By ,
Published January 13, 2015
Patrice Bergeron won't undergo surgery for the myriad of injuries he sustained as the Boston Bruins attempted to win their second Stanley Cup in the last three seasons.
Bergeron suffered a fractured rib, torn rib cartilage, punctured (and then collapsed) lung on his left side, and a separated right shoulder over the course of the final games of the Cup Finals, won by Chicago in six contests.
On Tuesday, the 27-year-old forward provided an update on his condition.
"I'm feeling a lot better. I guess the ribs and the shoulder now just needs to get some time to rest but it's a lot better," Bergeron said. "No surgeries on the shoulder. It's just separated. It's just going to heal. I'm going to need, obviously, some treatments. I'm going to have to do that and the rib and the cartilage but there's no treatment for it. It's more...take time to rest it and make sure it heals on its own."
Bergeron left a 3-1 loss in Game 5 at Chicago and was taken to a hospital in an ambulance. Near the midway point of the second period, the winger took a short shift and appeared to be in discomfort. He stayed on the bench for the rest of the period, but took only one more brief shift before departing United Center for treatment. The Bruins stayed mum on a possible diagnosis, even after he exited the hospital one day later and skated in the deciding Game 6.
Bergeron admitted that the issues actually began one game earlier, and snowballed from there.
"It first happened in Game 4 in Chicago...I guess my cartilage must have torn in the corner there against I think it was (Michael) Frolik. It escalated because I kept playing. In Game 5, I think it was the first or second shift, I got hit again right on the ribs and that's when I'm sure it cracked and it got worse. So, I tried to go back in the second and after the second period the doctors were -- because the pain kept escalating -- they were worried about this pain so we had to go to the hospital and get it checked but everything was fine. So I got back home and got ready for Game 6. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to play but I went to see some doctors and was able to have...a nerve block on my ribs. It got worse there from the game. I separated my shoulder in the first period of Game 6."
Following the shocking turn of events in that game, which saw the Blackhawks claim the Cup thanks to two goals in a 17-second span late in regulation, Bergeron went back to the hospital, where the lung issue was discovered.
"I kind of had trouble breathing a little bit. I felt like my chest was closing in on me so the doctors didn't want to take any chances. There's an x- ray machine here, but they couldn't tell really. They wanted to make sure and luckily enough they made the right decision because I went there right away and they found out that my lung had collapsed."
Bergeron, a Selke Trophy candidate, ended the postseason with nine goals and 15 points in 22 appearances. That followed a 10-goal, 32-point regular season.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/banged-up-bergeron-wont-need-surgery-for-various-injuries