But imagine how much worse they would have been without Faber, who played the final 26 games with his own ailment.
On Feb. 20 in Winnipeg, Faber absorbed an awkward hit on the penalty kill. An MRI revealed he had two broken ribs.
For the next month, Faber woke up in the middle of the night struggling to move and breathe. But he kept playing, even though every time he got hit it felt like he was back at Square One.
There was talking of sitting him, but the decision ultimately was Faber’s to make.
And knowing that he wasn’t facing a life or career-threatening injury, he chose to stay in the lineup and appeared in all 82 games.
“I feel like every guy on the team would do the same for me and for the team,” explained Faber, who mended his ribs with rest over the summer. “It’s important, even out of playoffs. It shows your teammates, everyone, that you’re willing to show up the same way in Game 75 when it doesn’t matter versus Game 7 in a Stanley Cup Final.”