Bergeron skates but won’t return this week
Patrice Bergeron was on the ice for part of the Bruins’ morning stake yesterday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.
Bergeron has missed the past 11 games with a fractured right foot, including last night’s clash with the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Garden. He suffered the injury in a 4-3 loss at Toronto on Feb. 24 but played the following night in Buffalo. Bergeron had a CT scan Feb. 26 that revealed the fracture.
“It felt good, and it was nice to be back on the ice and skating, and it felt good,” Bergeron said. “It’s been a long three weeks, but still it was nice to move forward and be on the ice, and definitely it was nice to stay on the ice.
“It’s a lot better as it was expected. It was explained that I wasn’t going to be back right away, and it is still where we want to be I guess.”
Bergeron’s initial prognosis was four weeks, and he has been on the ice twice since the injury. Coach Bruce Cassidy ruled the center out for tomorrow night’s game in St. Louis, and he is doubtful for Friday night in Dallas.
Bergeron has 27 goals and 27 assists this season and was in the discussion for the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and a fifth Selke Trophy before the injury. He was replaced by Riley Nash on first line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak.
“He won’t play Wednesday, and we’ll see where he’s at as we go through the week and continues to be a kind of day-to-day guy now that he is skating,” Cassidy said.
Net loss
Goaltender Tuukka Rask experienced the ups and downs of protecting the cage in a 3-on-3 situation in last night’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets.
Rask finished with 20 saves including two in the extra frame before Columbus winger Cam Atkinson delivered the game-winning goal at 2:55.
The Blue Jackets were enjoying an extended stay in the Bruins end when Ryan Murray set up Atkinson’s assault from the left flank. Atkinson collected the bounding pass and unleashed a wrist shot that beat Rask to the glove side.
“There is not a lot of traffic in front of you, but there are more clear-cut chances,” Rask said of the 3-on-3 overtime. “Even that goal there, it was bouncing on his stick like he is going high-glove, and it kind of goes under my hand.”
Rask is 30-11-5 in 47 games this season.
Rick Nash out
Cassidy realigned his second, third and fourth foward units with the NHL debut of Ryan Donato and the unexpected loss of Rick Nash.
Nash participated in the pregame skate but was removed from the lineup because of an upper-body injury he sustained in Saturday night’s 3-0 victory at Tampa Bay. Anton Blidh was summoned from Providence at the 11th hour to replace Nash. Blidh was paired with Noel Acciari and Brian Gionta on the fourth line. He played 10:23 minutes and had three hits.
“We thought (Nash) would be fine, but it turned out after pregame skate early afternoon he wasn’t,” Cassidy said.
Nash joined forwards Jake DeBrusk, David Backes, Anders Bjork and Bergeron off the grid because of injuries. He is listed day-to-day.