Aaron Ward, one of the Bruins' top four defensemen, arrived at yesterday morning's skate on crutches and wasn't in uniform for last night's matchcup with the Panthers at the Garden.
Initial indication: a deep bruise.
According to general manager Peter Chiarelli, X-rays confirmed a deep contusion in Ward's right foot. The medical staff had feared a fracture.
"So, it's good news," said Chiarelli, noting that the bruise is on the inside of the foot, along the arch and toward the ankle. "I don't know a timeline, but sometimes that kind of injury can take a while - possibly two weeks, but we hope not that long."
Ward took a shot off the foot the night before in Washington, where the Bruins suffered a humiliating 10-2 loss.
"The foot's swollen, and he can't get it into his skate," said coach Claude Julien after the morning practice.
Ward, 34, obtained last February when the Bruins shipped Paul Mara to the Rangers, has played in 52 games this season, collecting 4 goals and 10 points. For much of the season, he has paired with Andrew Ference on the back line.
Bobby Allen, who last suited up Dec. 22 vs. St. Louis, took Ward's place. He has been hindered by back spasms.
"I'm optimistic I've turned the corner with it," said Allen. "I've been OK with everything I've done."
Allen played five shifts, totaling 3:27, in the 1-0 loss to the Panthers and was on the bench for the third period and overtime.
Good News Dept.
Despite the eight-goal shellacking the night before, there were a couple of encouraging signs at the optional morning workout:1. Patrice Bergeron, slowly recovering from a Grade 3 concussion sustained Oct. 27, joined a smattering of teammates on the ice for the first time, and worked out for 28 minutes. Most significantly, he boosted his heart rate to approximately 175 beats per minute, and experienced no negative consequences.
"My lungs are burning, but I'd expect that," said the 22-year-old Bergeron, his face flushed after the workout. "It felt good to be out there, and to get my heart rate higher, that's for sure. Now we'll see how I feel during the day, and tonight, whether the headaches come back."
Bergeron hopes to work out for 28 minutes each of the next couple of days, and if he continues to respond well, he'll gradually boost the length of the workouts, perhaps to 30 or 32 minutes.
2. Manny Fernandez, who underwent knee surgery to repair a torn ligament in December, was in full gear and faced shots for more than a half-hour. Fernandez, 33, did the same thing Monday in Wilmington, but with only Bergeron available as a shooter.
"It felt really good," said an enthusiastic Fernandez. "But I was limited to doing some of the things out there."
The big test for Fernandez's wounded knee will be when he makes the butterfly move, dropping to his knees and fanning out his pads. That big test is at least a few days away.
"But this is a positive step in the right direction," he said.
Hitting not amiss
The Panthers, with little chance of making the playoffs, outhit the Bruins, 19-13, and Steve Montador led the way with five . . . The Bruins won an impressive 65 percent of the faceoffs, led by Marc Savard's strong night (15 for 20, 75 percent) . . . Amid the carnage in Washington Monday, Julien called on backup Alex Auld to sub for Tim Thomas when the Capitals built their lead to 4-0 in the first period. Auld allowed another pair before the break, then yielded to Thomas for the start of the second. Auld was back for more work in the third. "I think you guys probably thought it was Mike Keenan after a while," said Julien, referring to the Calgary coach known for his penchant to pull goalies. Julien explained that he knew he was going to use Auld as last night's starter and slotted him in only as a way to get his game warmed up for the Panthers . . . Stanislav Chistov, back after a disappointing stint in Russia, participated in the optional morning workout. Chiarelli continues evaluating the enigmatic forward, and could activate him before the regular season ends.A spine-tingler
Andrew Alberts, who has been out of the lineup with concussion-like symptoms since mid-December, also participated in the morning workout. "I had a couple of bad days, but I am feeling better," said the towering defenseman. Alberts explained that his issues in recent weeks have been related to his neck vertebrae, specifically the C-1. According to Alberts, the C-1 has been knocked off angle, causing one end to pinch down on the C-2 and C-3 . . . The Bruins kept to their plan and checked into a downtown hotel immediately after returning from D.C. "We haven't been good this year playing a home game in back-to-back situations," explained Julien. "This way we made sure guys get their proper rest."Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at dupont@globe.com
