Patrice Bergeron is no stranger to taxing minutes.
Granted, when you can send arguably the best defensive forward in NHL history over the boards, it becomes a no-brainer in most matchup scenarios.
Throughout his Hall-of-Fame career, Bergeron’s stick work, positioning, and hockey IQ have made him a defensive equalizer in numerous crunch-time scenarios.
Even at 37 years old, Bergeron remains at the top of his craft in terms of two-way excellence. A sixth Selke Trophy should be in the cards this summer.
But for as much as Bergeron has defied the decay of time when it comes to his polished defensive game, Jim Montgomery and the Bruins’ coaching staff aren’t taking any risks with their top-line center’s role.