Bruins center Patrice Bergeron played through herniated disc in back

Bergeron appeared in three of the seven games in the first round series between the Bruins and Florida Panthers. 

Now that the series is over and the Panthers have reigned victorious, the Bruins don’t mind publicizing their star forward’s injury. In those three games, he notched one point. He was hurt even in the games he appeared in during the playoffs.

The Bruins’ season ended in an unceremonious way compared the remarkable regular season they had. Boston broke the record for team wins and points in a season with 65 and 135, respectively. 

They finished a full 24 points ahead of the second-place team in the Atlantic Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs. They were also 43 points ahead of the Panthers, whom they fell to in the playoffs.

Bergeron was the Bruins’ No. 1 center this season, scoring 27 goals and 58 points in 78 games played. This was his 10th straight 20-goal season. 

The eventual Hall of Famer has time to decide whether he will return to the Bruins’ lineup next season. He has been playing in the NHL consistently for 19 seasons and ranks third in Bruins’ history in games played and career points.

Bergeron has an NHL best five Frank J. Selke Trophies and could win another one for his work this year. There were rumors that he would retire following last season’s first round exit. He came back for this season, bringing back fellow long-time Bruin David Krejci as well.

The Bruins’ captain has made it to the Stanley Cup finals three times in his career, winning one championship in 2010-11. He had hopes for another championship this year but they were shocked by the Panthers after being ahead 3-1 in the series.

In his career, Bergeron has 427 goals and 1,040 points in 1,294 games all with the Bruins. He is one of the greatest defensively conscious players in NHL history.