Bergeron On Gresh & Zo: 'Wouldn't Want To Play Against Marchand'
BOSTON (CBS) – The Boston Bruins entered the third period against the Winnipeg Jets down 3-2 on Tuesday night, and knew something had to be done.
"We said that we had to be better. The good thing is that we were only down by one goal, that was the positive out of those first forty minutes," Patrice Bergeron told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Gresh and Zolak Wednesday afternoon after the B's scored three unanswered in the third period en route to a 5-3 win.
"We had to turn it on and we did that. We showed some character and emotion and eight seconds into it we got that big goal; that helped a lot getting the momentum back and the intensity," he said of Nathan Horton's second goal of the night to tie the game at three. "All the lines were rolling in that third period and that's how we need to play."
Boston also got a penalty shot goal out of fourth-line forward Shawn Thornton, who showed off some fancy stick work in beating Winnipeg's Ondrej Pavelec.
The shot was Thornton's own creation, and something he shows off quite a bit in practice.
"That's his own move; he does it a lot," said Bergeron. "I knew he was going to do it, a lot of the guys knew that was the move he was going to pull on the penalty shot. Obviously, except on (Tuukka Rask), that works. Our goalies are used to it, but any other goalie it surprises them."
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"He is a great player; he has some great hands but also his presence on the ice," Bergeron said of Thornton, who is much more than just a fourth-line forward to Boston. "Last year in the playoffs when he came back in the lineup, his presence was felt. For us he gave us the energy and the emotion, and for Vancouver it put them on their heels."
"With him in the lineup, we're a better team," said Bergeron.
One player the Bruins will not have in the lineup the next four games is Bergeron's line-mate Brad Marchand, who was suspended five games by the NHL for a hit during their 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
"It's just unfortunate, and it's the league's decision and we have to live with it," Bergeron said of the suspension.
Bergeron was on the ice for the play and said it's not a new, or dirty, move from Marchand.
"They're both going at the puck. Marchy is one of those guys that is pretty good at that hip-check. Salo kind of turned on that one; it seemed like he was trying to go for the puck and he ran into Marchy. He didn't expect Marchy to go with that hip-check, so he just fell awkwardly on the ice. Other than that, Marchy's been doing that a couple of times and they've been good hits too," he said.
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While his reputation around the league has been taking hits, Bergeron does not see Marchand as a dirty player.
"He's got that style; he's an agitator and he gets under people's skin," said Bergeron. "That's when he's at his best actually; when he's playing his game, skating and making plays, but also when he's getting into people's faces and sucking them into penalties."
"I wouldn't want to play against Marchy, but I love him on my team," he said.
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