The Boston Bruins will be without their captain once against as they’ve ruled Patrice Bergeron out for Game 2. Boston head coach Jim Montgomery announced that Bergeron was suffering from an upper-body injury on Wednesday. The Bruins captain missed the opening game of the Stanley Cup first-round series against the Florida Panthers due to illness.
🎥 Coach Montgomery on Patrice Bergeron's status for Game 2 between the #NHLBruins and Panthers. "He’s progressing well, so he’s day by day. But he’s a no for tonight." pic.twitter.com/PxvCT7XCaY
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 19, 2023
Patrice Bergeron Out for Game 2
Montgomery revealed the multiple-time Selke Trophy winner got injured in the team’s regular season finale against the rival Montreal Canadiens. Bergeron was a game-time decision for the opening game of the series, which the Bruins won, 3-1. However, the 37-year-old was held out of the lineup. Boston had been dealing with a round of illness that had swept through the team’s locker room the last week.
Bergeron netted 27 goals and 31 assists for 58 points in 78 games. He put up another 20-plus goal season, but his worth is defensively. The veteran centre is one of the best defensive forwards in the history of the league. Florida had more space to operate when Bergeron was out for the first game of the series.
Bergeron has played 19 years in the league and all of them with the Bruins. He’s scored 427 goals and 613 assists for 1,040 points in 1,294 career games. The veteran pivot was won the Selke a record five times.
What Patrice Bergeron Being Out Means
Boston did get some solid contributions from Tyler Bertuzzi in his first post-season game. Pavel Zacha took the first-line centre spot with Bergeron out of the lineup. He’ll man the middle of a line with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk.
Montgomery did say that Bergeron could return when the series shifts to Sunrise, Fla. for Game 3. “He’s progressing well, so he’s day-by-day, but he’s a ‘no’ for tonight,” the coach said to media. Boston’s depth has carried them for most of the season, but losing Bergeron is still a big loss to overome.
Main photo by: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
