Patrice Bergeron

By Chad Finn, Boston.com/Globe Staff During an interview between the second and third periods of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron confirmed on CTV's "Hockey Night In Canada" that he was bitten by Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows at the end of the first period. "He bit me," Bergeron said. The play happened after the final buzzer of the first period, when Bergeron, one of the Bruins' more disciplined players, got into a prolonged shoving match with Burrows.

Had events taken place as he and his colleagues expected, Bruins president Cam Neely would be in the thick of the second round of the playoffs right now. "I felt, like everybody, we could have gotten through this series," Neely said Thursday during a press conference with Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs and principal Charlie Jacobs at TD Garden. "I don't think we played our best games at all in the games that we lost. "Even in the games we won, I don't think we played our best hockey.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Patrice Bergeron, who shook off one injury to play in Tuesday night's 6-1 slapdown by the Bolts in Tampa, was hors de combat again Wednesday when the Bruins worked out in preparation for Thursday night's game here vs the Panthers. Bergeron, who suffered an unspecified lower-body injury Sunday in Pittsburgh, was hit in the back of a leg with a puck in Tampa, said coach Claude Julien, leaving the stalwart center slightly hobbled and off skates for the one-hour workout.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron finally revealed it was an abdominal injury that nearly knocked him out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Capitals. "It's a torn or strained oblique in my abs, my core," Bergeron said Friday before the Bruins went their separate ways for the summer, "so anything that was moving my arms or working my feet touched my core. " Bergeron has not had an MRI, but said no surgery will be required, just rest. He had a similar injury in 2007 and missed 2 1/2 weeks of the season.

It's not just Patrice Bergeron's effort on the offensive and defensive ends of the ice, it's the trickle-down effect the Bruins center creates. "You ask anybody that's played with him, he makes them that much better of a player," Chris Kelly said. Kelly pointed to Bergeron's usual linemates, Brad Marchand, the 23-year-old who in the last two seasons has 49 goals and 47 assists, and Tyler Seguin, the second pick in the 2010 draft who scored Sunday in overtime to force Game 7 vs. the Capitals.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - In Claude Julien's defensive system, there is no room for cherry-pickers, especially if you're a center. The job demands flawless positioning, usually deep in the defensive zone. Only once the puck is out of the zone can the center, his defensive duties complete, skate the other way. Yet Patrice Bergeron, the Bruins' best defensive center, is the club's No. 2 scorer. "With our system, the centerman's not blowing the zone or cheating, things like that," said fellow center Chris Kelly.

WASHINGTON - Patrice Bergeron was not 100 percent for Sunday's Game 6 against the Capitals. But the Bruins were willing to take a less-than-perfect Bergeron than to be without their most important forward. Bergeron took two licks in Game 5 - from Alexander Semin in the second period and from Alex Ovechkin in the final frame - that left him with an undisclosed injury. Bergeron skated only three shifts in Saturday's third period. But Bergeron was well enough to be in the Game 6 starting lineup alongside Rich Peverley and Brad Marchand.

Bruins center Patrice Bergeron finally revealed it was an abdominal injury that nearly knocked him out of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Capitals. "It's a torn or strained oblique in my abs, my core," Bergeron said Friday before the Bruins went their separate ways for the summer, "so anything that was moving my arms or working my feet touched my core. " Bergeron has not had an MRI, but said no surgery will be required, just rest. He had a similar injury in 2007 and missed 2 1/2 weeks of the season.

After Saturday's Game 5 loss, the Bruins' equipment managers packed up Patrice Bergeron's gear, indicating the team's most important forward was traveling to Washington. Just how much the Bruins can expect from him Sunday remains to be seen. Bergeron was limited to three third-period shifts in Game 5 because of an undisclosed injury. On his second-to-last shift, Bergeron took a pair of heavy licks from Alex Ovechkin, the second at 2:28. Bergeron remained on the bench instead of retreating to the dressing room, but he didn't take another shift until 13:53.

For the last two games of the series, Patrice Bergeron tried to fight through a serious injury. After the 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7, the Bruins star center wasn't ready to disclose what had reduced his game to a shade of its usual efficiency. "It was a little better," Bergeron said. "But not much better. I don't want to use that as an excuse right now. It's a tough one to swallow. I really don't want to put it on an injury. I'm not the only one who goes through that stuff. " During the regular season, Bergeron was the team's second-leading scorer.

The no-movement clause in Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas's contract will expire on July 1. The same day, backup Tuukka Rask will become a restricted free agent. The Bruins could move Thomas and allocate part of his $5 million annual cap hit toward Rask's next contract. General manager Peter Chiarelli, however, downplayed any possibility of trading Thomas. "I know I've seen speculation about moving a goalie and all that stuff," Chiarelli said. "Certainly, I'm not inclined to do that.

For the last two games of the series, Patrice Bergeron tried to fight through a serious injury. After the 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7, the Bruins star center wasn't ready to disclose what had reduced his game to a shade of its usual efficiency. "It was a little better," Bergeron said. "But not much better. I don't want to use that as an excuse right now. It's a tough one to swallow. I really don't want to put it on an injury. I'm not the only one who goes through that stuff. " During the regular season, Bergeron was the team's second-leading scorer.

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff With all seven games in the series decided by one goal, it would be dishonest to pick apart the Bruins shortly after their Game 7 loss to the Capitals. The Bruins certainly could have won the series, and a bounce of the puck -- whether squarely onto Patrice Bergeron's stick or deftly away from Mike Knuble -- could have given the Bruins the win. But there are some reasons why the Bruins, the defending Stanley Cup champions and the conference's No. 2 seed, never took control of the series.

By Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff It's not surprising that the Bruins locker room was quiet after a loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 7 knocked the Bruins out of the playoffs. Johnny Boychuk, Dennis Seidenberg, and Zdeno Chara -- the defensive rocks of the team for most of the season -- stood in and took questions for what must have seemed like an agonizingly long time. With only those three players available for most of the open locker room period, the players were left to answer questions for about 15 minutes each.

WILMINGTON - Shawn Thornton was fine with the message. He joked, however, that he didn't care for the timing. Thornton had just completed his pregame warm-up routine prior to Game 6. But after he ducked into the dressing room, Bruins coach Claude Julien gave him the news that no player wants to hear. With his team facing elimination, Thornton would have to watch the game instead of playing in it. "I don't give a [expletive] this time of year," Thornton said of being scratched.

WILMINGTON - On Wednesday night, the Bruins will participate in their fifth Game 7 in their last seven playoff series. Their most recent Game 7 serves as a reminder of how everybody plays a role when great things happen in the playoffs. On June 15, 2010, three of Boston's four lines showed up legless at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The Canucks were roaring from the opening puck drop. The only Bruins that offered initial resistance were the hard hats: Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton.

9:50 p.m. 3-0, end second period. There never has been a better individual story in Boston sports than the long journey of Patrice Bergeron. Hey, ya bastids, don't get cocky.

By Steve Silva, Boston.com Staff Stanley Cup champions Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and the rest of the Bruins rode the Duck Boats from Causeway Street to Copley Square while fans celebrated another local sports championship on a warm and sunny day in Boston.

WILMINGTON - On Wednesday night, the Bruins will participate in their fifth Game 7 in their last seven playoff series. Their most recent Game 7 serves as a reminder of how everybody plays a role when great things happen in the playoffs. On June 15, 2010, three of Boston's four lines showed up legless at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The Canucks were roaring from the opening puck drop. The only Bruins that offered initial resistance were the hard hats: Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, and Shawn Thornton.