Bruins announce Nathan Horton (concussion) out for entirety of playoffs

Horton's last game was Jan. 22 against Philly. (Getty Images)

The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup last season without the services of Nathan Horton for most of the final round. If they are going to repeat, they'll have to do it all without Horton again.

Sidelined since late January with his second concussion in a little more than half a year, Horton is going to miss the entirety of the postseason. The Bruins made the announcement on Wednesday.

It doesn't come as a surprise, this was anticipated for some time when word was coming out that Horton wasn't getting any better.

That doesn't soften the blow very much, though. It might be coincidence -- I doubt it -- but just about the time Horton went down the Bruins began playing average hockey, hovering around .500 for the rest of the season.

Horton, who had 17 goals and 15 assists in the 46 games he played this season, was a big part of their Stanley Cup run last season, even if he was knocked out of the final series early in Game 3. He scored series-clinching goals against the Habs and Bolts in Game 7s to help the Bruins get to the Final.

He also put himself in some Boston sports lore by bring water from TD Garden ice and pouring it on the ice in Vancouver before Game 7 to bring Boston some luck. Obviously it worked.

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