Getting on the ice is cool with Bergeron

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff  |  January 14, 2009

Last Friday, when Patrice Bergeron spoke for the first time since suffering a concussion Dec. 20, he offered no prediction on when he would resume skating. Bergeron explained that he didn't want to establish a schedule and experience disappointment if he didn't hit his checkpoints on time.

Just two days later, Bergeron was back on the ice at Ristuccia Arena. He then skated Monday and again yesterday morning when he hit the TD Banknorth Garden ice.

"It feels great," said Bergeron, who skated with Andrew Ference, Milan Lucic, and Manny Fernandez before the full squad hit the sheet.

"It feels great to be back on the ice. When I talked to you guys, I didn't know when I was going to go back. To be back that quick, I'm very happy about it.

"At the same time, it's just skating for now and taking some shots. It's just great to be back. It's a relief for me to get a chance to skate again, be with some of the guys, and be around the guys some more. It's fun."

During his off-ice workouts, Bergeron had been maxing out his heart rate at 145-150 beats per minute, feeling no symptoms after his sessions.

The last few days on the ice, he has been peaking at 155-160 beats.

But while Bergeron has bumped up his intensity only slightly (he and the Bruins are trying to leave no room for setbacks), it's been a significant bump to his mental well-being to be back skating. One of the organization's primary concerns was how this latest problem would affect him mentally.

Bergeron hinted that being on the ice, shooting pucks, and trying to find his touch again was more entertaining than grinding away on the stationary bike.

"It's not a drastic change or a big increase of the workouts," said Bergeron. "But it's more about going on the ice, having fun, and doing the same workout I was doing on the ice."

For now, Bergeron will continue skating on his own. He has not determined when he will start practicing with teammates and including contact in his on-ice sessions.

As the Bruins suspected, a procedure yesterday at Massachusetts General Hospital to repair a torn meniscus in Marco Sturm's left knee also revealed a tear in his anterior cruciate ligament. Dr. Peter Asnis and Dr. Thomas Gill performed surgery to repair both. The surgery knocks out Sturm for the rest of the season and the postseason. He appeared in 19 games, collecting seven goals and six assists.

Coach Claude Julien didn't like the boarding major that saw Aaron Ward get a face full of glass late in the second period. But what irked him even more was the identity of the guilty party: Andrei Kostitsyn, who was belted by Tim Thomas in response to the hit.

"I guess the biggest issue with me is that this is not the first time this guy does this," said Julien. "We're trying to eliminate that from the game. I don't like to see that happening over and over from the same guys. Sooner or later, we've got to step in there and make an example out of somebody."

Ward, who was hobbled after blocking a shot on the same shift, didn't return in the third period. Julien said Ward aggravated a charley horse he originally sustained against Buffalo Jan. 3.

"These things creep up a little bit and there's pain elsewhere," said Julien. "It's one of those injuries where it's really hard to tell you. He could be a day, he could be a couple days, he could be a week."

Fernandez, out last night with what Julien termed "general soreness," was on the ice briefly before the morning skate. Julien said he hoped Fernandez would be available for practice today prior to the team's departure for Long Island. Tuukka Rask, recalled on an emergency basis as the backup last night, was returned to Providence after the game, and defenseman Matt Lashoff was recalled . . . Lucic (undisclosed injury) missed his third straight game. He participated in the morning skate but wasn't on the ice for pregame warm-ups . . . Julien shuffled his lines in the third period, taking Martin St. Pierre off the top threesome and replacing him with P.J. Axelsson. Martins Karsums, who started on the third line, didn't see any ice time in the final period . . . For the second straight game since his return from a shoulder injury, Petteri Nokelainen served as the No. 4 center, skating between Shawn Thornton and Byron Bitz.

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa@globe.com.