Patrice Bergeron Awaits ‘Tough and Long Series’ vs. Habs
By Duncan Day
Apr 26, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Red Wings goalie Jonas Gustavsson (50) and defenseman Kyle Quincey (27) defend Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron (37) during the first period in game five of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Bergeron Sees Competitive Semifinals vs. Habs
Preparation for the Eastern Conference semifinals. That’s what the Boston Bruins will look forward to after defeating the Detroit Red Wings at the TD Garden, 4-2.
The Bruins will confront their arch-rival Montreal Canadiens, hoping to advance one step further to the Stanley Cup Final, with alternate captain Patrice Bergeron topping Boston in overall playoffs points.
In hundreds of games fraught with high intensity, the B’s and Habs never assume their heated matchups will be walks in the park. Both teams know what tendencies to anticipate.
“It’s definitely a team that we’ve seen a lot in the last few years. We know what they got, they know what we got, so it’s always a huge battle against them,” Bergeron said.
Montreal leads the all-time series with a record of 449-337-103.
To this day, the Canadiens continue to exercise their prowess on the ice, being the only team to sweep in the first round, finishing off the Tampa Bay Lightning on Apr. 22. And the Habs have outdone the Bruins leading up to the postseason, holding a 3-1 advantage in 2013-14 regular season competitions.
“They’re a great team. They’re a team that definitely is playing some great hockey right now. They played well against Tampa,” Bergeron said. “It’s going to be a good challenge again for us. And like you said, there’s lots of history behind both teams so it’s going to be fun to be part of it.”
Even though the Canadiens are riding a hot streak, Bergeron doesn’t appear too concerned about changing up his mindset from the Detroit sequence.
“We’re expecting a tough and long series and we definitely got to approach it the same way we did against Detroit, which is one game at a time.”
For Montreal, Thomas Vanek‘s play since he landed in Montreal at the trade deadline has lived up to lofty standards. Rene Bourque has been a surprise contributor, netting three goals in four contests vs. the Lightning. P.K. Subban, among others, is well-known to the B’s as a physical, in-your-face player.
After all, in order to defeat the conflicting Habs, the Bruins’ philosophy must remains consistent, and it usually does. We’ve seen the deep playoff runs of recent years.
Skate hard and then study hard. An important routine for any winning group in the NHL, that’s the mantra of Boston.
“Right now, we got to get a little bit of rest and make sure we look at some videos and the coaches are going to do a good job to make sure we’re ready for them,” Bergeron said.