BOSTON: With the finish line of a punishing two month play-off marathon in sight, the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks could end the Stanley Cup Finals without their top players as the grind of four best-of-seven series takes its toll.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, the leading scorer in the Finals, never saw the ice during the third period of Chicago’s Game Five 3-1 win over Boston on Saturday after going down with injuries.
The Blackhawks walked away from the wreckage with a 3-2 series lead and can clinch the Stanley Cup with a Game Six win in Boston but they may have to finish the job without Toews.Both coaches remained tight-lipped yesterday about the status of their players, leaving the rumour mill to speculate on the nature of the injuries.
In the National Hockey League teams treat injuries like state secrets and they fall into two categories, upper or lower body. Toews’s injury appears to be concussion related, while Bergeron could be suffering an internal problem.
Boston coach Claude Julien was vague, describing Bergeron’s injury as a “body injury”, adding that their leading faceoff man’s status was “day-to-day”.
Bergeron, who has scored four goals in the Finals, exited early in the second period on Saturday and was later taken by ambulance to hospital.
He was discharged following an examination and returned with the team to Boston.
“What does ‘day-to-day’ mean? I don’t know if he’ll skate tomorrow. He may and that’s what ‘day-to-day’ is,” explained Julien, tap-dancing around the media’s questions.
“Again, I’m trying to be as clear as I can here.”
Toews, who assisted on Blackhawks first two goals, did not play after taking a thundering hit from Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk abut remained on the bench until the final buzzer. AFP
