Despite a month-long hiatus, when he returned, Patrice Bergeron was ready to perform

Bruce Cassidy made an interesting point earlier this month after Charlie McAvoy suffered a knee injury that would result in the rookie defenseman missing at least four weeks of game action. At the time, Patrice Bergeron was already sidelined with a broken foot, so Cassidy mentioned how important the alternate captain’s presence around the rookie would be during their respective rehabs.

Spending that time with Bergeron would give McAvoy a chance to watch a true pro go through the rehab process, and how to properly prepare for a return to the lineup. Cassidy knew once Bergeron was given medical clearance to return, there would be zero rust on his game. Sure, there would be some late-game fatigue -- normal for any hockey player after missing a month -- but Bergeron used his time away to stay as sharp as possible.

That attention to detail paid off during Sunday’s 2-1 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. In total, Bergeron missed 13 games, but he still finished with 19:08 of ice time in his return. He also had two assists, a plus-2 rating, and the top-line center was 14-for-23 on the drop, which proved crucial for the team’s puck-possession minutes.



Probably the most impressive aspect of Bergeron’s rehab was his willingness to join the P-Bruins for a pair of practices last week in Providence. He had skated on his own twice before rejoining the big club for a practice at Warrior Ice Arena before the team left for its current road trip, but since he was close to returning, Bergeron thought it would be best to continue to practice in a team environment. That’s why he went to Providence.

Not only did it help his progressing, the young core of prospects received a first-hand look at what it takes for a player to maintain elite status in the NHL, even after an injury. Maybe it’s no coincidence the P-Bruins played two solid games and won both against the Flyers’ AHL affiliate over the weekend at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center after Bergeron’s two-day visit.

Back in St. Paul, it was important for the Bruins to play with discipline and stay out of the penalty box. Cassidy wanted to manage Bergeron’s minutes, so the only way to do that was to keep the team’s top penalty killer on the bench during the opposition’s power plays. Fortunately for the Bruins, they were whistled for only two penalties, and Bergeron was on the ice for only 31 seconds of the four minutes.

When he was on the ice, the Wild were paying attention.

It was evident when linemate David Pastrnak scored at 3:15 of the second period to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. The play was in the Minnesota zone, when there was a 50/50 puck battle along the right wall. Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo attacked the play and did a solid job of keeping the puck in the offensive end.

Brad Marchand retrieved the loose puck and quickly chipped it to Pastrnak. This is when Bergeron set himself inside the right faceoff circle and received the pass from Pastrnak. Bergeron controlled the puck and took two defenders with him, which allowed Pastrnak to get open for a one-timer in the high slot.

It worked.

Not surprisingly, Bergeron showed patience with the puck and made a no-look pass to Pastrnak, who unleashed a one-timer and registered his 30^th goal of the season.

“We’ve done that play a lot, and I know he likes to open up and get open,” Bergeron explained to reporters after the game. “I also like to make that play and fake the shot, so I thought everyone was waiting for that shot, so I was trying to lay it there for him. And it was a perfect shot from Pasta.”

Not that Bergeron was worried, but he knew his legs, timing and ability to execute consistently would be a little off when he returned. He may have started a bit slow, but as the game progressed, so did Bergeron. His presence is no doubt important for the remaining eight games of the regular season as the team prepares for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I don’t think anyone was expecting him to (miss a beat),” Marchand told reporters who asked about Bergeron. “He’s one of the best players in the league, and the way he takes care of himself off the ice and trains, there was no way he was going to come back in and not be ready to go. He was a huge factor on both goals for our team. He did so many good things all around the ice, it was great to have him back.”

Speaking of preparing, good luck to McAvoy on his eventual return trying to top Bergeron’s performance in his first game back. Hopefully the rookie learned something while both were sidelined.