The good news is that Thursday morning did see Patrice Bergeron on the ice at Warrior Ice Arena.

But the bad news is that it still doesn’t mean much of anything when it comes to Bergeron’s status for Games 3 and 4 down in Sunrise, according to Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery.

“He skated just now, so that’s obviously a real positive sign,” Montgomery said. “But I haven’t talked to medical [and] athletic trainers about where he’s at as far as coming with us on the trip or not.”

• On the surface, the fact that Bergeron is skating for the second day in a row is encouraging. The Bruins probably wouldn’t put him on the ice for a second day in a row had Tuesday gone poorly or come with a setback.

  But whether or not there’s been enough progress to make Bergeron a legitimate possibility for Friday or Sunday remains to be seen. Wednesday’s loss also guaranteed that the Bruins and Panthers will play a Game 5 next Wednesday night at TD Garden, potentially giving Bergeron almost a full week to try to ramp up his efforts.

  Should the Bruins decide to wait until Game 5 — or leave Bergeron home and essentially rule him out for Games 3 and 4 (unless he pulls a 2022 Charlie McAvoy circa round one against the Hurricanes and takes a private jet down to Sunrise during the B’s weekend down there) — there’s an obvious potential for this series flipping. It could be in a good way like the Bruins going up 3-1 or it could go horribly south with the Bruins returning to Boston down three games to one and facing elimination. Hell, it could stay the same and come back to Boston as a best of three at 2-2.

• Bergeron skating on his own at Warrior this morning
  🎥: ⁦@Pats_Radio⁩ pic.twitter.com/6dKmPWc2hK

  — Zolak & Bertrand (@ZoandBertrand) April 20, 2023

• But that’s part of the equation here for the Bruins, as the Bruins want to stay respectful of the recovery process and not force anything because of how the series has shifted one way or another. It’s also important to note that this is a collective effort, with the Bruins’ trainers and doctors, Montgomery, and Bergeron all having a say in what happens.

  “You know, that’s a good question because for me, we have a next man up mentality all year long,” Montgomery told me about ‘respecting the process’ and not rushing him back. “And, you know, I think our record’s still 6-1 [or] 5-1 without him in the lineup. Everyone’s thinking about the one loss right now, right, because that’s what’s most recent. That’s human nature. But there’s a lot of confidence in our group of what we can do no matter who’s in the lineup.”

• 

  Mar 14, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (37) skates against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. (Jamie Sabau/USA TODAY Sports)

• But while the timeline remains a relative unknown — ‘day-to-day’ is the best you’re going to get out of anybody — Bergeron’s demeanor and attitude has stayed steady throughout.

  “That’s a human being, that doesn’t get rattled,” Montgomery said. “He’s holding up great. He carries himself with such [confidence]. His confidence, it gives energy to everybody else that everything’s okay. You know what I mean? That’s just the way he carries himself. On good days, bad days, you wouldn’t know it. So obviously, he’s in real good spirits mentally and physically. Just wishes he could be on the ice with us right now.”

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