Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron Out for Season Opener
Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron Out for Season Opener, Kevan Miller Out for Six Weeks
While the NHL season officially starts Wednesday, fans of the Boston Bruins will have to wait until Thursday to see their team take the ice for the first time. Unfortunately, that season opener won’t look exactly as most expected.
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Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney announced Wednesday that the team would be without Patrice Bergeron, Adam McQuaid, and Kevan Miller in their season opener. While the news on McQuaid and Miller was expected, Bergeron’s name comes as a surprise.
Per the Bruins’ official website, Bergeron suffered a lower-body injury and is currently day-to-day. The team recalled forward Tim Schaller from Providence to replace Bergeron on the trip to Columbus.
McQuaid is also currently considered day-to-day, and will not travel with the team. This was expected, however, and the Bruins already have defensemen in place to fill McQuaid’s (and Miller’s) roster spots.
The team currently has Zdeno Chara, Torey Krug, John-Michael Liles, Brandon Carlo, Colin Miller, Rob O’Gara, as well as Joe Morrow skating with the team.
A Long-Term Injury for Miller
McQuaid and Bergeron are currently deemed day-to-day, Miller’s injury is more serious.
After suffering a fracture in his left hand, Miller underwent successful surgery performed by Dr. Matthew Leibman at Newton-Wellesley Hospital on Tuesday. The injury is expected to keep Miller out for six weeks. In his absence, the Bruins will expect one of the young defenders currently in the lineup to step up.
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Injuries are an unfortunate reality in sports, but the Bruins would rather deal with injuries now, than during a playoff hunt. At the same time, the Bruins will need to perform well in all 82 games this year if they hope to be anywhere close to the playoffs. After missing the postseason in each of the last two years, expectations are high for the team; from fans, and from the team’s owner, Jeremy Jacobs.