Ray Bourque explains why Bruins' Patrice Bergeron is one of his ‘favorite' players ever

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Patrice Bergeron is putting together one of the finest careers in Boston Bruins history, which is no small feat given the franchise's almost 100 years of existence.

The 33-year-old center is one of the best two-way forwards of all time, evidenced by his four Frank J. Selke trophies (a fifth could be coming in June), and he helped bring Boston its only Stanley Cup championship since 1972 when the B's defeated the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.

Bergeron's career with the Bruins still has several more chapters to be written, but that won't stop one B's legend from reflecting on what the veteran forward has accomplished so far.

"I feel that we're very similar in how we played, how consistent, our preparation, that you could be counted on every single day," legendary Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque said of Bergeron during an interview with NHL Network's Billy Jaffe. "And I'll tell you, Patrice, he's one of my favorite players of all time because of the respect I have for him and what he brings every single day. He's played through some tough things and he's so consistent.

"One of proudest things when I look back at my career of 22 years is how consistent I was year in, year out. That goes the same for Patrice, and I know he looks for perfection every single day, and I was looking for the same thing knowing I would never reach it, but that makes you the best you can be every single day." 

The Bruins are one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final for the third time this decade, and they can clinch that berth with a victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final Tuesday night. Bergeron has been one of the Bruins' best players, both offensively and defensively, in the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. He's tallied 10 points through 16 playoff games and his defense against opponents' top lines has been exceptional.

Bergeron's place as an all-time great Bruins player already is secure, but a second Stanley Cup championship could vault him into the upper echelon of the team's hierarchy, where Bourque and Bobby Orr stand above the rest.

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