BOSTON — Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron missed the first four games of the Stanley Cup playoffs with an undisclosed injury following what was deemed a precautionary exit from the regular season finale in Montreal.
Following the Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers, Bergeron revealed what kept him out of the lineup.
“I have a herniated disc in my back,” Bergeron explained. “So, that’s kind of why I missed four games and try to rush to come back, and that’s it.”
The 37-year-old center isn’t unfamiliar with injuries in the postseason.
In 2013, Bergeron played the Game 6 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks with a separated shoulder he sustained in the first period of that game, along with cracked ribs, torn cartilage and a punctured lung suffered in Game 5.
Regardless, Bergeron wasn’t going to sit out either situation.
“It’s stiff,” Bergeron said of his back. “It’s definitely not something I’m going to use as an excuse, you know. It is what it is. Everyone battles with a lot of things during the playoffs, and it’s just unfortunate the way it happened on that play. … In the playoffs, you want to come back. You want to come back as quickly as possible.”
Bergeron did say that he didn’t believe he would require surgery but still needed to weigh his future as a hockey player.
“I’m going to take some time and talk with the family,” Bergeron said. “Right now, it’s hard to process anything. Obviously, we’re shocked and disappointed. It hurts right now. So, I’m gonna have to step back and, talk with my family.”
Bergeron suited up for the final three games of the postseason, recording one goal in his playoff debut.
If he doesn’t end up coming back for Boston’s centennial season, it won’t be long before his No. 37 is raised to the rafters in TD Garden for the legendary career he had with the Bruins.
