No one will ever question Patrice Bergeron’s toughness after this year’s playoffs. The litany of issues he played through is the type of thing that turns a player into a folk hero.
Bergeron spoke about his injuries today and said he won’t need surgery for any of them. His separated shoulder apparently just needs to heal and his ribs and cartilage just need to not get abused by defenders to be repaired. He also says he should be ready for the start of training camp in September.
Are we sure he’s not made of titanium?
As for the criticism he faced for playing while injured, he said it was the sort of thing any player would’ve done.
“You obviously don’t want to put your health in danger... No regrets on my part, I’ll tell you that,” he said.
As for how he got through Game 6? He took nerve blockers both before and during the game to stop the pain. That sounds like the kind of thing that will keep you from knowing you have a hole in your lung.