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Patrice Bergeron Out For Bruins Wednesday, Injury Not Improving

BOSTON (CBS) -- Patrice Bergeron continued to sit out for the Bruins at Tuesday's practice in Brighton as he recovers from a mysterious lower-body injury. Now, the center will miss the first three games of the season for the second year in a row.

Bergeron will be out on Wednesday for the Bruins when they get a rematch against the Avalanche in Colorado, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters on Tuesday. The team is "aiming for the weekend" for him to return, which could be as soon as Saturday when they head to Arizona to take on the Coyotes.

When asked if Bergeron's injury has gotten worse, Cassidy denied that it has - but acknowledged that it hasn't exactly gotten better, either.

"I don't know if it 'got worse' is the right way to put it. It just hasn't, I guess, 'responded well to treatment' is probably a better way to put it," said Cassidy.


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The 32-year-old Bergeron missed the first three games of the 2016-17 season as he recovered from a sports hernia. He started very slowly, with just 10 points and a minus-1 rating in his first 34 games, but finished strong with 43 points and a plus-13 in his final 45.

With Bergeron and David Backes (diverticulitis) both out to start the season, the Bruins' depth at center is being tested early. Sean Kuraly has filled in down the middle in the first two games.

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