Bergeron Felt Like Himself In Return
BOSTON (CBS) - Patrice Bergeron is back for the Boston Bruins.
"I felt pretty good, I felt good out there," Bergeron said after returning in the Bruins 2-0 Game 3 win over the Lightning to take a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. "I was obviously pretty happy to be back and help the team."
Bergeron missed nearly two weeks after suffering a mild concussion in Game 4 of the Bruins sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers. He missed the first two games against the Lightning, but is ready to make an impact the rest of the series.
"I felt like I was myself, I felt good," said Bergeron, who logged just over 19 minutes in 29 shifts on the ice Thursday night. "In the first period I was keeping things simple, which I think is pretty normal after missing two weeks. I kept it simple and as the game went on I felt like I was feeling better."
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"I really liked the way he played," coach Claude Julien said after the game. "Obviously you see the difference he can make for our hockey club, faceoff wise, but also his responsibility on both ends of the ice."
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"It's about making plays and making sure when I have the puck, I know where my teammates are in the offensive zone," said Bergeron. "I felt like it got better as the game went on."
"He's back and he definitely made a difference for us, like he always does and like he has been this whole playoffs," goalie Tim Thomas added. "He's been one, if not, the best player on our team."
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Bergeron was his usual self on faceoffs, winning 18 of the 28. He also made an impact on the Bruins second line, making Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi much more active.
"His line was definitely better, his linemates obviously felt comfortable because they had been with him all year," said Julien. "So there as some chemistry there and that certainly helped us tonight. I liked the fact hat we had our four lines that were pretty stable and pretty good for us and pretty reliable."
Every game of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Bruins and Lightning can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub with pregame coverage beginning 60 minutes before each game with the Dunkin Donuts Bruins Pregame show.
