Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron was back on the ice on the team's off-day, and coach Bruce Cassidy said it will be a game-day decision whether he plays in Game 5 against Toronto on Saturday night.
"We won't rule him out and we won't say he's definitely in," the coach said during the team's off-day availability on Friday. "But it is a positive he's back on the ice."
Bergeron missed Game 4 on Thursday with an undisclosed injury — a surprise to the Maple Leafs, who had no warning he was hurt. The Bruins won 3-1 in Toronto to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.
While there was no on-ice workout for the rest of the team Friday, Bergeron skated with a backup goalie and a coach at the practice facility. He did not show any impairment.
Cassidy stressed that even though the Bruins have a cushion in the series that would have no impact on when Bergeron returns.
"The last game, 90
A four-time Selke Award winner as the NHL's best defensive forward and the Bruins' No. 3 scorer this year with 63 points in 64 games, Bergeron broke his foot while blocking a shot on Feb. 24 and was sidelined for a month. Without him, the Bruins went 9-2-2.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, we've had to go to that a little bit in the regular season,"
Bergeron had had five assists in the first two games of the playoffs,
"They played without him for a while when he broke his foot there and they continued to just keep on rolling," Maple Leafs
___
More NHL hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockey
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press