I think what I enjoyed the most while watching the 2010 Vancouver Games was how the Olympics became the stage upon which Patrice Bergeron gained leaguewide recognition.
That’s right, leaguewide as in NHL. Worldwide, too, as it turned out, but pre-Games pundits who had publicly penciled him in as Canada’s 13th or 14th forward suddenly had to reassess their projections when the tournament began and Bergeron appeared on Sidney Crosby’s right wing.
One high-profile hockey-media person, Damien Cox (then of The Toronto Star), celebrated Bergeron’s arrival, marveling at how he always “makes the right play.” Cox’s appraisal was perfect because he identified a Bergeron quality and shared it to everyone who might not realize what made Bergeron such a special player.
Bergy wasn’t the kind of skater who jumped over the boards and wowed fans with blinding speed or dazzling stick moves. As a hockey player, he was an acquired taste and one that grew on the observer, so after years of being largely ignored it was tons of fun to suddenly see respected colleagues acquiring a taste for his game.
For several ensuing seasons, Bergeron was too widely declared the world’s “most underrated” player. People had caught on, and catching on doesn’t necessarily mean you’re the first to figure it out. In and of itself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being late to the party. I sure am in a lot of cases, so I certainly hope not. Hockey is supposed to make fans, not disqualify them for not being in on things from P5 in the garage level.
I was reminded of the 2010 Winter Games on Saturday night while watching Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy make some new believers with his performance in the United States’ stunning, 3-1 victory over Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off at the Bell Centre.
There’s no shame in getting beat by Connor McDavid, especially as hockey’s brightest star stole the one second McAvoy had to defend what looked like a 2-on-1 and blew by wide on the right, his deft backhand flying over Connor Hellebuyck’s glove and into the net. 1-0 Canada just 5:31 into the showdown, and the Bell Centre going mad.
McAvoy’s game was energetic and solid to that point, but what has befallen his Boston Bruins too many times this season (i.e. one bad moment begetting another, and another, and yet another … like quicksand) was only a trigger for a response from Team USA and from McAvoy. The next time McDavid skated down left wing, McAvoy met him with a thunderous hit, hit him a second time hard, and also put two punishing bodychecks on Crosby.
Because McAvoy moves somewhat like the great Brian Leetch, it’s been expected his game would be as offense-oriented as Leetch’s or Scott Niedermayer’s. But his abilities are actually more in line with those of Scott Stevens, whose hard-skating, hard-hitting, two-way game was most similar to McAvoy’s early in Stevens’ career when he played for Washington. McAvoy’s five hits in Saturday’s game were second only to the six laid out by Brady Tkachuk.
The Boston Bruins obviously hope the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which has shifted to Boston for games on Monday both on TNT/tru (Canada-Finland 1 pm and USA-Sweden at 8 pm) and Thursday on ESPN (8 pm championship between USA and an opponent TBD), will kickstart McAvoy’s happy feet and focused intensity for the ground the Bruins must gain to make the playoffs.
The New Jersey Devils are the only team in the Eastern Conference playoff eight that has played as many games as the Bruins (57), and with an eight-point lead over Columbus (the Blue Jackets have a game in hand) the Devils are heavily favored to finish in the top three of the Metropolitan Division. If so, all of Boston’s competition for a Wild Card playoff spot have more games remaining, more chances to pile up points. The Bruins, according to percentage of points earned vs. points available, sit 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Going forward, it does not bode well that the Bruins are 9-15-3 away from TD Garden this season (that’s nine wins in 27 attempts or one out of every three). Fourteen of Boston’s remaining 25 games are on the road, and of the 14 opponents they will face on enemy ice, nine are in the playoff 16. Even the home schedule, where the Bruins have put up a solid 18-9-3 record, includes six games against teams occupying top-three spots in their respective divisions.
The Bruins stretch run to the March 7 trade deadline starts with three home games: Anaheim (Saturday, Feb. 22); Toronto (Tuesday, Feb. 25); and N.Y. Islanders (Thursday, Feb. 27). After that, it’s back-to-back’s on the road (Pittsburgh and Minnesota), a home game vs. Nashville and another road game at Carolina. Then it’s decision time.
I won’t delve into the Bruins’ record against playoff teams as opposed to opponents outside the playoffs, but this is not looking good.
If the 2024-25 season had looked better on paper, it still hasn’t looked good enough on the ice to expect a buyer’s strategy for the March 7 trade deadline. The Bruins bend, then they break. They need a powerplay goal and give up a shorty.
The penalty kill is a lot better than it was early on, and most of that might be Jeremy Swayman finding midseason form. But if you made a 12-category list of boxes characterizing a playoff team and evaluated the Bruins, how many of those boxes would you check?
One thing GM Don Sweeney says every time he has a deadline acquisition to announce is that the group deserved this opportunity for the season they’ve had. He’ll be saying no such thing on March 7.
Nonetheless, it is understandable that Bruins management might be thinking, look how poorly we’ve played on the road and on special teams this season, and we’re still two points out of the playoffs with over a quarter of the scheduled left to go. Why bail now?
On one level, it makes sense to stay the course and let the season play out; even Montreal went on a streak and briefly flirted with a playoff spot. Push will soon come to shove where it concerns impending free agents Trent Frederic and Justin Brazeau, the latter of whom was held of the team’s last game before the break.
Until then, we have the 4 Nations Face-Off to enjoy on Monday and Thursday right in Boston. The NHL has put together a Fan Village at City Hall Plaza. Sunday rain wasn’t conducive, and Monday’s wind gusts might not make it too inviting. But the tournament has been excellent, and while Team USA has already clinched a spot in Thursday’s championship game, none of the four nations is out of the running heading into Monday’s day-night doubleheader.
Between the opening-bell fights and the intense hockey that followed, the possibility alone that the U.S. and Canada might hold a rematch renders today’s round-robin round must-see TV. If you want to go, Monday’s matinee between Canada and Finland resemble secondary-market prices to a Bruins game. Monday night’s USA-Sweden game is double the price on average, and Thursday’s championship is out of sight.
Rink Rap with Mick Colageo 