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Bruins’ Gregory Campbell breaks leg, done for season

It was one of the most inspirational moments of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Gregory Campbell of the Boston Bruins blocking a Evgeni Malkin shot, injuring his leg and then remaining on the ice for over a minute to help kill a Pittsburgh Penguins power play in the second period of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Campbell finally left the ice with 3:36 remaining in the period, and wouldn’t return to the Bruins’ double-overtime victory over the Penguins.

The reason? According to ESPN Boston, Campbell broke his right leg on the play and is done for the season.

(UPDATE: The Bruins confirmed Thursday morning that Campbell suffered a broken right fibula on the play.)

Via Joe McDonald of ESPN:

Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the game he had no update but called it a serious injury and said the team would know more on Thursday.

"For what he went through, he showed a lot of guts to stay out there and to still try and play," Julien said. "Obviously it was a pretty serious injury, so that's just the kind of player he is, and it doesn't surprise me, it doesn't surprise his teammates, but certainly it shows the character of that player, and that's why we appreciate having him on our team."

It’s a significant blow to the Bruins’ depth.

Campbell is a defensive presence, helping to power Boston’s at times dominating fourth line with Daniel Paille and Shawn Thornton. He was their leading forward in average shorthanded ice time (2:08), and was over 50 percent on faceoffs.

He’ll be missed; how many NHL players would do this on a broken leg?