The Boston Bruins coasted to an NHL record 65 wins and 135 points during the 2022-23 regular season.
Hours ahead of their playoff opener against the Carolina Panthers, the team is facing some serious adversity.
Once the B’s get closer to their 7:30 p.m. ET opening faceoff in Game 1, Boston fans should have a better idea of if Bergeron (their captain) will be available. He exited last week’s regular-season finale against the Montreal Canadiens early with an upper-body injury.
At 37 years old, Bergeron is the oldest player on the Bruins, but still had a big season, scoring 27 goals (his most in three years) and adding 31 assists for 58 points, while playing in all but four of the team’s 82 games. He finished tied for second on the team in goals — a distant second behind superstar David Pastrnak — and was third in points, trailing only Pastrnak and fellow Boston mainstay Brad Marchand.
Bergeron’s stats aren’t what stand out to most Bruins fans though as he’s become one of the faces of the franchise and a huge fan favorite during his two-decade run with the team since being drafted in 2003. He’s one of the few holdovers from the franchise’s last Stanley Cup title in 2011, is typically viewed as the heart and soul of the team and can still come through in the clutch, as evidenced by his seven game-winning goals this season (second behind Pastrnak).
Head coach Jim Montgomery may be facing a dilemma in goal as well, as starter Linus Ullmark hasn’t played since leaving the team’s penultimate game of the season last week early with an undisclosed injury. Montgomery said on multiple occasions last week that the move was “precautionary” though and that Ullmark would be “fine.”
The team recalled Brandon Bussi from the AHL-affiliate Providence Bruins last week to serve as the No. 3 goalie behind Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman.
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