McDonald: Loss to Rangers reinforces that Patrice Bergeron needs help - now

NEW YORK -- Enough is enough.

The Boston Bruins need someone other than Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara to step up and play with the urgency that’s needed every game at this level. Forget about all the injuries. Yes, it’s difficult for the Bruins to have success without some of their top players in the lineup. This isn’t saying that Bergeron and Chara are the only ones doing their part, because other veterans are showing up.



It’s almost inconceivable to think that Bergeron has another level. He’s one of the best two-way players in the game and consistently proves it. He found another gear during Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. It surfaced out of frustration. He was more physical and was banging bodies at both ends of the ice. Actually, his frustration was evident during the team’s morning skate when a few drills didn’t go as planned, and it carried over into the game.

A team needs its best players to be at their best, but they can’t play at ludicrous speed for 82 games. Others need to carry the load, and right now that’s not happening.

“He was dialed in,” said Bruce Cassidy. “He wanted to bring a little extra. He knows what we are and we’re going to rely on him for a little more than we normally do, which is a lot. He wanted to get it done and he was frustrated with himself after he didn’t get it up and over (Henrik) Lundqvist, who made a great save, but (Bergeron) got the next one. . . Our veteran guys wanted to get it done, wanted to get points and they pushed to the end.”

Chara, even at age 40, is playing critical minutes and averaging nearly 24 minutes per game. He dropped the gloves and played with an increased emotion during the team’s last road game in Columbus. It served as a wakeup call but it hasn’t carried over from game to game and that’s a problem.

Bergeron’s recovery rate between shifts is the best on the team, but it’s evident he’s gassed at the end of each game. His leading-by-example mindset was at an all-time high on Wednesday.

“You’ve got to realize that the leader of our team is doing whatever he can to push us in the right direction,” said Torey Krug. “If you’re not pulling your weight, or pulling your end of the rope, then you’re going to be left behind. It all starts with those guys and it trickles down. We’ve got to find a way to drag more guys along.”

How do you do that?

“You continue to talk to the guys,” Krug said. “The tough part of playing in this league is showing up every night and showing up on time. We continue to talk to guys and make sure they’re disciplined, they’re focused and make sure you’re not talking at them, but you’re talking with them and having those conversations to make sure they’re ready to go.”

It’s always about the team with Bergeron. He’s not interested in praise or accolades. He wants to win. When the team isn’t competing on a consistent basis it doesn’t bode well.

“You always talk about finding a way to step up, be at your best and leading by example,” Bergeron said. “It’s where we’re at right now, so we need to be better and everyone knows that. As individuals in this locker room, we’re all professionals and we all know we want results. It’s not good enough to only play for 40 minutes. Yes, we have to take the good out of it, but we have to realize we can make it a lot easier on ourselves by playing the right way for the whole game.”

There are too many passengers at this point and the Bruins need others to figure it out.