BSJ Game Report: Bruins 5, Red Wings 1 - Bergeron’s 4-goal game paces B’s past Detroit

Everything you need to know from the Bruins’ 5-1 win over the Red Wings with BSJ insight and analysis:

Box Score

SHORT SHIFT

Turns out that Patrice Bergeron is still really, really good, eh?

After failing to light the lamp for the first seven games of the 2021-22 season, Bergeron broke through on Thursday night against the Red Wings — recording his second career four-goal game en route to a 5-1 win for Boston. 

Bergeron’s four-goal salvo — three of which came on the power play — would be more than enough offense against the Red Wings, who only managed to land 15 shots on goal against a pretty stout defensive effort from the B’s. 

Detroit snapped Jeremy Swayman’s shutout attempt with a 5-on-3 tally from Lucas Raymond at 7:46 in the third period, but the Bruins built themselves some more breathing room just 24 seconds later when Mike Reilly buried a rebound attempt for a shorthanded strike — his first goal in a B’s sweater.

Bergeron added the finishing touch with his fourth goal at 15:52.  Swayman stopped 14 shots en route to his second win of the season. 

With the win, the Bruins improve to 5-3-0 on the season. 

TOP TAKEAWAYS 

Take your hand off the panic button, Bergeron fans

Well, so much for all the talk about Bergeron’s game slipping.

Granted, Boston’s captain was helped by the fact that Detroit’s PK unit kinda … forgot to account for Bergeron in the slot (did they really not read my column from this morning?). But good on Bergeron for making the Red Wings pay and finally etch his name back on the score sheet, especially on a B’s man advantage that was laboring entering Thursday’s game. 

Now, a four-goal contest doesn’t necessarily mean that a 36-year-old Bergeron is ready to orchestrate his Hart-Trophy campaign, of course. Given the amount of mileage that Bergeron has tacked on over his 18-year NHL career — it’s to be expected for the B’s pivot to hit some lulls, and likely earn a slew of maintenance days once this schedule eventually does pick up. 

But make no mistake — Bergeron is still a premier two-way talent in today’s game — and he can still bury you if you gave him any room in the O-zone, especially on the power play.

No sign of rust

Granted, a rebuilding and green Detroit club — without captain Dylan Larkin — wasn’t exactly the most daunting opponent, but it was still encouraging that the Bruins put together arguably their most complete effort of the young season after a four-day layoff.

There’s always the risk of rust forming after a long stretch off the ice, but the Bruins took care of business rather handily against one of the first tomato cans on their schedule. 

Bergeron’s offensive outburst will draw most of the headlines, but the Bruins didn’t give the Red Wings a lot of room to breathe in this one — outshooting them by a lopsided 37-15 margin. 

And even though the Bruins (like their fans) aren’t particularly thrilled with this stop-and-go start to the 2021-22 docket, Bergeron did focus on a few silver linings for a roster that does have a number of new faces added to the mix. 

"You have to remember we only played seven games before tonight's game and the three games before that — we were playing some pretty good teams,” Bergeron said. “I thought there were some hard battles and I think it's good for us to learn early in the year that it's hard to win in this league and you're gonna have some challenges, and you got to stick with it and keep improving as a team. 

“I think there's a lot of guys that are new to the locker room. I think we're trying to gel and I think it's been good, I guess, in a way — less games and more practice time and time to get together and really bond. So keep that going. But I thought tonight was a great effort."

FOUR UP

Patrice Bergeron and Boston’s power play: I mean, this one was fairly obvious, right? Bergeron became the fifth different player in Bruins history to record at least a hat trick at age 36 or older — joining Johnny Bucyk, Jean Ratelle, Dit Clapper and Dave Andreychuk.

Jeremy Swayman: It wasn’t the busiest night for Swayman — but the young netminder did focus on quality over quantity when it came to his stops, turning aside a couple of Grade-A chances, including this one from Lucas Raymond in the second period.

Brad Marchand: Bergeron might have been the finisher on Thursday night, but Marchand was the O-zone maestro that orchestrated all four looks — with the star winger credited with the primary assist on all of Bergeron’s tallies.

Haula Line: Curtis Lazar’s drive to the net on Boston’s PK shift led to Reilly’s tally, but the B’s third line managed to string together productive 5v5 shifts throughout the night. A clutch block from Jake DeBrusk sprung Erik Haula for a breakaway in the second period — while Detroit only landed one shot on goal against the B’s during that trio’s 11:18 of 5v5 ice time. Not too shabby for a line that only had one faceoff in the offensive zone.

ONE DOWN

David Pastrnak: Most of Boston’s big guns might have shredded the Red Wings during the power play, but Pastrnak had another frustrating night on the ice — whiffing on a prime scoring chance while later getting whistled for a high-stick that helped lead to Raymond’s power-play strike. 

PLAY OF THE GAME

LOOSE PUCKS

QUOTE OF NOTE

"He’s too good of a player to keep him down for long.” - Bruce Cassidy on Patrice Bergeron

LOOKING AHEAD

The Bruins will head north of the border for a rematch with an old rival in the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Linus Ullmark will get the start in net for the Bruins — who haven’t played Toronto since Nov. 15, 2019. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.