Patrice Bergeron Goes Full Bergeron To Set Up Bruins' First Goal In Game 5
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Game 5, in a bubble, facing elimination, down a goal, on the power play. Sounds like the perfect time for Patrice Bergeron to active Full Bergeron Mode.
The Bruins' living legend is known widely around the hockey world for being nominated almost annually for the Selke Trophy as one of the best two-way forward in the game. Over the years, the award's come to kind of come to be considered "best defensive forward."
Bergeron certainly fits that bill, but he's still got plenty to offer on the offensive end. He showed that on Monday night.
With the Bruins on a somewhat lifeless power play, Bergeron knew what Mikhail Sergachev was going to do with the puck before Mikhail Sergachev knew what Mikhail Sergachev was going to do with the puck. Bergeron read Sergachev and stepped in his clearing lane, casually grabbing the lofted puck out of mid-air to maintain possession in the offensive end.
Bergeron then whirled up and down the half-wall, drawing the attention of every blue jersey to him. Bergeron then drifted to the corner, waiting to get the right lane to David Krejci, back at the top of the opposite faceoff circle.
With Barclay Goodrow reaching his toward Bergeron, the Bruins forward nonchalantly sent a backhand saucer pass that landed directly on Krejci's tape.
It was a work of art.
From there, the supreme vision and talent from Krejci set up a one-time opportunity for David Pastrnak with a mostly open net to aim for. The NHL's leading goal scorer does not miss from there. The Bruins tied the game at 1-1.
The play did not fully resuscitate the Bruins' Stanley Cup aspirations, as they lost in double-overtime to end their season. Yet with elimination hanging over their heads, it's no surprise at all that it was Bergeron who initiated the play to get the Bruins' heads above water at a critical juncture of the season.
