Bergeron On Playing With Punctured Lung: 'I'd Do It All Again'
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Bruins lost in heartbreaking fashion in the final seconds of regulation of Game 6 of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final. Bruins fans need not be reminded of the details.
But for Patrice Bergeron, that evening was doubly painful. There was, of course, the sting that accompanies losing. And there was also the pain that comes with playing through a cracked rib and a punctured lung.
That's what Bergeron did, and yet, even in retrospect, the dangers of playing in such a condition do not have Bergeron feeling any regrets.
"I'd do it all again," Bergeron said in a story for The Players' Tribune. "The cracked ribs, the cartilage, even the punctured lung. I'd do it all again in a second. I'd do it again because I had learned from others the sacrifices you need to make as a team in order to win in the playoffs. I'd do it again because my teammates and I knew what it felt like to hoist the Cup. That feeling of celebrating a lifelong ambition and the bond it creates is something that's truly indescribable."
The story focuses on the Bruins' return to the playoffs after a two-season absence. Bergeron recalls many stories from his earliest days in Boston when he could barely speak English to how the team responded this year to the firing of Claude Julien. He also sent out a warning to any and all players in the NHL.
"Here's my best piece of advice for you if you're thinking of chirping Brad Marchand: Don't. Just don't. You won't win. Nobody ever wins," Bergeron said.
The whole story makes for a worthwhile read for any Bruins fans looking to pass some time before the puck drops on Game 1 on Wednesday night.
