Bergeron, the Boston Bruins captain, has played 12 times in a Game 7 in the NHL, 12 opportunities for do-or-die games, 12 moments to make his mark. He has done so by scoring six goals in Game 7, one shy of the NHL record.
But just because the Bruins have the experience -- Boston will extend its NHL record to 29 Game 7s when it plays the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET; ESPN, TVAS, SN360, SNE, SNW, SNP, BSSO, NESN) -- that doesn't mean they have the edge.
Because in a Game 7? Anything can happen.
"It's obviously a game of inches," Bergeron said. "A bounce here or there can make a difference."
The Bruins and Hurricanes will play Game 7 of their best-of-7 Eastern Conference First Round series after the Bruins staved off elimination in Game 6 in Boston on Thursday.
"It just comes down to one game," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "I think we're excited about it. … You have to play your best. You don't win Game 7 unless you play your best."
***RELATED: [Complete Bruins vs Hurricanes series coverage]*
The home team has won each game of the series. It's a trend the Hurricanes hope to continue and the Bruins hope to buck.
Boston will attempt to win a Game 7 for the 16th time, while Carolina will try to push its Game 7 winning streak to six.
The teams have different things on the line in this Game 7.
For the Hurricanes, a rising franchise with Stanley Cup Final hopes, winning Game 7 would fulfill an expectation. The second round is a place Carolina is expecting to be after finishing first in the Metropolitan Division and second in the Eastern Conference, behind the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes have been climbing back among the NHL elite after losing to the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Final in 2019, losing in the first round in 2020 and the second round in 2021.
The Bruins, meanwhile, might be in their last gasp of greatness before a potential dip. There are no assurances that Bergeron will return next season. He can be an unrestricted free agent after the season and a loss could mark the end of an era in Boston.
Bergeron helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011, one of three trips to the Final (2013, 2019) during his 18 NHL seasons. He's also in the top four all-time for Boston in games played (1,216, third), goals (400, fourth), assists (582, fourth) and points (982, fourth).
For both teams, it would be a disappointing end to a hard-fought series.
"We expected it," Bergeron said of getting to a Game 7. "It's two good teams going at it. Obviously Carolina is a really good team that's got a lot of depth. So are we."
The Hurricanes won the first two games of the series at home to put the Bruins into a hole, but they returned home and picked up two wins to even the series. The story continued: the Hurricanes won in Raleigh in Game 5 and the Bruins staved off elimination with a victory in Boston in Game 6.
"We're preparing to win a hockey game," Cassidy said. "You need to win one game on the road. We obviously have to have the urgency level, but you try not to talk about the do-or-die mentality. What do we need to do to win the game? What did we do well yesterday to help us win the game?"
The Hurricanes, for their part, were not happy with their play in Game 6, with Brind'Amour saying the team was "bitter and mad and frustrated" by the outcome. But the players believe in their ability to bounce back, in their ability to win a game predicated on special teams, as most of the games have been in this series.
"It's not easy to play us when you're down and you're chasing a game and you're on the road," Hurricanes goalie Antti Raanta said. "The fans get loud and they're pushing the home team. It's not easy to catch up in the playoffs. That's been the biggest thing. But anything can happen tomorrow."
So they move on. Back to Carolina for Game 7.
And in this series, home ice has meant everything.
But sometimes Game 7s have a way of upending trends.
"When you step on the ice, it's all about that moment," Bergeron said. "Whatever happened in the first six games doesn't matter."
