BOSTON (CBS) — It’s not even hyperbole to say that the Bruins are just as much a risk to score as the opposing power play when Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron are on the penalty kill. The Edmonton Oilers learned this lesson firsthand on Thursday night.
With Nick Foligno in the box (for responding to an uncalled boarding penalty by Zach Hyman), the Bruins’ PK got to work. Patrice Bergeron, in a rare moment, lost the faceoff in the Boston end, but he quickly skated to the point to harass Tyson Barrie. Flustered, Barrie sent a weak pass along the wall. Bergeron picked it, gathered the puck, looked up, and sent a gentle saucer pass past a desperate Barrie to Marchand, who was streaking through the neutral zone.
From there, Marchand finished off the play with a breakaway goal, giving Boston a 1-0 lead in a game they’d eventually win 3-2.
Brad Marchand (@Bmarch63), king of the SHG. pic.twitter.com/KuacQ0j75B
— NHL (@NHL) December 10, 2021
It was, in many ways, a perfect play from two of the best penalty killers on Earth. But it’s not exactly a rarity for the duo.
The goal marked the 32nd shorthanded tally of Marchand’s career and the 24th shorthanded assist of Bergeron’s career.
Since Marchand entered the league in the 2009-10 season, he’s registered 10 more shorthanded goals than Michael Grabner, who scored the second-most shorties with 22. Nobody else has scored 20 during that span.
Marchand moved into a tie with four other players for 16th on the NHL’s all-time list of shorthanded goals, and he’s now three away from jumping into the top 10. He’ll never catch Wayne Gretzky (73), Mark Messier (63), Steve Yzerman (50) or Mario Lemieux (49), but in this millennium, Marchand’s been the most productive shorthanded player in the NHL, with 52 shorthanded points. Bergeron ranks fourth with 44.
Such excellence on the penalty kill brings about jaw-dropping stats such as these:
Shorthanded goals (since 16-17)
Detroit Red Wings: 23
Los Angeles Kings: 23
Bergeron-Marchand: 23
Chicago Blackhawks: 22— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) December 10, 2021
Since the start of last season Bergeron and Marchand have played together on the penalty kill for 98 minutes.
Goals:
8 – Bruins
11 – Opponents— Bruins Stats (@bruins_stats) December 10, 2021
Brad Marchand
Now has at least 1 short-handed goal for 12 straight seqsons
Tied for the 5th longest streak in NHL history pic.twitter.com/ZvyHE5gt3S
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) December 10, 2021
Of course, the shorthanded goals mean more … when they mean more, and Thursday’s was an important one. It was the 12th time that Marchand scored a short-handed goal to break a 0-0 tie, which is the most such goals in NHL history. This one helped fuel a much-needed road win to help the Bruins climb closer to a spot in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.
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