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Bruins likely to get Bergeron back vs. Wild (Mar 25, 2018)
SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Good news for the Boston Bruins could be bad news for the rest of the Eastern Conference.
Already holding a clinched playoff spot and having gotten points in their past four games (2-0-2), the Bruins are expected to get an important piece of their lineup back on the ice when they visit the Minnesota Wild on Sunday.
Patrice Bergeron, one of Boston's true marquee sources of offense, has missed the past month with a fractured foot, but before their 3-2 win in Dallas on Friday, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he is hopeful the center will be on the ice at Xcel Energy Center.
"If he gets cleared, he'll join us (Saturday) in Minnesota," coach Bruce Cassidy said Friday. "He may be able to play. I know our guys would want to see him skate here as well. But if he joins us there's a pretty good chance he will play."
Since then, it's been reported that Bergeron flew to Minnesota after practicing with the team's AHL affiliate in Providence. If so, he would likely see action versus the Wild and to close out the Bruins' current four-game road trip in Winnipeg on Tuesday.
It would be the latest bit of good news for Boston, which won in Dallas on Friday with a goal in the final seconds. Cassidy said his team's relentless pursuit of loose pucks is what is paying dividends for them.
"We believe in that room that it's about puck battles for us. There's not a lot of Xs and Os that go on in there," he said after the Dallas win. "There are always adjustments here and there with maybe a power play entry or etcetera, but for the most part, win our pucks and we've got enough talent in that room to win the game."
Minnesota enters with some momentum, although the Wild may be lacking rest. They'll face the Bruins roughly 21 hours after they beat the Predators 4-1 on Saturday night at home, rallying from a 1-0 deficit to keep pace with Colorado in the Western Conference playoff race.
Minnesota's biggest concern versus the west's top team was rust, as they hadn't played since the previous Monday and admitted they were getting tired of facing only each other in practice.
The Wild got goals from Joel Erickson Ek, Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker and Zach Parise to remain in the driver's seat for a third place finish in the Central Division and a sixth consecutive playoff trip. Almost lost in the story was Wild coach Bruce Boudreau getting his 500th win, which he immediately downplayed.
"I didn't want anybody to make any fuss about any of that. We're in too tight of a playoff race," he said. "I talk about team all the time, so if I start talking about this thing, then it sort of defeats what I'm really trying to accomplish ... I think in the summer it'll be when I'm with family, that'll be pretty cool, but right now let's focus on the game and the team."
Sunday's game will be the Bruins' only trip to Minnesota this season.
