Reunited top line gets Bruins back in series against Hurricanes

BOSTON -- Patrice Bergeron was fighting to stay on the ice as blood leaked out of a cut by his right eye.

There were 25 seconds remaining in the second period in a tie game, and the Boston Bruins were starting a two-man advantage. Their captain wanted to be out there.
"Listen, that's the least of what 'Bergy's' played through, a cut," forward Brad Marchand said. "He's played with a hole in his lung and a broken rib. There's not a whole lot that's going to keep him down."
Still, Bergeron lost the argument, sent off down the tunnel for repairs as the period ended.
But that was the will of Bergeron, the will of his line, as they wrenched back control of a series that had once seemed to be spinning out of control.
When Bergeron returned for the third period, it took just 44 seconds for Marchand to break the tie on a five-forward power play the same second the 5-on-3 expired. The Bruins to reasserted themselves in their Eastern Conference First Round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, winning 5-2 Sunday at TD Garden.
The best-of-7 series is tied, 2-2, and shifts back to Carolina for Game 5 on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN360, TVAS2, BSSO, NESN).
"He's got the 'C' on his sweater for a reason," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We don't win very many nights without him being who he is. He's been excellent the whole series. He's the oldest guy on our team and he looks some days like the youngest."
And yet, it was all set up for the Bruins to fail. Not only were they facing the prospect of their 2022 Trade Deadline-acquired defenseman being out in Hampus Lindholm (injury), but now their No. 1 defenseman had been added to the COVID-19 protocol list just before warmups, with Charlie McAvoy replaced by Josh Brown.
"We didn't have a choice. We're playing for our season," Marchand said. "Yeah, it's really tough when you lose guys like them. They're great players and they play big minutes, but it doesn't mean you can roll over and fold."
They didn't.
Because of him. Because of Bergeron. Because of Pastrnak.
After Brett Pesce opened the scoring for Carolina 14:06 into the first period, Bergeron got the Bruins back even at 16:09 off a pass from Pastrnak that hit the back of the net. Jordan Staal again got the lead back for Carolina, 33 seconds into the second, before Jake DeBrusk made the building shake at 18:44, from Bergeron and Marchand on the power play.
From there, it was all Bruins.
But nothing, perhaps, was prettier than the set play off a face-off that resulted in the Bruins' fourth goal, with a cross-crease pass from Marchand to Pastrnak after Bergeron won the draw.
The Bruins' usual top line had been broken up in January, a decision made by Cassidy to length his offensive lineup. He reunited Bergeron with Marchand and Pastrnak midway through Game 2 and has stuck with the decision since, the team soaring with them back together. It's the leadership, the chemistry, the sheer offensive talent that they possess in combination that has gotten the Bruins back into the series after losing the first two games.
They are the beating heart of this Bruins team.
On Sunday, Marchand had five points (two goals, three assists). Bergeron had three points (one goal, two assists). Pastrnak had two points (one goal, one assist). In total, Marchand has nine points (three goals, six assists) in the first four games of the series, Bergeron has six (three goals, three assists), and Pastrnak four (two goals, two assists).
Marchand, particularly, was a force, something Cassidy attributed not only to his talent but to the increasing emotions and animosity between the two teams, especially between Marchand and Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo, something Marchand thrives on.
It was a big moment, and a big player seized that moment.
"That's what he does. It's who he is," Bergeron said. "I think he's always finding a way to get better and takes it upon himself to help the team in any way he can. He always rises up to the occasion any time there's a big moment. There's no surprises there."
There were no surprises anywhere, at least where that top line is concerned. No surprises that it took hold of the team and created the opportunities that led to the win.
No surprises that those three players weren't going to let the series go so easily.
There had been the possibility that Game 4 could have marked Bergeron's final game at TD Garden for the Bruins. His future, after all, is undecided, with Bergeron eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and the Bruins not assured of a Game 6 back in Boston.
That won't be the case, whatever Bergeron is thinking about next season. The Bruins made sure of that. Marchand, Bergeron's partner for more than a decade, made sure of it.
"When you're in playoff time and your back's against the rope, it's do or die," Marchand said. "You have to leave everything out there. These are the most fun games to play in is when there's high emotion, high intensity and there's so much riding on the line.
"If you can't play in these games, what are you playing for?"