BOSTON -- Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron suffered a partially torn oblique muscle in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against the Washington Capitals and said Friday that he had played despite a considerable amount of pain.

He will not require surgery, but likely two to three weeks to heal. Bergeron said he had a similar injury in 2007.

In fact, had the Bruins beaten the Capitals, he might have missed at least one, possibly two games to start the conference semifinals. He also played with a broken nose he suffered in Game 5.

"It's a torn, or strained oblique, in my abs," Bergeron said. "It's my core, so anything that has to do with moving my arms or moving my feet, it starts with the core. It started in Game 3 and it got worse. Obviously, I didn't play in the third period in Game 5 and I couldn't do anything. I tried in Games 6 and 7 and I was probably 60 percent, I don't know exactly."

In the opening minutes of overtime in Game 7, Bergeron had a quality scoring chance but couldn't convert.

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said Friday he had no doubt that if Bergeron were healthy, he would have pumped in that goal.

"He was very debilitated from taking faceoffs and I believe, I don't Bergy would ever say it, but I believe that last chance in overtime he couldn't stretch for it because of the oblique. He was in a lot of pain," Chiarelli said.