Picking up the pieces after Bruins' stunning collapse
Now we know why Patrice Bergeron missed the first four games of the Bruins' first-round series against the Florida Panthers.
After Boston's season-ending 4-3 overtime loss in Game 7 on Sunday, Bergeron revealed that he was dealing with a herniated disc in his back.
"Obviously, it’s stiff," Bergeron said of his back. "I mean, it’s definitely not something I’m going to use as an excuse. It is what it is. Everyone battles with a lot of things during playoffs. It’s just unfortunate the way that it happened, on a fluke play."
Bergeron left the Bruins' regular-season finale in Montreal and did not return. While coach Jim Montgomery initially said his exit was just precautionary and that Bergeron actually wanted to keep playing, the injury turned out to be more serious than initially anticipated, forcing Bergeron to miss four playoff games.
The Bruins captain returned in Game 5, but Boston wound up losing all three games he played, seeing a 3-1 series lead turn into a Game 7 loss.
Bergeron was great on faceoffs (70.3%), played 19:30 per game and had strong analytics (team-best 63.9% Corsi), but ultimately was on the ice for four goals against and zero goals for at 5-on-5 play. He did score one power-play goal, but that was his only point.
Bergeron is now faced with the same question he faced last offseason: Will he retire? Or will he return for at least one more season? Unsurprisingly, the 37-year-old center did not have an answer Sunday night.
"I’m going to take some time and talk with the family and go from there," Bergeron said. "Right now, it’s hard to process anything. Obviously, we’re shocked and disappointed. So that’s it."
Bergeron said he remains proud of this year's team despite the disappointing finish.
"I’m proud of everything we’ve accomplished with this group," he said. "I’ve said that many times. It’s a special group on many levels. The individuals we have… Obviously, it’s far from the outcome that we wanted."
Bergeron was the last Bruin to leave the ice after the game, and he saluted what remained of the TD Garden crowd before heading down the tunnel. After the game, he said that was not a goodbye, but just a season-ending thank you.
"Thanks for the support all year," he said of his message. "It’s a special city, it’s a special fan base and organization. It’s more just saying thank you for the support all year."
Needless to say, Bergeron's coach and teammates hope this isn't the end.
"Incredible experience," Jim Montgomery said of coaching Bergeron this season. "You know, just because his awareness, his maturity, his ability to communicate, his ability to listen as part of that communication and then just how great a hockey player he is — learned a lot from him this year. Hope to learn more next year."
"There are obviously too many memories to list, but the friendship that we’ve built and the relationship that we have has been special," Brad Marchand said. "So, hopefully it’s not [the end], but that’s up to him to make his decision and do what he decides to do moving forward. But regardless of what he decides to do, whether he continues to play again or not, our bond will last a lifetime. It’s not just something we built throughout here."
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