Patrice Bergeron is raring to go, despite the fact he’s playing catch-up.
The Boston Bruins center told reporters Monday he’s still recovering from the groin injury he suffered nearly four months ago. But he’s certain he’ll be healthy enough to play in the team’s season opener. The Bruins will open training camp this week, and their first game will be on the road Oct. 3 against the Dallas Stars. Although Bergeron might not be ready to participate fully on the first date, he’s dead-set on competing all-out on the latter one.
“I’m feeling good, I’m feeling positive I’ll be ready definitely for the start of the season,” Bergeron said, per NHL.com. “So that’s not even an issue.”
Bergeron suffered the groin injury May 16 against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final. He played through the injury for nearly another month, culminating in the Bruins’ loss to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
He then opted to treat the injury with rest and rehab, instead of surgery, but his recovery hasn’t gone according to his original plan. He revealed he received a platelet-rich-plasma shot, which forced him to curtail his offseason workout program for around two weeks in July.
“I feel better,” Bergeron said. “It’s still lingering a little bit. It’s been there most of the summer, so I got a PRP in July I think and I’m slowly ramping it up on the ice and … I think it’s what we’re trying shoot for is more October rather than this Thursday.
“I think with the PRP shot we hope that — and it’s one of those things, it takes a little bit of time to work and have its effect — so it’s getting better but it’s still there a little bit.”
Bergeron’s recovery might slow him in the coming weeks, but he and the Bruins are savvy enough to resist the urge to rush him all the way back. After all it’s less important for the 34-year-old to be in peak condition in October than it is for him to be firing on all cylinders next spring.
