Massachusetts
Bergeron’s Message Helps Bruins Bear Down in Third
“By no means thoughts the Corridor of Fame participant he’s, he is a Corridor of Fame individual and chief – a lot in order that after the primary I used to be not proud of our group, and I used to be not very joyful in between the durations once I addressed the group,” Montgomery recalled. “Second interval, no impression, so I stated to Bergy with 40 seconds left within the second, I stated, ‘It is your dressing room.’
“We got here out and performed our greatest interval of the sport, and that simply speaks volumes of…it is how a lot I belief him, and it is how a lot the gamers hearken to him.”
After Bergeron’s message to the membership, the Bruins prolonged their one-goal lead getting into the ultimate body to a few following objectives from Taylor Corridor (12:41) and Tomas Nosek (13:00) inside a 19-second span of the third interval. Boston then held on for a 4-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at TD Backyard, a marked enchancment over the past two video games, which noticed the Bruins squander leads heading within the third interval.
“It was actually necessary,” Bergeron stated of the B’s response. “Once you’re enjoying good groups and also you allow them to hold round, they’re gonna discover a method, after which that is the place bother begins. Once you’re in a position to get that subsequent aim, the additional aim, that is while you type of get that momentum, otherwise you take the wind out of their sails.
“I feel that is type of how we approached it, is looking for a approach to get that subsequent aim. We are saying it instantly. That fourth [one] was big for us. To go up by three…it was a neater finish of a sport after that.”
Video: Bergeron talks after B’s beat CBJ 4-2 at TD Backyard
Nonetheless, Montgomery continues to be not overly happy along with his membership’s displaying in the course of the homestand (2-0-1), saying bluntly that “I do not assume we’re enjoying excellent hockey.”
“We’re not,” he stated. “I do not assume we’re checking properly sufficient. I do not assume we’re enjoying quick sufficient with or with out the puck, and it is resulting in us spending extra time in our finish, resulting in us getting on the incorrect aspect of pucks, so we’re taking lots of stick infractions, particularly within the offensive zone the place our forwards have been excellent all yr with being over high of people who find themselves not there proper now. That is resulting in us leaking oil somewhat bit in how we wish to play.”
Bergeron believes that given how properly the Bruins have begun the season (24-4-2), there are positives to take from having issues to work on. Striving to be higher, he defined, is an efficient factor for a group in the course of the course of an extended common season.
“There are positively some issues that we’ve got to get higher at. I feel that is factor to have,” stated Bergeron. “Not being happy and understanding that there is extra to offer, it is all the time factor. I feel that while you get complacent, that is when bother occurs. I feel for us, we’re an awesome group, however a group that should depend on everybody and must depend on particulars and our depth.
“I feel that these fast reminders are necessary and preserve harping on it. It is not gonna be excellent, and you are not all the time gonna get your A-game, however that being stated, we will all the time convey our B-game each evening. We all know that groups gonna be able to play us.
“You take a look at the standings, and we’re up there, and that is simply the subsequent problem on our listing now, is groups are gonna put together in a different way for us and anticipate an awesome sport. I feel it is nearly realizing that and taking that problem head-on.”
Video: Montgomery talks after BOS wins 4-2 over CBJ
Some Satur-Sway Success
Jeremy Swayman almost made Bruins historical past – and NHL historical past, for that matter.
Solely 12 goalies in league lore have scored objectives, and with time ticking down within the third interval, Swayman had a transparent shot at changing into the 13th. With the Columbus internet empty, Swayman collected the puck beside his internet and fired a wrister the size of the ice with the shot simply trickling vast of the correct submit.
“I wish to rating so unhealthy, man. It should occur, it would,” stated Swayman. “I’ve tried lots of occasions, have not made it previous the purple but, in order that was cool.”
Whereas Swayman got here inches away from a second to recollect, his most necessary work got here between the pipes as he rebounded from a loss in Arizona final weekend with a 31-save triumph on Saturday afternoon.
“I used to be pumped…that was a heads-up play,” Corridor stated of the empty-net try. “That might have been superior to see to cap off a extremely good evening for him. He wanted that and he was sturdy for us after we wanted him. We weren’t our greatest, however Sway was our greatest participant again there.”
Montgomery concurred as he complimented Swayman for his confidence.
“I assumed he was our greatest participant, and I feel he wanted to be,” stated Montgomery. “Very assured. Very assured in his actions…mentally, when a goalie is on high, he’s taking whistles on the proper moments, tries to go for that vacant internet aim – that is an indication of somebody that the sport goes sluggish for, which is what you need mentally.
“As we all know, he’s an elite goaltender on this league…and all people has these moments of their profession the place issues aren’t going properly, and that is what makes you higher. He will come out of what that small little hiccup there, and he will be higher for it.
“Everyone wants adversity, whether or not it is life or it is in sports activities particularly. It makes you higher.”
Swayman, who had not performed in eight days, stated he used the week of downtime to enhance on “the whole lot.”
“Skating, clearly, attending to my place, engaged on palms, rebound management, field, crease containment, the entire above, tip pucks, learn ideas,” stated Swayman. “It is what we do each week. You will have sport, you’re employed laborious, you get higher. When you’ve got a foul sport you’re employed laborious, you get higher.
“That is one thing I have been doing this yr. It has been ups and downs and I am grateful for that. I am grateful for the ups and downs I’ve had and the educational classes I’ve had early on.”
The third-year netminder acknowledged that he has needed to regulate to not enjoying as ceaselessly given how properly associate Linus Ullmark has performed to begin the season, although he has tried to make use of that problem to his benefit.
“That is query. It is totally different. I have been used to getting in rotation, however once more I am grateful for the adversity coming my method early on,” stated Swayman, who was carrying his new vintage-style Winter Traditional pads for the primary time.
“Simply studying from it and the right way to battle by means of video games, battle by means of robust occasions and never getting the beginning for a pair days. That is simply one thing I wish to be certain I am staying within the second with, conserving angle mentally, bodily, and simply preserve working it doesn’t matter what – good sport, unhealthy sport, it would not matter, I wish to have that very same, regular constant angle.”
Video: Swayman talks after Bruins beat CBJ 4-2 at TD Backyard
Cheers to the Captain
Earlier than the sport, Bergeron was feted for reaching the 1,000-career level milestone earlier this season. The B’s captain was joined by his spouse Stephanie and kids, Zack, Victoria, and Noah in the course of the ceremony, which additionally featured displays from his teammates and Bruins administration.
Bruins normal supervisor Don Sweeney introduced the customary golden stick, whereas Bruins president Cam Neely introduced a test for $37,000 on behalf of the Jacobs household and Boston Bruins Basis to be donated to a charity of Bergeron’s alternative. B’s legend Johnny Bucyk introduced a Tiffany crystal on behalf of the NHL and teammates Brad Marchand and David Krejci gifted Bergeron a customized Rolex watch and bottle of Don Perignon champagne.
The ceremony additionally included a spotlight video recapping a few of Bergeron’s most memorable regular-season factors, and messages from Phil Esposito, Bucyk, and Ray Bourque, the opposite three Bruins to achieve the 1,000-point mark with the membership.
Earlier than the sport, Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker met with Bergeron to current him with a proclamation declaring December 17, 2022, “Patrice Bergeron Day” within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
“It was particular. It means quite a bit,” stated Bergeron. “I have been round for a very long time. And this metropolis, enjoying in entrance of those followers, I am appreciative of all of the help I’ve had over time from them. It was a pleasant second. I used to be joyful to share that with my household and my teammates as properly. They seem to be a massive a part of how I used to be in a position to accomplish the milestone. Once more, I am very grateful for all of them and, clearly, to the followers as properly.”
Video: CBJ@BOS: Bruins have a good time Bergeron’s one thousandth level
Wait, There’s Extra
- The Bruins improved to 16-0-2 at TD Backyard, whereas extending their house level streak to 18 video games to begin the season. Per NHL Stats, it’s the 12th time that has occurred in NHL historical past. Philadelphia holds the general report (26 video games in 1979-80), whereas the Bruins group report is 21 in 1973-74).
- Boston, in the meantime, reached the 50-point plateau (24-4-2), changing into the fourth group in NHL historical past with 50 or extra factors by means of the membership’s first 30 video games of the season, per NHL Stats.
- David Pastrnak opened the scoring on the ability play for his 20th aim of the season, marking his seventh consecutive 20-goal marketing campaign, tying Peter McNab and Bobby Orr for the fourth-longest such streak in Bruins historical past. Bucyk leads in that class with 10 straight 20-goal seasons. “His means to see performs, make performs in an eighth of a second, he thinks the man’s in his shot lane, which he was, he takes a step to the center and let’s it go,” Montgomery stated of Pastrnak’s step to the slot to tear house a wrister. “It is a rocket aim of a snap shot within the high nook.”
- Pastrnak potted his 20th aim in his 30th sport of the season, marking the third-fastest time to twenty objectives (22 video games in 2019-20 and 28 video games in 2018-19) in his profession.
- The Bruins scored two objectives in 19 seconds (Corridor at 12:41 of the third and Nosek at 13:00) within the third interval, which is the third time this month they’ve scored two objectives in lower than 20 seconds (10 seconds in Colorado on 12/3 and 19 seconds on Dec. 13 vs. the Islanders).
Video: Corridor scores a aim in Bruins 4-2 W over CBJ