Bruins’ Bergeron to sit out of Game 3, 4 against Panthers

According to the Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, captain Patrice Bergeron will miss Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the Florida Panthers.

Bergeron previously sat out Game 1 and 2 due to illness and an unspecified upper-body injury. He did not accompany the Bruins on their trip to Florida.

Montgomery still expressed optimism that Bergeron could return for Game 5 as the team prepares for the crucial playoff matchups.

Boston Bruins

2023-04-21 18:00

🎥 Coach Montgomery on the status of Patrice Bergeron for Game 3: “Bergeron did not make the trip…we believe Game 5 is likely.” https://t.co/Tvs4QsdIyZ

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“We believe Game 5 is likely,” he said.

Bergeron’s injury status

With 58 points, including 27 goals and 31 assists, Bergeron was the third-highest scorer for the Boston Bruins during the regular season.

The 37-year-old forward suffered an injury in the first period of the final regular-season game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Bergeron did not play in four of the last eight games of the regular season, during which the Bruins did not have any important games left to play.

According to Montgomery, he and Bergeron planned to use the last two games to get back into a rhythm before the playoffs.

“Even with the hindsight, we would still do it exactly the same way. That’s how it’s easy to move forward when you have no regret with what you did, because it was a well-thought-out plan,” Montgomery said.

There were doubts about the legitimacy of Bergeron’s injury in the final game, but reports said he was keen to increase his activity levels.

Bergeron’s return to the ice seems imminent, as indicated by a video clip tweeted by 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday morning, which shows him skating.

Other reports also said that Bergeron wanted to play in Montreal in front of his family and father one last time, but Montgomery did not address this speculation during the press conference.

Presidents’ Trophy

The NHL’s annual Presidents’ Trophy has been awarded to the best regular season team since 1985-86, but it has developed a reputation for being cursed. Of the 37 teams to win the trophy before the 2022-23 season, only eight went on to win the Stanley Cup.

While there have been periods of success, such as from 1998-99 to 2001-02 when three of the four winners became NHL champions, the recent history of the trophy could have been better. Since the 2007-08 season, only one winner has won the Cup, and just one more team reached the Cup Final.

Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy for the best regular season record in the NHL in 2013-14 and 2019-20 and the team is trying to overcome the so-called curse of the trophy.

Some analysts said that the history of the trophy shows the Bruins will have a tough road ahead of them if they want to win the Stanley Cup. The Bruins will need to break the curse if they want to end their 10-year drought without a Stanley Cup.

Currently, they are in a first-round battle with the Florida Panthers, with the series tied 1-1. The next two games of the best-of-seven series will take place in Sunrise, Florida, with Game 3 scheduled for Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday.

The Bruins are also dealing with personnel issues. Aside from the absence of their captain Bergeron, Bruins’ goaltender Linus Ullmark was ill ahead of Game 1 and is a game-time decision for Game 3.

Even though the Bruins have a competent backup in Jeremy Swayman, Ullmark’s performance has been exceptional this season. He is a favorite to win the Vezina Trophy.