As the injury bug continues to chew on the Boston Bruins, the team at least can take solace in Patrice Bergeron’s ongoing recovery, which is going well according to the veteran center.
Bergeron suffered a rib and shoulder injury Nov. 16 against the Dallas Stars, and the Bruins announced Nov. 20 — after Bergeron missed Boston’s Nov. 17 game against the Arizona Coyotes — that the 33-year-old would be out at least four weeks.
“So I’m trying to go through the process and take it a day at a time and do what’s asked of me to do to get better,” Bergeron told WEEI.com on Tuesday before he attended the Champion’s for Children’s gala at the Seaport World Trade Center. “So far, so good.”
Bergeron suffered the injuries on a hit by Stars forward Radek Faksa. Amazingly, he returned to that game, ultimately registering 13 minutes of ice time as the Bruins salvaged a point in a 1-0 overtime loss. It wasn’t until after the contest that Bergeron realized something wasn’t right, as the injury didn’t really hinder his performance outside the faceoff circle.
“It’s one of those things where we didn’t have all the info that we had afterwards, and I felt fine,” Bergeron told WEEI.com. “So it is what it is I guess. Looking back it’s one of those things where it felt OK, my body was warm, the adrenaline was high and you don’t really feel the same way you feel when you wake up the next morning.”
Bergeron was having an excellent season before going down, totaling nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 19 games. The Bruins have gone 3-1-1 in his absence — while also dealing with injuries to Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, among others — but they undoubtedly miss Bergeron, especially as they struggle to generate scoring beyond their top line.
Bergeron will be re-evaluated after the four-week timeframe, meaning the Bruins theoretically could have their best all-around player back at some point in mid- to late-December.
