Marco Sturm just finished his first season behind the Bruins bench, and the postseason left him staring at problems that won't fix themselves.

Boston went 45-27-10 for 100 points. Solid on paper. The first round told a different story.

The Bruins finished 8th overall, 4th in the Atlantic, and ran into Buffalo in the opener. Six games later, they were packing up the locker room.

That series result is the one that lingers. A 1-4 home loss on May 1 closed the book on Sturm's debut run.

David Pastrnak posted 29 goals and 71 assists for 100 points in the regular season. Then he managed seven points in six playoff games and went minus-7.

Charlie McAvoy ran the blue line at a 61-point clip and a plus-13 rating across 69 games. In the postseason, the top defenseman finished minus-6.

Hampus Lindholm chipped in 26 points across 67 games. Mason Lohrei matched that with a plus-17 rating. The pieces are there. The execution in April was not.

Jeremy Swayman's numbers force an honest conversation

Jeremy Swayman cashed his $8.25 million cap hit and posted a .907 save percentage across 55 starts. For a goalie at that price, that is a number Don Sweeney cannot ignore this summer.

Joonas Korpisalo backed him up at .894. The combined goaltending was not Boston's worst problem. It wasn't a solution either.

Pavel Zacha had a career year up front with 30 goals and 65 points. Morgan Geekie added 39 goals. The top six produced.

Elias Lindholm carries a $7.75 million cap hit and finished with 48 points and a minus-7 rating. Boston needs more from that contract.

July 1 brings free agency, and the cap math says Sweeney has to pick his spots carefully. Boston is not getting younger on the back end either.

The Bruins still went 29-11-1 at home. They went 16-16-9 on the road, and that road number is what sinks you in a long playoff run.

Game 4 of the Buffalo series ended 6-1 on home ice. That score sheet does not get explained away in an exit interview.

Sturm now spends the summer rebuilding his staff and answering for a roster built to win now. The clock on this group does not get longer.

His next training camp opens in roughly four months. The questions sitting on his desk today will still be there when the players walk back in.