Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Boston Bruins have gotten used to Patrice Bergeron playing the role of a hero in recent years. Whether he’s putting up timely goals in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011, game seven against the Toronto Maples Leafs in the 2013 playoffs, or simply scoring in the regular season, Bergeron always steps up big for his team. In Saturday’s 5-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes, Bergeron scored twice in the final eleven minutes to score the game winner and sealed the game for Boston.
Puck Prose
The Bruins started the season 0-3 after losing three straight home games to the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning. Fans and media alike all seemed ready to declare the season a lost one, but the Bruins appear to have righted the ship after winning two straight games on the road against the Colorado Avalanche and the Arizona Coyotes. The Bruins have played all aspects of the game efficiently over their road trip, and even goaltender Tuukka Rask appeared to be more like himself.
After goaltender interference wasn’t called on the Coyotes, and another coach’s challenge was ruled against Claude Julien, the Bruins found themselves playing from behind, despite the lopsided shot total in favor of the Bruins that continued throughout the night. Eventually the Bruins were able to find the back of the net, and Tuukka Rask was able to come up big for the Bruins on some huge stops to keep the Bruins alive, including a pair of Arizona two-on-one opportunities. Rask technically allowed three goals, but should only be considered on-the-hook for two, which is a huge improvement from his previous three outings.
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Patrice Bergeron discussed what he believes to be the reason for the Bruins sudden success with finding the back of the net. “We’re moving the puck really well and we’re taking what’s open. We’re not trying to force plays right now,” Bergeron said. “We’ve got to do some more of that.” The Bruins have done a very good job at scoring as of late, especially on the power play. After Saturday’s victory over the Coyotes, the Bruins have scored on 38.9% of their power play opportunities, good for second in the league to only Colorado’s 41.7% with the man advantage. The Bruins finished last season with a power play that only clicked for 17.8%, which ranked 17th in the league.
The Bruins won’t be bailed out by Bergeron in every game, and the rest of the team will need to find ways to be clutch if the Bruins plan on succeeding this season.
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