BOSTON -- The Bruins didn't get the desired result on Wednesday, but came away from their Game 5 loss to the Florida Panthers with one major positive.
Patrice Bergeron is back.
Bergeron, who hadn't played since the Bruins' final regular-season contest on April 13, drew back into the lineup at TD Garden to help Boston in its effort to eliminate Florida and move on to the Eastern Conference semifinals. That did not happen, but the up and down the roster the B's were happy Bergeron's contributions.
"Yeah, I'm not surprised," longtime teammate Brad Marchand said, per team-provided transcript. "I mean he's a playoff guy and he puts his heart and soul on the ice, so it's great to have him back. We definitely missed him out there and it's great to see him play the way he did."
"I thought he was good," Boston head coach Jim Montgomery said postgame, per the transcript. "I thought he made a lot of good defensive plays -- well, he does what he does, he scored a big goal for us and just continued to build our team game."
The 37-year-old provided a scoring boost, as Montgomery mention, when he tied the game early in the third period with a tip in front the the crease. It was a classic all-around performance for the five-time Selke Award winner, as his addition to the top power-play unit helped Boston go 2-for-5 on the man advantage while he won an astonishing 69% of draws from the circle. Though the Panthers responded almost immediately, the goal was representative of the massive impact felt by his presence.
"That was a massive goal in the game," Charlie McAvoy said postgame, per the transcript. "Just having him out there is obviously great. He's our emotional leader, and the way he plays -- you can't replace a Bergeron. We're a better team when he's out there."
So, how did the man himself feel about his performance?
"I felt good," Bergeron said postgame. "Obviously needed a few shifts to get back into the rhythm. Getting back into the playoffs is a different animal than getting back into the regular season. The pace is a lot higher, but that being said, I felt pretty good."
