2013 Report Cards: Patrice Bergeron

If Patrice Bergeron isn't the biggest slam-dunk for an A+ on this team I don't know who is. From killing it with Zdeno Chara all regular season to his all-around heroics in the playoffs, Bergeron had, as usual, an unreal season for the Bruins. Let's take a look.

Regular Season

Did you know that for the 283 minutes Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara were on the ice together this season 5vs5, they only allowed ONE (1) goal?

Patrice Bergeron. Zdeno Chara. Two guys I've heard of, who did some things when on the ice together: pic.twitter.com/2LE2KcUhbv

— Dimitri Filipovic (@SoYoureAnExpert) August 2, 2013

That is just insanity. And of course, it was a filthy Thomas Vanek pass to Tyler Ennis that ruined their perfect streak.

Bergeron played primarily with Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin until the trade deadline brought in Jaromir Jagr and Seguin was dropped to the third line. Taking a look at the Bruins' player usage charts from Hockey Abstract just confirms what we all already know: Bergeron can do it all.

Bergeron is the blue dot in the upper left. He was on the ice for fewer offensive zone faceoffs than any forward on the team not named Chris Kelly, and his line played against some of the toughest competition; in spite of that, he still managed to be the only positive-Corsi player taking fewer than 50% o-zone faceoffs - all while accruing the third-highest points total on the team for the regular season. Not too shabby, and certainly Selke-worthy. Screw you, Jonathan "foot-face" Toews.

Playoffs

I've spoken to a lot of people this summer who cover a lot of teams, and the one thing they all say about Bergeron this playoffs is always the same: "Holy crap, that list of injuries that never seemed to end, we kept thinking they were done naming them off; AND THEN OH BY THE WAY, THE PUNCTURED LUNG."

That Bergeron played through a separated shoulder, torn cartilage, a cracked rib, AND OH BY THE WAY A PUNCTURED LUNG is either really amazing or really stupid or possibly both. Lesser players in lesser sports would easily have been sidelined by one of these. NOT BERGERON.

But that's not where his playoffs heroics started, of course. Remember game 7 in the first round? That was delightful. One memory of this year's playoffs that will not be soon forgotten was definitely Dave Goucher's call of that beautiful goal. Patrice Bergeron: playoff hero.

Conclusion: A

JUST KIDDING. A+++++!