 2016.
The Sabres have reportedly considered several candidates for the position, including Dave Tippett, Jacques Martin, and Todd McLellan, who the Los Angeles Kings later hired.
Columbus Blue Jackets assistant general manager Bill Zito is among the contenders to be named GM of the Seattle expansion franchise.
"We are in the process of speaking with a number of candidates, Bill Zito among them," NHL Seattle president and CEO Tod Leiweke told The Seattle Times' Geoff Baker. "There are certainly many aspects of him that we like and find intriguing. He's certainly somebody that brings a lot to the table and that I'm sure a lot of clubs would be interested in."
Leiweke said the process is still in its preliminary stages and wouldn't name any of the other hopefuls with whom the league's newest franchise has spoken.
Zito is a former player agent who joined the Blue Jackets in the summer of 2013. He was named general manager of their AHL affiliate, now the Cleveland Monsters, two years later.
The 54-year-old also served as GM of the U.S. squad at last year's World Championship.
Jared Bednar said there was only one circumstance that would have prevented Nathan MacKinnon from returning to Game 7.
"He (would have) had to have been stretchered off or out of the building in order to not come back," the Colorado Avalanche head coach told the assembled media, including Sportsnet, about his superstar forward after a season-ending loss to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.
"That's the way I felt and that's the way our (other) coaches felt," Bednar added. "Our team was sure happy to get him back and he (made) a big difference right away in the belief in our group."
MacKinnon confirmed postgame that he suffered a sprained shoulder, telling reporters including CBS Denver's Michael Spencer that he sustained "a Grade 2 or 3 AC sprain," and that he received a shot before returning to the game.
The dynamic center left after crashing into the boards on his own early in the first period. He returned with about three minutes left in the opening frame.
A second Game 7 in as many nights will take place when the San Jose Sharks host the Colorado Avalanche Wednesday, and we're all better off for it.
Here are three significant storylines to monitor ahead of - and during - the decisive contest:
Pavelski's health
The biggest question heading into this Game 7 is simple: Will Joe Pavelski play?
San Jose has been tight-lipped about Pavelski's availability. Head coach Peter DeBoer essentially labeled his captain a game-time decision Tuesday, but cautioned "he'd be playing right now if he had a clean bill of health," according to NHL.com's Tim Campbell.
San Jose has survived the entire series without the 34-year-old center so far, but his return would take pressure off the team's depth forwards and return their workloads to more typical levels.
Simply put, Pavelski is the heart and soul of the Sharks. If he doesn't play, they've proven they can compete without him, but if he does, it could make the difference in what's been an incredibly tight series.
Secondary scoring
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Colorado's explosive top line and the Sharks' talented top six have delivered in these playoffs, but both clubs need more out of their respective supporting casts in Game 7.
The Avalanche have gotten production from the likes of Colin Wilson (four goals and seven points in 11 games), Matt Nieto (ditto), and J.T. Compher (four goals and six points).
Compher notched a pair of markers and an assist in Colorado's Game 6 victory, and while top-liner Gabriel Landeskog won it in overtime, that contest was a shining example of how dangerous the Avalanche can be when their role players make big contributions offensively.
San Jose needs the third line to get back on track, while Colorado needs production from more than just Compher outside of its dominant first line.
Dormant power plays
Matthew Stockman / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Both clubs have struggled mightily with the man advantage in this series.
The Avalanche are a combined 2-for-20 on the power play in six games, while the Sharks are 2-for-17.
That's a far cry from their first-round output, when Colorado went 5-for-25 and San Jose 8-for-34.
Neither club converted on the power play in Game 6, but whichever team is able to break through and be more effective with the man advantage in Game 7 might just book their ticket to the conference finals.
With Game 7 between the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues requiring extra time to decide their second-round series Tuesday night, three win-or-go-home affairs in these playoffs have required overtime.
That's the most ever in a single playoff year, according to the league.
Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz has been battling a serious medical condition.
Katz has dealt with a life-threatening, bacteria-resistant sinus infection for the past few years, the club confirmed to The Canadian Press on Tuesday.
Sportsnet's John Shannon shared the details of Katz's ailment Tuesday after the owner's appearance at Ken Holland's introductory news conference caused concern.
Daryl Katz says he’s excited about the hiring of Ken Holland. Says Holland “will have full autonomy as General Manager.”. #oilers#yegpic.twitter.com/fIxsP9kbYg
The infection comes with a 50-50 survival rate. The owner has undergone three surgeries over the past 10 months, with one more procedure remaining, Shannon tweeted.
Katz's condition is the primary reason he hasn't been around Edmonton and the team. He carried an IV bag at all times during the Oilers' playoff run in spring 2017, according to Shannon, who added that Katz is "through the worst of it" and the long-term prognosis is positive.
The 57-year-old billionaire didn't address his health on Tuesday. He's owned the Oilers since 2008.
Rod Brind'Amour appears to have an appreciation for Allen Iverson's most memorable quip.
The Carolina Hurricanes' head coach did his best impression of the NBA Hall of Famer on Tuesday when asked about forward Jordan Martinook's status ahead of the Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins.
Tuesday is the 17th anniversary of Iverson's legendary rant in which the former Philadelphia 76ers guard repeatedly said "we talkin' about practice."
Brind'Amour and Iverson played in Philadelphia during a three-and-a-half season stretch in the late '90s.
The Hurricanes' bench boss suited up for the Flyers from 1991 to 2000, and he was traded to Carolina about two-and-a-half years before Iverson's rant.
