Why Patrice Bergeron Remains the Gold Standard for Two-Way Play
Why Patrice Bergeron Remains the Gold Standard for Two-Way Play
Boston's 37-year-old captain is still the perfect NHL player
Disclaimer: In order to even out any peaks and valleys, the clips in this article were pulled from five randomly selected games.
The NHL community tends to view over-35 players as complete and utter dinosaurs. Dusty relics who can’t keep up with the speed of today’s game. In most cases, that’s not far from the truth.
Then there’s Patrice Bergeron.
The 37-year-old won the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward in 2021–22. He’s claimed the award five times and has probably deserved the distinction in every single season over the past decade. No, that’s not an exaggeration. Bergeron may well be the greatest two-way forward of all time due to both his resume and consistency.
Boston’s captain is the Selke front-runner again this year and he’s played a significant role in the Bruins’ scintillating 21–3–1 start:
But how is he still making such an impact 19 years into his career?
Defense
As always, it begins with a commitment to defense. No forward in the NHL boasts sounder 200-foot positioning than Bergeron. Once the puck is turned over, the veteran pivot charts a straight path to the defensive zone. The discipline with which he establishes depth and inside leverage on opponents is almost…robotic.
Good luck finding Bergeron on the wrong side of the puck:
His diligence offers Boston the bodies required to put the squeeze on puck-carriers, while his instincts allow him to anticipate their next move. Hell, it often feels as though they’re passing directly to him.
Now, great defense involves a little elbow grease too. 50/50 battles are inevitable. These moments separate the men from the boys— and this is where Bergeron’s old-school qualities shine brightest. Opponents are seldom going to beat him at the point of attack because he complements his immaculate positioning with a disruptive stick and blue-collar disposition.
He’s got that dog in him.
Whether he’s dueling you for the puck or contesting shots, he refuses to let the play travel through him:
There are no freebies. You have to earn every inch of ice when he’s out there.
Unsurprisingly, that mentality has yielded incredible defensive numbers. Among the forwards who have logged at least 250 minutes at 5-on-5 this year, Bergeron is allowing the fewest expected goals (1.54) and fewest actual goals (0.63) per 60 minutes.
His dedication to the finer details rubs off on his teammates as well. Overall, Boston ranks third in xGA/60 and first in GA/60.
After all, how can you take shortcuts when your captain so willingly embraces the grunt work?
Puck Support
As outstanding as Bergeron’s defense is, his secret sauce is actually puck support.
Have you ever wondered how he always seems to get to his spot first? He’s neither the biggest player (6'1", 196 lbs) nor the fastest skater. Nevertheless, he regains possession time and time again on the strength of his IQ.
Over the years, he’s developed a sort of Spidey Sense that guides him into the fray and onto the puck whenever his teammates need him:
Bergeron will swoop in to extend plays if you lose a battle. He’ll bail you out if you fly the zone. He’ll peel back and hold the blue line if you decide to pinch. As
highlighted, Boston loves to initiate rotations on the attack — and #37 acts as the glue that fills in the gaps. He’s the ultimate safety valve.Oh, and he wins 59.8% of his faceoffs (5th).
Thanks to his nose for the puck and proficiency at the dot, the Bruins enjoy A LOT of possession. When he’s on the ice, Boston owns:
62.1% of the shot attempts (5th among NHL forwards).
68.7% of the scoring chances (1st).
72.5% of the high-danger chances (1st).
69.8% of the expected goals (1st).
81.2% of the actual goals (1st).
Sure, Jordan Staal is a defensive monster. Aleksander Barkov is indeed a true puck magnet. Bergeron, for his part, represents the best of both worlds. He’s a shutdown specialist and an ice-tilting machine all at once. Most nights, he barely even lets you sniff the puck.
As a result, he’s perpetually one step ahead of his competition.
Offense
Of course, we can’t discuss the Selke Trophy without discussing offense. Like it or not, production matters to voters.
Fortunately, Bergeron is a capable offensive player as well (21 points in 25 games). He may not drive the bus the way Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak do, but he pulls his own weight by retrieving pucks, crashing the net and posting up in the high slot for one-timer opportunities.
This sequence against the Chicago Blackhawks captures his savvy and readiness to pull the trigger:
In the span of about 10 seconds, he slides into three different pockets to present a viable passing target. Watch how he tweaks his positioning based on the offense’s four-man movement. Bergeron simply understands how to get open.
Consequently, he ranks second among Bruins forwards in shot attempts, scoring chances and expected goals. That’s already translated to nine markers. In other words, he’s still a legitimate threat out there.
Despite his age, Bergeron’s complete game hasn’t slipped in the slightest. He’s suffocating offenses and setting the table for his teammates as effectively as ever. In fact, you could make the argument that he’s playing better now than he was five years ago. Seriously.
That longevity is a testament to his rock-solid fundamentals.
Almost two decades in, the league’s preeminent two-way forward continues to prove that textbook hockey is timeless.
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