Command perfourmance
Franchise cornerstone submits one for the ages
How appropriate that Patrice Bergeron will match up against his Team Canada buddy Sidney Crosby tonight in Pittsburgh. The performance Bergeron delivered at the Garden last night was one even the best player in the game would envy. The Bruins’ two-way standout had a game for the ages in his team’s 7-1 rout of the Carolina Hurricanes. Bergeron merely scored four goals, the first Bruin to do so since Dave Andreychuk in 1999 and just the 16th in the franchise’s 94-year history.
Bergeron also had a sweet and valuable assist, setting up David Pastrnak’s power play one-timer which ended Pastrnak’s 10-game goal drought.
Some frosting on the cake: Bergeron went 13-4 in the faceoff circle, earned a plus-4 and totaled seven shots on goal — including some high-percentage bids on which he might easily have added another goal or two.
“It was one of those nights where the puck was going in,” said Bergeron, “but also I was finding that slot. It seemed like it was open and Brad (Marchand) kept finding me there. He did a good job of making those plays. It seemed like I had a lane so I was trying to take it.”
Asked about his longtime teammate’s monster night, Zdeno Chara offered a reminder that Bergeron does big things for his team every night.
“It’s not just a night like (last) night, it’s every night,” said the captain. “He does so much for this hockey club, for this organization. Every night, he is working very hard (and) he plays a 200foot game. He does all those little things we ask from him. He goes above and beyond every night.
“I’m just very happy for him that he had the night he had. He got rewarded by scoring some really nice goals and making great plays. You can only be happy for a player like this who gives so much for the team.”
Fans may not see it, but Bergeron also gives a very good effort in practices. A key component: Working on shots from the slot, the so-called “bumper” area he occupies on power plays — and where he scored his four last night.
“I’ve taken those shots many, many times,” he said. “Obviously I can’t put a number on it, but it’s something I work on almost every with Pando (assistant Jay Pandolfo), taking shots from the slot. It was nice to get rewarded.”
As for the drought-busting pass to Pastrnak, Bergeron downplayed the meaning of No. 88’s first goal since Dec. 13.
“I think he has been playing well,” said Bergeron. “The team has been doing well, too. So I don’t think (his drought) was something that anyone should be worried about.
“It’s going to happen during a year. He kept putting in the work and helping the team. I’m sure he’s happy with (the goal); it feels good for him. But that being said, every one of the guys is contributing. It’s been pretty fun to be part of.”
Though Bergeron did have 2-3 good shots at a fifth goal, he insisted another was not on his mind.
“I was just trying to play the game,” he said. “I guess everything was falling into place. It was halfway through the game and I had four. I didn’t know what to expect in the next half of the game. But when you get a big lead like that, you play kind of a different way. It wasn’t the same.”
Bergeron said the B’s did not want to get caught up in the hoopla of putting up a bunch more goals. More important was to finish the game playing properly and be ready to go again tonight in Pittsburgh, their last game before the bye week.
“Something we said after the second is we can’t get away from our good habits,” he said. “Make sure you finish on the right note and feel good about (tonight).”
And if the Bruins can put a beating on Crosby and the host Pens, that’ll make the days off even sweeter.