Bergeron treated at hospital for punctured lung

BOSTON -- Patrice Bergeron played 17:45 in the Boston Bruins' 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final. After an effort like that in the last game of the season, Bergeron deserved a long night's rest at home. However, he didn't get to go home.

The Bruins on Wednesday revealed that Bergeron was taken to a local hospital after the game for observation after he was diagnosed with a punctured lung. As the rest of his teammates went through their exit interviews with coach Claude Julien and general manager Peter Chiarelli, Bergeron remained hospitalized.

Bergeron was released from the hospital Wednesday night, Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Glove reported via Twitter.

While explaining Bergeron's injuries, Chiarelli made sure to note that Bergeron was "fine."

In addition to a broken rib, torn rib cartilage and a separated shoulder, which Bergeron revealed after Game 6, Chiarelli said the veteran center also had a small hole in his lung.

"At some point before or after the game -- it could have been the cracked rib -- there was a puncture in his lung," Chiarelli said. "That's why he was under observation following the game."

Bergeron needed to have the area around the broken rib frozen to help with pain management while he played Game 6.

"In the course of getting a nerve block [to freeze the rib injury], he had a small hole in his lung," Chiarelli said "I'm not sure when that happened, so he played through all of this, and he was a warrior. I can't say enough about his performance and what he did while being injured."

Bergeron sustained the rib injuries during Game 5 in Chicago. He was taken to a hospital for observation but was released that night and flew back to Boston with the team Sunday. The shoulder injury came in the first period of Game 6, but he played through it.

The 27-year-old served as a major inspiration to his teammates.

"You can’t say enough about him. He's such a warrior," linemate Brad Marchand said of Bergeron. "And the fact that he was able to play the whole game, I mean, every time I came onto the bench I was kind of nervous about him. And I kind of watched him and I could just see the pain and agony he was in. It was unbelievable to see him play through that and it gives you just that much more respect for him."