The Boston Bruins will play at least one game without Patrice Bergeron.
B's head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Wednesday that the veteran center will miss Thursday night's matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes at TD Garden.
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Bergeron left in the third period of Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins and didn't return. He has an upper body injury, per the team.
Bergeron is arguably the most valuable player on the Bruins given his scoring output, defensive excellence and contributions to special teams, among other facets.
Losing him for any amount of time would be a tough setback, especially given the team's less-than-stellar depth at center. Adding another center was already a top trade-deadline need for this team before Bergeron's injury.
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Making matters worse for the Bruins is the status of Brad Marchand. The first-line left winger has been offered an in-person hearing by the NHL for his incident with Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry late in Tuesday's game. It would not be surprising if Marchand is suspended.