The Bruins' best player was compromised during the Stanley Cup Final.
Patrice Bergeron told reporters after the team's 4-1 loss in Game 7 to the Blues on Wednesday he was playing with a "banged up" groin during the Final.
Bergeron said he’s been playing through a “banged up” groin.
— Joe McDonald (@JoeyMacHockey) June 13, 2019
There was a lot of speculation Bergeron was playing hurt, especially after Game 2 in which he looked noticeably limited on the ice.
But he followed that game up with a goal in a 7-2 rout in Game 3 and that speculation seemed to go away.
The fact is, though, Bergeron was clearly not at his best and it showed in his numbers, especially in his play in 5-on-5 situations.
Boston had possibly the best line in the NHL this year with Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, but there were noticeable moments where it couldn't get anything going in the playoffs.
Some of that had to do with Bergeron being injured.
But, give the center credit, he still found a way to contribute as he was consistently winning faceoffs and giving his team chances to score, but ultimately, it just wasn't enough.