Patrice Bergeron caught the attention of many Thursday night with his four-goal performance in the Bruins’ 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at TD Garden.
The Boston captain, who had yet to find the back of the net prior to Thursday’s contest, now is tied for the team lead in goals with Brad Marchand.
Curtis Lazar, whose career-high in goals is seven, knows for some players that scoring four goals through 82 games isn’t too bad. Of course, Bergeron is not the kind of player, but it just goes to show what kind of player he is when he can do that in just one night.
“Four goals, that’s pretty remarkable,” Lazar told reporters after Friday’s practice. “Just knowing what he means to this city, the organization, and the work he puts in, he’s the hardest worker each and every day, and it pays off. He goes about his business like it’s no big deal, but for some guys that’s a good season right there, he just does it one game. All in all, a lot of fun (Thursday) night.”
Bergeron, who took over as the team captain last season after the departure of Zdeno Chara, is more of a reserved person who leads by example rather than vocally. And Lazar knows he can learn a lot whether through Bergeron’s work ethic or his words.
“His work ethic on and off the ice, in the gym, he takes care of his body, the way he eats, everything he does is world-class,” Lazar said. “And it shows. It directly translates (to) the results he gets on the ice. He does a great job dragging us in the battle every night. And when he does speak, it’s one of those moments where you stop what you’re doing and listen. The words he has are very powerful, and for a guy like myself, you learn a lot from him each and every day.”
Bergeron looks to help lead his team to three straight wins Saturday when the Bruins travel to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. Puck drop from Scotiabank Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.
