SUNRISE, Fla. -- It's easy to picture Patrice Bergeron sitting on his couch in his suburban family room watching the TV, phone in hand. Noticing things mere mortals wouldn't. And, upon noticing those things, picking up that phone to text an idea or a thought or an X or an O to Chris Kelly, his former teammate and an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins.
It's all so very Bergeron.
With the Bruins' captain left behind in Boston for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Florida Panthers because of an injury, texting was pretty much the only way he could impact the series. And so he's tried to do just that.
"You could tell that he was pretty pumped up, of the way we were playing," Montgomery said of the text he received during the Bruins' 4-2 win in Game 3 on Friday. "That was the thing that was first and foremost that came up. And I think he's just, you feel you're helpless. It's like the first time you retire and you become a coach, you don't have any impact on the ice, so how do you help?"
So he texted. He shared. He did what he could, as the Bruins won and took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. And he could find himself doing the same again in Game 4, which will be played at FLA Live Arena on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; TNT, SN1, TVAS, BSFL, NESN).
"He's a superstar player who is a superstar because of the details that he has to his game," Montgomery said. "And in order to be so detail-oriented, you have to study, and he's a student of the game. So, naturally he sees things quickly.
[RELATED: Complete Bruins vs. Panthers series coverage]
"Bergeron is so detailed that in all three areas he can help anyone. He can help anyone. He can help a power-play player, he can help a fourth-line center, a winger, and he can help a defenseman. He knows everybody's responsibilities within our structure."
Bergeron isn't the only one Montgomery would take advice of that nature from. There are a handful of other people in the game who he tells to text him if they see something, if they have insight that could help.
But with Bergeron usually on the ice, he's not typically one of them.
"It's got to be tough for him," forward Brad Marchand said. "He's a playoff player. He thrives at this time of year. And it's got to be hard for him to have to watch, not be in the mix, but that's why he's such an incredible leader, because no matter the position he's in, he's always trying to find a way to help, let guys use his experience to feel good about their game."
So, do you think Bergeron is a genius?
"Yeah, I do," Marchand said. "What I just think separates him from other leaders, part of what makes him such a great leader, is he has a natural gift of observing. He's always watching. When you go day to day, a lot of people are focused on what they do and what they have going on and what they want to achieve, but he has much bigger aspirations for our team.
"He does everything so well and he's so prepared, but he's always worried about how do I help you and how do I help you and how do I help the next guy."
Montgomery said that Bergeron is skating in Boston, still progressing toward a potential return in Game 5, which he had earlier deemed "likely."
And that will be doubly good news for Montgomery who, for now, is much happier to be coaching Bergeron on the ice than hearing footsteps coming for his job.
Asked how he thought Bergeron would do as a coach, Montgomery said: "Excellent. Glad he's made a lot of money. Hopefully he doesn't want to make any more."
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2023-04-22 20:34:52Z
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