Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron finishes game in hospital
BY MARK POTASH mpotash@suntimes.com June 22, 2013 11:44PM
2013 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game Five
Updated: June 23, 2013 12:53AM
At least Jonathan Toews was able to finish the game on the bench. The Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron finished the game in a hospital.
While the Blackhawks are hopeful that Toews will play in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Bruins were more indefinite about the status of Bergeron, who left the game early in the second period with an unspecified injury and was sent to a hospital for observation.
‘‘No update, and I think there’s no concern until you get an update,’’ Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ‘‘As far as we’re concerned, he’s just getting evaluated right now. Not much I can say on his situation.’’
Bergeron, who was a close runner-up to Toews in voting for the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in the NHL this season, played two short shifts early in the second period before leaving the ice.
“Obviously, it’s tough. You don’t want to see one of your best players go down, especially at this time of the year,’’ Bruins forward David Krejci said. ‘‘We definitely missed him, especially at the end of the game when we needed to score.
‘‘But you know what? It is what it is. I don’t know how he feels right now. I don’t know if he’ll play or not. We really need him. If not, we’re going to fight. We’re going to try to do everything we can to get a win and force Game 7.”
Bergeron was replaced by center Carl Soderberg, who played just six games in the regular season and had not played since April 28.
‘‘Carl played really well. He played smart,’’ defenseman Johnny Boychuk said. ‘‘That’s when guys have to step up and do the job when they’re called upon. You have to make sure to be disciplined in all areas. If you have a chance to bury the puck, it could be a game-changer.’’
But just as the Hawks moved on when Toews didn’t play in the third period because of an upper-body injury, the Bruins didn’t spend much time lamenting the absence of Bergeron.
‘‘You can’t think about it ... move on and battle,’’ goaltender Tuukka Rask said. ‘‘Work even harder. He’s such a great guy and a player and leader. You can’t really replace him. We’ve just got to play with the guys we’ve got.’’
