Bruins Reveal Laundry List of Injuries That Key Players Played Through in Playoffs
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The end of the playoff season is typically the time where teams reveal the injuries that players had to play through in the final months. In the case of the Bruins, who had a busy morning on Twitter, the list is not short.
Chief among the wounded revealed on Wednesday at Warrior Ice Arena was Patrice Bergeron, who had to sit out Game 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round with a mysterious injury. It’s now known that Bergeron was feeling concussion-like symptoms and the team didn’t want to risk further head problems. But the center also dealt with a groin injury, which is likely what Bruce Cassidy had alluded to as not a new injury.
Also dealing with a head injury was Riley Nash, who couldn’t quite get up to speed in the playoffs after suffering a concussion and head laceration after taking a puck to the side of his head against the Florida Panthers.
Riley Nash is helped off the ice by David Backes after being hit in the head by a puck during a Boston Bruins game against the Florida Panthers at the TD Garden. (Photo Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
Jake DeBrusk was revealed to have sprained the AC joint in his shoulder during the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The rookie winger’s production noticeably dropped off after scoring five goals in seven games against Toronto, netting just one empty-net goal in five games in the second round.
Brad Marchand, like Bergeron, similarly dealt with a groin injury during the playoffs. He also admitted he needs to “cut the [expletive]” as far as his on-ice antics are concerned. Noel Acciari also had a groin injury, but more impressively, played through a sports hernia since November.
As for Torey Krug, he officially suffered a fractured ankle in the third period of Game 4 against Tampa. He will wear a walking boot for two months and doesn’t need surgery. Brandon Carlo, who also broke his ankle near the end of the regular season, said he’ll “absolutely” be ready for camp in the fall.
Additionally, Zdeno Chara told reporters he played through an upper-body injury. David Backes, meanwhile, said he’s still feeling the effects of a concussion suffered from a hit by the Lightning’s J.T. Miller in Game 5, but also that he hopes to feel better with time.
Zdeno Chara (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The good news is, besides perhaps the concussions, the Bruins sound like their key injuries will be totally in the past by the start of camp in September. Backes’ situation is worth monitoring, and Riley Nash is a candidate to depart via free agency anyway.
Not much in the way of surprises, as far as the injuries themselves or the fact that hockey players played through more-than-minor injuries. But like every year in the NHL, it’s fairly eye-opening to see what the Bruins and every other team go through in the postseason.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.
