Balance key to Bergy
Have to stay poised to capture Game 7
Bruins center Patrice Bergeron addressed the proper balance of nervous energy and excitement required to prevail in a Game 7 showdown in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bergeron touched on several factors he anticipated would come into play during the Bruins elimination game with the Toronto Maple Leafs last night at the Garden. The winner advanced to play the Atlantic Division champion Tampa Bay Lightning with Game 1 set for Saturday at Amalie Arena.
“I think there are nerves and butterflies and all stuff, and I think that is a good thing,” said Bergeron following a pregame meeting yesterday morning at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton.
“You have to use that to your advantage and kind of use that as energy. Obviously, you have to stay in the moment and not over-think stuff. Over-excitement is something you want to stay away from. That being said, you want to use that energy.”
Bergeron got an early and valuable lesson in Game 7 management from former linemate and Hockey Hall of Fame winger Mark Recchi. Bergeron was in the middle of the Bruins’ second line with Recchi and rookie Brad Marchand during the Bruins run to the Stanley Cup championship in 2011.
Recchi’s message evidently hit home because the Bruins won three Game 7 encounters — against the Canadiens, the Lightning and the Canucks — en route to raising the Cup.
“Something that Rex showed me before was the poise and the calmness that he had about him before those games,” said Bergeron. “First he told me to have fun and enjoy this and embrace the challenge.
“For me, that’s exactly where it is. We play a game that we love and it is a great opportunity and a great challenge and embrace it and have fun.”
The third degree
B’s coach Bruce Cassidy was comfortable with his decision to reunite the Bruins third line of Riley Nash, David Backes and Danton Heinen for Game 7. Cassidy caught everybody’s attention prior to Game 6 in Toronto when he benched Heinen and dropped Rick Nash in his place. Tommy Wingels took Nash’s spot on second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk.
“That line has played really well for us and we trusted them to do that again,” said Cassidy. “(Heinen) is a very reliable player there. He goes to the right spots and he doesn’t cheat, so there is really no concern there, and he can kill penalties.”
Crowd pleasers
Veteran defenseman Torey Krug is an emotional player that feeds off the crowd. Krug said that the B’s first order of business against the Leafs was to get the boisterous Garden crowd into the game.
The Bruins scored first in two previous wins at the Garden, and they were easy winners in both contests.
“We have to do our jobs as players to make sure the fans are a big part of it and make it uncomfortable for the other team,” said Krug. “As a kid you dream about being the hero and playing in big game situations, and I’m excited to be a part of it.”