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We’re running out of adjectives to describe Bruins center Patrice Bergeron.
Bergeron will always be known for his all-world two-way game (he needs one more Selke Trophy to have the most all time), his faceoff prowess, and ability to battle through almost anything. These are all best described as incredible. Bergeron and his linemates have once again been beyond elite in these areas this season, with the Brad Marchand-Bergeron-David Pastrnak entering having surrendered just three five-on-five goals against this season (this season!) entering Thursday.
But the 32-year-old Bergeron’s offensive game, when firing on all cylinders (and on net) like it was in a 5-2 victory over the Islanders, is just as impressive and effective.
Down 0-1 in the first period, it was a two-on-one that Bergeron capped with a wicked post-and-in shot that left New York netminder Jaroslav Halak clueless.
Ryan Spooner put the B’s back on top with a goal right off the faceoff midway through the second period, and it was Bergeron that extended the lead with a power-play putaway marker scored at the 13:49 mark of the middle frame.
Finding a way to establish a two-goal edge before the end of the middle period was obviously important (and something that the B’s failed to do in their win on Wednesday), and it was Bergeron that decided to extend it even further with another goal in the third.
Scored 3:45 into the final 20, the goal gave Bergeron his second hat trick in the month of January (he scored four goals in a Jan. 6 demolition of the Hurricanes), and let him finish his night with a dynamite three goals on four shots in just 15:39 of action.
Bergeron also won 12 of his 18 faceoffs, including six of eight against John Tavares.
With the hat trick, Bergeron is the first Black and Gold skater to record multiple hat tricks in the same season since Bill Guerin accomplished the feat in 2002, and is the first Boston skater to record two hat tricks in the same month since Rick Tocchet did it in Mar. 1996.
Overall, the latter has occurred just 20 times in franchise history, and by just 12 different players.
And it’s an 11-game run that’s seen Bergeron post 11 goals, 16 points, along with 36 shots on goal. The 11 goals are the most in the league over that timeframe, ahead of the Flyers’ Sean Couturier and Carolina’s Sebastian Aho by two goals, and only his linemate, Marchand (who has 17 points), has been a productive player than No. 37. It almost goes without saying that the Bruins have won with Bergeron leading the charge, with an 8-0-3 record since the start of this 11-game run.
The Bruins have been great beyond Bergeron’s hot streak, though, as this win extended their point streak to an impressive 15 games by way of an 11-0-4 record.
This and that
- Ryan Spooner continues to be an absolute gem for the Black and Gold.
It’s wild how quickly everybody wrote off Spooner last season when playing out of his natural position, ad it’s wild to see Spooner’s undeniable across-the-board improvement this season.
With his goal tonight, Spooner has now tallied four goals and five points in five games, and has recorded six goals and 13 points in 13 games since returning to the lineup last month. This has come with Spooner playing both and right wing at different points, and with his special teams minutes moved around (be it from the first power-play unit to the second depending on the matchup).
Still, some people would love to see the Bruins move him at the trade deadline. Me? I’d probably not.
When the Bruins are at their best, it’s with a second center option on a line. And if Spooner’s growth, particularly in the defensive end and in the physicality department, can make him something similar to the player that Rich Peverley turned himself into, then that’s something you’d wanna keep on the ice.
- A solid 22-of-24 bounceback performance from Anton Khudobin. These are the kind of nights you need. Of course, the November Khudobin would be awesome, but this version works just fine, too.
- The win gives the Bruins their first season sweep of the Islanders since 2015-16. It’s also the third team that the B’s have swept this season (the Coyotes and Sharks are the other two). The B’s had eight season series sweeps a season ago, and just two against Eastern Conference opponents.
Up next
The Bruins head back to Montreal for yet another head-to-head with the Canadiens. The B’s have won both of their prior meetings with the Habs and four straight contests dating back to last season.
Ty Anderson is the Boston Bruins beat writer for WEEI.com, and has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010. He can be heard on the Saturday Skate program on 93.7 WEEI (Boston), and has been part of the Boston Chapter of the PHWA since 2013. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
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