sentences:  The 20,000th goal plateau has only been attained by one other NHL team—the Bruins' top rival—the Montreal Canadiens.At the beginning of the 2017–18 season, Backes had been diagnosed with a diverticulitis infection, and missed the first five games of the regular season, but was able to play again by October 19, the night of a home game against the Vancouver Canucks.However, a re-evaluation shortly thereafter, with Backes' most recent game on October 30, on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets, revealed that an operation to remove part of his colon would be necessary; it was carried out on November 2, with a projected eight-week recovery time.