Playing without standouts like Patrice Bergeron and David Craigie might not seem like a big deal since the Boston Bruins currently hold a 3-1 advantage in their first-round series against the Florida Panthers. After suffering an injury late in the regular season, Bergeron has yet to play in the postseason. Since the second game of the series, Krejci has been idle. Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery was crystal clear today that if either or both of them got the go-ahead for Game 5, they’d be in the game.
“If they and the doctors say they can play, they play. Don’t take any chances in the playoffs. Don’t wait to see if he gets another eight days off.”
“If he’s healthy, and we know what the situation is, if he gets the go-ahead, he plays Wednesday night.”
Although Bergeron did not accompany the team to Florida, Montgomery maintains there is an opportunity to play in Game 5 when the series returns to Boston. This is much more encouraging news than we’ve received since the playoffs began, when Montgomery and the rest of the team were very evasive about Bergeron’s potential inclusion in the lineup.