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It seems almost impossible to somehow undervalue Patrice Bergeron in his 900th NHL game, but that’s exactly where I found myself when it came to Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Canucks.
Back from the lower-body injury that kept him on the shelf for the first five games of the season, the 32-year-old Bergeron led the way in a 20:58 night at center, with one goal and four points, good for the fifth game of at least four points (and his first since Feb. 9 last season).
“I think it was self-evident out there that the play on the ice, first of all, built a matchup against whoever we really want,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said of Bergeron’s impact in the victory.
“Powerplay obviously, big impact there. I think it’s just morale as much as anything, on the bench and in the room. Those intangibles, leadership, first shift of the game, he’s standing up. They had scored a goal and kind of settling the troops down, talking about the details of the game. Finishing your routes on the forecheck, reloading all the way to our zone. Stuff that coaches preach a lot, but goes in one ear and out the other sometimes. And when you hear it from the leaders of the group, it means so much more. To have that back in the room and along with David Backes, those are guys that are just vocal players that bring a lot in that aspect. Generally, a quiet group. That doesn’t mean you can’t be effective and win as a quiet group, it just help sometimes to have a little bit of that energy.”
Bergeron and the Bruins really broke this game open on a five-minute power-play opportunity thanks to a vicious Erik Gudbranson board on Frank Vatrano in the first period, where they struck for three power-play goals on the same opportunity, which is something the B’s have never done.
“Luckily Frankie was okay, but the power play did a great job of kind of taking over that game and giving us a big enough cushion that was tough for them to come back from, so it was good that we were able to kind of find our groove again,” Brad Marchand said. “You know, we were really good last year, and we’ve struggled a bit early on here, but it was great to have a big night.”
The B’s added a fifth goal in the second behind a Marchand snapshot and Bergeron’s power-play goal in the third served as the nail in the coffin, as Anton Khudobin stopped 26 shots for the win.
But the biggest boost undoubtedly came from the start and finish from No. 37.
“I felt good,” Bergeron said after the game. “It’s one of those where it’s the first one so your legs are a little heavy, especially early on, but, you know, getting those goals definitely helps get yourself going, and yeah after that, you know, I felt better as the game went on.”
This and that
- This four-point night from Bergeron also moved him ahead of Ken Hodge for sole possession of seventh on the Bruins’ all-time points list, with 675. This is where the gaps become a bit more challenging for Bergeron, who seemingly leaped five names over the last two years, as he’s now 118 points behind Wayne Cashman for sixth, and 213 points behind Bobby Orr for No. 5 on the list.
- Center David Krejci was knocked out of this game with an upper-body injury. The B’s do not believe that it’s anything serious. You certainly have to hope that that’s the case, as Krejci has been among the best and most consistent B’s this season, with a direct impact in all of their wins thus far.
- Adam McQuaid will miss the next eight weeks with a broken fibula. Say what you will about McQuaid, but there’s not a soul in that the B’s dressing room that doesn’t absolutely love McQuaid. He does all the little things you look for in a teammate, and this latest injury is a direct result of that.
Already somewhat hobbled by a blocked shot on Sunday, McQuaid took shots to the same spot on Thursday before he literally couldn’t get up, and was forced down the runway by his teammates.
“First off, he’s just a great person, but he’s an even better teammate and I mean, you guys kind of know how he is,” Kevan Miller said. “He’ll block a shot and do anything for the team, and that’s what he did tonight. We’ve seen a lot of that throughout his whole career, and he plays really hard.”
Without McQuaid, veteran free agent addition Paul Postma, a healthy scratch for the first six games of the season, will likely draw in and slot in on the left side of the club’s third pairing.
- It feels weird to remember that these teams played for the Stanley Cup in 2011. Especially when you look at the Vancouver side. It feels like it was a billion years ago, really.
Up next
The Bruins continue this homestand with a Saturday night visit from the Sabres.
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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