Jim Montgomery Notes ‘Great Thing’ About Patrice Bergeron Amid Absence

Bruins fans shouldn’t find it hard to believe that Patrice Bergeron is doing everything he can to return to the ice with Boston starting its run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

But the veteran captain also is not going to put the Black and Gold in a disadvantage because his individual aspirations. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery expressed that sentiment Wednesday when he met with reporters after the team held its morning skate before Game 2 against the Florida Panthers.

“Well, he’s hard to keep — he’s such a pro, he’s such a competitor, obviously,” Montgomery told reporters, per the team. “Everybody knows he wants to be in. But the great thing about him is his ability to put his own personal feelings aside and still lead our group like he does. That speaks volumes about his leadership qualities.”

Bergeron has been ruled out for Game 2 at TD Garden on Wednesday night. It comes after Boston’s top-line center missed the series opener Monday because of both injury and illness.

Montgomery revealed Bergeron no longer is suffering from an illness, however the injury he’s dealing with and the extent of the ailment is not known.

“He’s progressing well,” Montgomery said. “So he’s day-by-day, but he’s a no for tonight.”

The Bergeron-less Bruins will try to claim a 2-0 series lead against the Panthers with puck drop scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. You can watch it live on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.

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