Bergeron scored 50 career goals in 170 Stanley Cup playoffs games in his career
The news of Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron's retirement has created widespread reflection on an incredible career. Bergeron during his sure fire Hall of Fame career has created indelible moments in his 19 seasons, all of which was spent wearing black and gold. However, it was during the Stanley Cup Playoffs that Bergeron has risen to the occasion time and time again. This in itself got me thinking as it inspired me to create a Twitter poll.
Which Stanley Cup Playoff moment was most memorable in Patrice Bergeron's career?
Game 7 of 2011 Stanley Cup Finals vs Vancouver Canucks
The Bruins scored a grand total of THREE goals in three games against the Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver heading into the winner take all Game 7.
Patrice Bergeron steps up huge late in the first period when he somehow buries a pass from Brad Marchand into the back of the net past Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naRC9VkrCAs[/embed]
Bergeron for good measure would score a shorthanded goal in the 2nd period for his second goal of Game 7 to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead in they would go on to win 4-0 and win their first Stanley Cup since 1972.
Game 3 of 2013 Eastern Conference Finals vs Pittsburgh Penguins
This moment should NEVER be forgotten in the eyes and hearts of Bruins fans. This is 2013, when Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, forward Evgeni Malkin, and defenseman Kris Letang are all in their PRIME! Going into the conference finals, many people believed that the Bruins were going to be dominated by the favored Penguins.
Bruins return to TD Garden up 2-0 in the best of seven Eastern Conference Finals against the Penguins. It is a goaltending duel in this one as Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and Penguins goaltender Tomas Vokoun refuses to blink as Game 3 goes late into the evening. Game 3 goes into 2nd overtime, former Bruin Jaromir Jagr bumps Malkin off the puck and feeds it ahead to Marchand. Marchand finds the stick of Bergeron as he buries it home to give the Bruins the 2-1 win in 2OT and the 3-0 series lead.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_z1PmlUm08[/embed]
It was Bergeron's second OT goal of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Bruins would go on to finish the sweep of the Penguins winning Game 4 in a 1-0 classic.
Game 7 of 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Let me start of by stating that this game is certainly among the all-time great Stanley Cup Playoffs games. An all-time great comeback and collapse all wrapped in one game.
The Bruins were leading the series 3-1 until the Leafs won Games 5 and 6 to force Game 7 at TD Garden.
The Bruins fell behind 4-1 halfway through the 3rd period when the Bruins began their comeback. Nathan Horton scores to make it 4-2. The chance for a Bruins comeback still seemed unlikely but not impossible, until Milan Lucic scored to make it a 4-3 game.
Bruins now have the empty net and an extra attacker on the ice with one minute remaining in the 3rd period.
Here comes Bergeron:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSmyIVD2Nk[/embed]
Bergeron ties Game 7 at 4-4 with 50 seconds to go. From what seemed like insurmountable odds to now a new game and new belief that the Bruins can complete the comeback.
The game would go into overtime when the Bruins with just a little more than 14 minutes remaining began to buzz in the Leafs end. Bergeron once again stepped up into the limelight:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaBeF_gl7Sc[/embed]
Bergeron scored his second goal of the game , this time in overtime to win Game 7 and the series over the Leafs.
As amazing as the moments were in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for Bergeron, I have to go with the two goal performance in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals vs Canucks which includes the Cup winning goal.
Feel free to vote in the poll and leave your thoughts!