The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is winding down, which means we’ve officially reached “Guys revealing what insane injuries they played with” season.

First up this year is Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov with an injury that sounds so rough I almost pulled a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer to ice my knee, even though mine is completely fine.

So, obviously, I don’t want anyone to get hurt. That’s not the point of “Guys revealing what insane injuries they played with” season. The point is to celebrate that grit, perseverance, and unimaginable Hockey Guy-ness that we see from NHLers year after year.

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Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov revealed that he played through a serious injury for three games during the team’s opening round series with the Buffalo Sabres. (Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images)

Why? We all know why, because it’s the Cup. There were commercials about that.

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Anyway, on Friday night, the Bruins looked to stave off elimination at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, and unfortunately came up short, losing 4-1.

Side note: if I told you back in September that the second round of the playoffs would include the Sabres, Flyers and Ducks, you’d have wanted me wrapped up in a straitjacket and thrown in a padded cell, but here we are.

Isn’t hockey great?

Well, after the Bruins shook hands on Friday, Zadorov was talking to reporters when he revealed that he had suffered a fully torn MCL.

“I tore my MCL (in) Game 3,” he said. “Full torn off the bone, so I kind of played on it a little bit.”

Uh… Friday night’s game was Game 6 of the series.

Zadorov played three full games and logged 21:52 of ice time on Friday, the third most on the team.

Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov takes a shot on goal during the third period against the Buffalo Sabres in Game 1. (Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images)

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Heck, I don’t think anyone watching even noticed anything was up with him. I sure didn’t.

I don’t mean to go down this lane, but if this happened in the NBA… well, it just wouldn’t happen in the NBA.

There’s not a trophy in professional sports that players fight harder for, and that’s why, year after year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs morph into must-see TV.