Bergeron out for Bruins for Game 1 against Panthers because of illness
Ullmark will start for Boston after returning to practice Saturday
© Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
The center, who did not practice with the team Saturday or Sunday, left the Bruins' final game of the regular season at the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday after the first period.
"We have not only Bergeron, but a couple of guys that have been under the weather," Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Monday.
How concerning is that?
"A little bit," Montgomery said. "I'd love to come in here and tell you our exact lines and D pairings and who's starting in net, but the luxury we have is we have incredible depth, and whoever ends up being healthy enough to go tonight, we know we're going to have a good opportunity to have success if we play Bruins hockey. We know it's going to be a great test no matter what, no matter who is in the lineup for us because we know how good the Florida Panthers are."
Asked if there was a bug going around the room, Montgomery said there had been.
"There is," he said. "And it's been probably 10 days to two weeks it's been going around. It's just, unfortunately, someone else gets it when someone else we thought is done with it. … We've had guys, like [Jakub] Lauko lost eight pounds when he had it. It's that recovery strength."
Goalie Linus Ullmark will start for the Bruins. Ullmark left the second-to-last game of the season, last Tuesday, with an undisclosed injury, though he returned to practice on Saturday and Montgomery said at that point that he had no issues.
Jeremy Swayman, who did not practice on Sunday, will back up Ullmark.
There was good news on another player, too. Center David Krejci, who had not played since April 1 because of a lower-body injury, also returned for Game 1.
That will, at least, blunt a little of the blow of Bergeron potentially being out.
"He's taking an extra day again today, obviously," Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Sunday. "That's to be decided tomorrow. If he feels well enough, he'll play. If not …"
Sweeney continued, "We're just trying to monitor that, make sure we balance it out. Patrice doesn't need extra days of practice. If he feels better, he'll play."
Asked if the issue with Bergeron was illness or injury, Sweeney said, "A little bit of both."
Could the issue be protracted?
"I haven't really gotten a full download from the training staff about any kind of timeframe for him," Bruins president Cam Neely said. "Obviously, not having Patrice on the ice the last couple days, I'm sure obviously questions are warranted."
Bergeron, Boston's captain, had 58 points (27 goals, 31 assists) in 78 games and is yet again a top contender for the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward. He has won the award five times.
On Sunday, Pavel Zacha moved into Bergeron's spot on the top line with Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk, with Krejci on a line with Tyler Bertuzzi and David Pastrnak.
"A lot," Sweeney said of the confidence he has in Zacha. "Pavel has assumed a lot of those responsibilities and he's handled it really well. Obviously, the face-offs, it's lefty versus righty, and Patrice is one of the best in the game, so it's an area where everybody has to dig in.
"We've played different games with Patrice this year being out and all those guys have stepped in, but that's to be decided. We're not focused on that.
"We've showed it all year. We've had a lot of players in and out of the lineup this year. Our record speaks for itself. Our depth is as good as it's ever been."
Zacha has had a breakout season, getting 57 points (21 goals, 36 assists), 21 more than last season, when he had a then career-high 36 with the New Jersey Devils. He has played mostly on the wing with Krejci, at times filling in at center, his natural position.
"We've been a team that's relied on depth all year," Sweeney said. "The focus shouldn't be today on Patrice's status, it should on where our team (is) and (that) we're ready. Everybody's back at ground zero from the standpoint of the playoffs. Whether you get injuries in the first part of the series or the end of it, you're all going to deal with it. Just move forward. The depth is what it is for our hockey club, and we feel really good about that."
For the Panthers, captain Aleksander Barkov did not practice Sunday, but coach Paul Maurice said it was for rest purposes and joked he would play him 47 minutes in Game 1.
