Here's how Patrice Bergeron might be able to turn a negative into a positive.
Boston Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy has identified timing as a silver lining in the captain's latest injury. Bergeron missed Boston's 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday due to a re-emergence of a previous upper-body injury, and the ailment will sideline him for at least one more game. Cassidy believes Bergeron's absence will give the 36-year-old time to recharge for the stretch run of the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which will begin May 2.
"It's too bad, the timing for this particular setback for him," Cassidy said Wednesday at a press conference prior to Boston-Minnesota, per the Bruins' website. "But I guess if there's gonna be a time to get a break for a guy his age, now is not a bad time to sort of get the legs rested up for the home stretch. We'll take it as a positive assuming it's nothing that will stretch out for very long."
Bergeron might return for Monday's tilt against the Canadiens. However, if he doesn't join his teammates in Montreal he presumably will be good to go March 24 against the Tampa Bay Lighting.
That would give Bergeron 19 games to recover his best form before the start of the postseason and also would reduce the risk of burnout during the playoff sprint.
