The Boston Bruins are proving they can cope, even without elite top-line center Patrice Bergeron, who has now missed four straight games.
Not only have the Boston Bruins just coped, but are seemingly thriving with Patrice Bergeron watching on and not feeling the need to rush back to action to help rescue the team from any sort of slide in form.
In the four games he’s missed since his last appearance against the Minnesota Wild, the Boston Bruins have scored 16 goals (though half of those were in the thrashing of Montreal at the Bell Centre) and only conceded 5.
All this, in part, because Patrice Bergeron’s spot has been very ably filled by David Krejci. He has 5 points in 4 games since his promotion to the top line including the overtime game winner against the New York Rangers this past Friday.
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You’d expect the lack of Patrice Bergeron to upset the chemistry of the top line and potentially impact the ability of Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak to create offense, but they’ve shown just how elite they are, adapting without any real issue to an alternative line mate.
Marchand’s 4 points in the past 4 games represent a slight slowing of his point scoring pace, but still is point-per-game, whilst Pastrnak is thriving alongside his countryman with 6 points, 4 of which were goals, in the same 4 games.
Beyond the top line, the rest of the Boston Bruins roster has seemingly stepped up in Bergeron’s absence; Sean Kuraly has seen an increase in his ice-time and has rewarded the coach’s trust with 5 points while Jake Debrusk and Charlie Coyle both have been point-per-game with 4 in the past 4 too.
The biggest benefit of all of this is obviously Patrice Bergeron himself. In the past, you have to wonder whether he was rushing back from injuries; he has most definitely played plenty of minutes for the Boston Bruins whilst nursing various niggles.
However, on this occasion and because the team is playing well without him, he can actually properly recuperate.
Speaking to NESN ahead of the Montreal win, Boston Bruins head coach, Bruce Cassidy simply stated: “Until he skates, we’ll rule him out. Keep pushing it down the line until he gets back out there.”
Simply put, it’d seem that all the time the team keeps on winning, they’re not going to force Bergeron back out there. It can only be a good thing for the Boston Bruins, especially given the past experiences of star players wilting in the play-offs due to niggles and injuries that weren’t dealt with.
Perhaps this truly is the start of a trend towards resting star players like the NBA adopts. Or at least allowing them that extra leeway, if you’re not directly resting them.