BOSTON (WHDH) - A familiar face was back on the rink and practicing with the Bruins Tuesday morning after missing the B’s playoff run so far.
Patrice Bergeron was on the ice and skating with teammates after sitting out all of his team’s postseason play due to an injury.
Bergeron skated on his own last week, but did not make the trip to Florida for Games 3 and 4 against the Florida Panthers, where the Bruins won twice and built a 3-1 series lead.
Tuesday marked Bergeron’s first, full practice since the playoffs started, putting him on track to make a postseason debut for Game 5 in Boston on Wednesday night.
Speaking with reporters, the captain said he was feeling pretty good following the practice, adding that he was hopeful there would not be any setbacks keeping him out of the lineup.
However, he noted the importance of playing it smart and not forcing the issue too soon.
“It’s one of those things where you try to get back as quickly as possible, but at the same time, you’re trying to be smart and the training staff has done a tremendous job, so, I’m just taking it day-by-day,” the 37 year old said. “You want to be out there with the boys and battle and compete. You got through a full season and you work hard to get to this point – obviously, you want to be out there – it is frustrating. That being said, now we’re here and the boys have done a great job.”
Fellow captain David Krejci also took to the ice on Tuesday, skating on his own before the team’s practice after missing several playoff games himself due to injury.
Krejci has already been ruled out for Game 5, but could return for Game 6 if the series calls for one.
The puck drops for Game 5 at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night.
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