Boston Bruins: Patrice Bergeron is the player of the decade
When we look past on the past decade for the Boston Bruins, one player stands out: Patrice Bergeron.
The Boston Bruins hope to celebrate New Year’s Eve early on Tuesday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils. This game marks the end of the decade, so we can’t help but reminisce on the past 10 years for the Bruins.
The Bruins enjoyed quite the run of success in this most recent decade. Eight playoff appearances, three trips to the Final, and one Stanley Cup are the highlights. Boston also played in three Winter Classics and featured multiple trophy-winners.
It’s been one unforgettable decade.
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 30, 2019
Thank you to the greatest fans in hockey for being there every step of the way.
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When we look back on everything, one player stands out among the rest: Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron goes down as the Bruins’ player of the decade.
Bergeron cemented himself as a Bruins legend with playoff performances
If there’s one way to describe Bergeron’s decade, it’s this: he cemented himself as a Bruins legend.
When the decade started, Bergeron was 23 and only a few years removed from a devastating concussion. He missed 72 games in the 2007-2008 season, and although he came back the next year, he still needed to find his game.
By the start of 2010, after almost two years back on the ice, Bergeron once again looked like a franchise player. The Bruins hoped to build a championship team around him and Zdeno Chara.
This instantly paid off, as Bergeron stepped up and became the centerpiece of a Stanley Cup contender. He grew into one of the league’s top all-around players, and he always saved his best for the playoffs.
We all remember the 2011 playoff run that ended with a Stanley Cup. Bergeron had 20 points in 23 games, on top of elite defensive play night in and night out.
The most memorable moments were his goals in Game 7 against the Canucks. He scored two goals, including the eventual game-winner in the first period.
Bergeron also had some incredible performances in later playoff runs. He led the Bruins to two more Final appearances, and although both ended in losses, nobody can question Bergeron’s success and commitment. Remember when he played against Chicago with a collapsed lung?
And we can’t forget that Bergeron scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in the 2013 Game 7 comeback against the Maple Leafs.
Bergeron’s playoff performances transformed him from a potential franchise player to a Bruins legend. He’ll forever be one of the most successful players to ever wear the Black and Gold.
Bergeron emerged as the best defensive forward of all time
Before the decade, Bergeron established himself as a quality two-way forward who could handle defensive responsibilities. However, during the decade, he emerged as the best defensive forward of all time. And he has the hardware to prove it.
Bergeron won four Selke trophies this decade. That means in four out of 10 years the NHL named him as the best defensive forward. Only Bob Gainey has that many Selke trophies as Bergeron.
Even without the accolades, the “eye-ball test” alone is enough to show Bergeron’s defensive capabilities. Since the 2009-2010 season, Bergeron consistently draws the toughest matchups on a nightly basis. We all saw him go up against opposing stars and come out on top.
With these tough matchups, Bergeron never finished a season as a minus player. Of course plus/minus isn’t a perfect stat, but in Bergeron’s case, it demonstrates how he usually wins head-to-head against the opposition.
The advanced statistics tell a similar story. Bergeron finished with a CF% above 50% every year since 2010. He also had a positive CF% rel each season. What this means is that when Bergeron was on the ice, the Bruins always had more shots on goal than the opposition.
Again, CF% isn’t perfect, but we sometimes need to use stats to quantify a player’s performance. With Bergeron, the stats clearly show that he’s an elite all-around forward.
Combine these statistics with Bergeron’s Selke trophies, and you get the best defensive forward of all time.
What’s next for Bergeron and the Bruins?
Fortunately, even with his decade of dominance, Bergeron isn’t quite done yet with the Bruins. At 34 years old, you have to imagine he has enough left in the tank for a few more elite seasons.
One thing that definitely helps Bergeron as he moves forward is his current linemates. He partners with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak on Boston’s top line.
Bergeron found the fountain of youth on this line. With Marchand and Pastrnak on his wings, he’s better now than he was at the beginning of the decade…especially when you consider his offensive production.
Last season, Bergeron finished with 79 points in 65 games played. This year, he has 35 points in 31 games. He never averaged a point-per-game before, but now Bergeron’s set to do it two years in a row.
Plays like this are the reason for Bergeron’s increased production. He makes a great defensive play to win the puck, and then Marchand and Pastrnak take it from there.
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Bergeron also produces more on the power play now that he occupies that bumper position. He has at least eight power play goals every year since 2016-2017; his previous career high was seven.
Don’t let his offensive numbers get in the way of Bergeron’s all-around game. He still as defensively-sound as ever; he now has the linemates to finish his plays.
Bergeron’s offensive production should continue over the next couple years. The only thing that can get in the way in injuries.
After he dealt with injuries over the past two seasons, Bergeron again missed time earlier this year. When you play such a physical game and never take shifts off, injuries are bound to happen.
The Bruins acknowledge this with Bergeron, so coach Bruce Cassidy isn’t afraid to take things slow with Bergeron. That’s definitely the best course of action because Bergeron remains so important to Boston’s success.
When we look back on certain eras in Boston Bruins history, we always define them by players. From Eddie Shore to Milt Schmidt to Bobby Orr to Ray Bourque, these Bruins legends stand tall in team history.
When we look back as this past era, we’ll define it as the Patrice Bergeron era. His future hangs in the rafters and in the Hall of Fame, but for now, he’s the player of the decade.