Patrice Bergeron has had quite the career as a member of the Boston Bruins.
He’s been the face of the franchise since entering the league. He has 1,000 career games under his belt along with four Selke awards, two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada, and, of course, his Stanley Cup ring in 2011.
Bergeron is at the heart of everything for the Black and Gold. His highlight-reel plays, shut down prowess against elite players and his flair for the dramatics have captivated Bruins fans for the last decade and a half.
Just ask Jack Edwards…
He’s the best two-way player in the game — and he keeps getting better.
Bergeron set a new career high in points during Monday’s loss against the Lightning — tallying a pair of secondary assists for his 74th and 75th points of the season — breaking the mark of 73 he set back in 2005-06.
Ever the consummate professional, the longest-tenured Bruin didn’t bask in the accomplishment after Boston’s third-period collapse in Tampa.
“It’s one of those things I’ve been told about it lately,” Bergeron said following the 5-4 loss to the Bolts. “It is what it is. It’s nice in a way. But ultimately you want to do the job and get the results and the win.”
It’s hard to believe that he is setting new personal bests at this stage of his career. But that’s just who Bergeron is. He’s the ultimate professional and approaches everything the right way. Games, training, practice, diet, leading, work ethic, family, media and community. You name it, he does it all.
His humility often times causes fans around the league to forget about just how good of a player he is. Bergeron reached his new career-high in just 60 games this season. That’s a 103-point pace for a full 82-game season, which would only put him behind Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov.
The stats have never mattered to Bergeron and neither has the fame and notoriety that come along with them. Instead, he focuses on the next task at hand and lets his play do the talking. That’s one of the reasons why he is still ascending in his career despite father time not being on his side.
“He’s the type of guy that if you’re starting a franchise, if he’s not at the top of the list, I’d be pretty impressed with who you have in front of him,” David Backes said about Bergeron earlier this season.
Bergeron and the Boston Bruins are now gearing up for another deep playoff run with only six games remaining in the regular season. But they’ll have a tough road to navigate in their quest of hoisting Lord Stanley once again.
Bruce Cassidy’s side awaits the Maple Leafs for their inevitable first round matchup in just two weeks time. That won’t be a cakewalk by any means even with Toronto’s recent struggles. The Bruins will need all hands on deck and Bergeron to lead the way if they are to get past their Original Six rivals for the second straight season.
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