It should come as no surprise the ultra-competitive Patrice Bergeron didn’t enjoy the experience of being sidelined when his Boston Bruins teammates competed against the Florida Panthers in their Stanley Cup playoff series.
Bergeron, who missed Boston’s first four postseason contests because of an upper-body injury, expressed just that Tuesday while speaking with reporters after practicing with the team. Bergeron acknowledged how he was “feeling good” ahead of Wednesday night’s Game 5 at TD Garden and wasn’t anticipating any setbacks.
“It was definitely different,” Bergeron told reporters at Warrior Ice Arena. “I felt like it was more nerve-wrecking than when you’re on the ice, on the bench, and you feel like you can actually do something about it. You feel a little, I don’t know if helpless is the right word, but you’d like to be out there and kind of help the guys a little bit more.”
Bergeron further admitted having to watch from home was “frustrating,” especially since it took place during Boston’s regular-season finale against the Montreal Canadiens.
Watching the Games 3 and 4 back in Boston, Bergeron did everything he could to try and help the team in Sunrise, Fla. The veteran center fired off text messages to Bruins assistant coach and former teammate Chris Kelly during Game 3, insights that head coach Jim Montgomery said were “poignant.”
“As you said, tried to text, see a few things. I don’t if that really did anything or not,” Bergeron told reporters. “But that being said, I was cheering and screaming at the TV a few times.”
When asked about Montgomery’s joke regarding a potential coaching career for Bergeron, the 37-year-old responded: “I don’t think so. I think it’s too nerve-wrecking for me. I think it’s too much.”
Hopefully Bergeron will be able to return to the ice for Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday, where he surely feels more comfortable. With both Bergeron and Montgomery indicated they’d have to see how he feels on game day, it’s likely we’ll have that development Wednesday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.
