Bergeron Discusses Bruins' Line Change On Zolak & Bertrand
BOSTON (CBS) -- For the past five years, Bruins fans could rely on seeing Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand on Boston's second line.
They've been a reliable duo since Boston's run to the Stanley Cup in 2011, both in 5-on-5 action and on the penalty kill. While their third wheel has changed from the likes of Mark Recchi, Tyler Seguin, Jaromir Jagr and Riley Smith, the two have become accustomed to each other's game and it wasn't hard to notice the chemistry between the pair. It often led to success for Boston's hockey team whenever they took the ice.
But in a season of change, head coach Claude Julien has broken up that beloved second-line pairing. To start Sunday's win over the New York Islanders, Julien had Marchand on Boston's third line with Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Hayes, while Matt Beleskey was bumped up to Bergeron's line. The move appeared to pay off, as Bergeron played a part in both of Boston's goals in their 2-1 win and Marchand looked much better than he had in previous contests.
Still, the "divorce" (as some are calling it) is something they'll have to get used to for however long it lasts. Bergeron joined Zolak & Bertrand at 98.5 The Sports Hub's Bruins Proshop studio inside the TD Garden on Thursday to talk about the shakeup, and while things are a bit different on the ice, the assistant captain is open to anything that will help the team earn some victories.
"It's definitely a change. I asked him in the locker room today, 'We can still be friends, right?'" Bergeron joked. "It's happened a few times in the past, but just for a short period of time. It's a little different but at the same time we have so many combinations this year that we can try and coach wants to look at, so we'll see what happens with it."
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This is just the latest tweak Julien has made to his approach this season, as the Bruins evolve from a slow and physical team to a more fast and energetic version of themselves.
"He's definitely tweaked a few things in his system to improve our speed and transition game," Bergeron said of Julien, now in his eighth season in Boston. "We have younger players so I think he's having a different approach with them. At the same time I've had him for so many years that [I know] every year he is trying to get better. At the end of the day he's the same person."
Bergeron also discussed Boston's up and down start to the season, their struggles on the penalty kill and the upcoming Winter Classic against the Montreal Canadiens:
