Ryan: Patrice Bergeron's Game 5 performance was a masterclass in what makes Bruins star such a dominant force

If one was to break out the calculator and crunch those fancy numbers we advanced analytics fiends love to flaunt (no – we don’t use calculators, people), one very well could have been surprised that Patrice Bergeron was decidedly meh in Boston’s Game 5 clincher over the Hurricanes on Wednesday evening. 

Primarily matched up against Sebastian Aho’s line for most of the contest, Bergeron and Boston's reunited first line failed to land much of a punch at 5v5 play. Quite the contrary, despite having over 66% of their faceoffs in the offensive zone, Boston's top forward trio spent some extended stretches in the defensive zone — with Carolina holding a pretty decisive edge in shot attempts (15-8), scoring chances (10-2) and high-danger scoring chances (3-1) in the Bergeron line's 10:54 of 5v5 ice time. 

Still, even a stat advocate like yours truly has no qualms with this proclamation: The numbers don't always tell the whole story. 

Whether it be digging into the deep numbers or just the good ol' eye test, there should be no end-all, be-all determinant when it comes to judging the performance of a player in a particular game, series, season, etc.

And on Wednesday, Boston's top-line center went above and beyond to help push his club into the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"I think we’re well aware that this is the hardest game to get," Bergeron said following the Bruins' 2-1 win over Carolina. "We know that the opposing teams are going to throw everything at us and try to stay in the series. We’ve been there before in both situations and we know that those are the toughest and you need to make sure you take care of business and not let this drag. Obviously, it’s easier said than done. I thought we weathered the storm, if you will, early in the game. And just special teams helped us. (Jaroslav Halak) made some huge saves and we got the job done. All in all, that’s all the really matters. You find a way."

By the time Bergeron's Hall-of-Fame career is wrapped up, his highlight reel may not feature the same panache and flair as say, an Ovechkin or Crosby. He may not be the fastest skater, possess the silkiest mitts or wield the most fearsome shot, but there are few skaters in this game who have featured the blend of two-way mastery, attention to detail and advanced hockey IQ that the 35-year-old pivot regularly showcases whenever he hops over the boards.

He may not always make the flashiest play, yes. But even better — Bergeron seems to always make the right play. Look no further than the closing seconds of the second period Wednesday.



Stuck in a 1-1 draw in the closing minute of the middle frame, Boston's power play was already looking for a knockout punch — with David Krejci already lighting the lamp on the man advantage less than five minutes earlier (more on that later).

But a Carolina PK, which frustrated Boston in the early going of this opening round, was doing what it could to clog up the blue line and limit clean entries into its zone. Sure enough, shortly after Brad Marchand crossed over into Carolina territory, he lost the puck — with Jaccob Slavin attempting to clear the biscuit out of danger by way of the backhand.

It didn't go very far. Bergeron, skating in from along the boards, intercepted the clearing attempt and — despite sliding on his knees — managed to coast the puck over to Krejci and extend Boston's O-zone possession. Hovering over in front of Canes goalie Petr Mrazek, Bergeron attempted to put himself in a prime spot for a tip or rebound as David Pastrnak unleashed a shot from the left circle.

His attempt struck off of Mrazek's blocker and went wide, with Bergeron moving toward the end boards to recover the puck as the final seconds started to tick off the clock. Whether it be the expiring time on the scoreboard or perhaps thinking Bergeron was looking to pass, Mrazek took a brief moment to collect himself in the crease — standing up and suddenly opening up plenty of real estate in the Canes' net. That was all Bergeron needed.

Without hesitating, Bergeron recovered the puck and flung an offering towards Mrazek — with the shot bouncing off his skates and back into the net to give Boston a 2-1 lead.