NEW YORK -- Less than an hour to go before faceoff here, and Peter Chiarelli, the Bruins General Manager, just announced outside the Boston dressing room that defenseman Andrew Ference sustained a fractured tibia (right leg), will undergo surgery Monday for the insertion of a surgical pin, and will be lost to the lineup for up to eight weeks.

''He'll be out a bit,'' said Chiarelli. ''Maybe, collectively the whole year, he's been our best defenseman. He's played a solid game, moving the puck....we will miss him.''

According to Chiarelli, Dr. George Theodore will perform the surgery Monday, inserting a pin to help stabilize the fracture and speed up the healing process.

Initial imaging, said Chiarelli, did not immediately reveal the fracture (a common issue, often related to swelling), but further testing revealed it.

''It's not a displaced fracture,'' said Chiarelli. ''In that way, it's a lot like [Chuck] Kobasew's injury.