Talking Points from the Bruins' 5-4 OT win over the LA Kings

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Here are my talking points tonight after a thrilling overtime win over the LA Kings saved by -- who else? -- Patrice Bergeron:

GOLD STAR: As Brad Marchand said of his linemate, “the legend continues.” Bergeron scored the overtime game-winner on the day he was presented with a video tribute for his 1,000th game played along with a number of gifts from the Bruins organization. He also had a whale of a game with a goal and three points, a plus-three, a game-high seven shots on and 13-of-24 face-off wins in 21:23 of dominant ice time. Beyond doing it on a day when his entire family was there to celebrate his moment with him, Bergeron also picked a day where he was up against one of the other top two-way centers in Anze Kopitar. These kinds of moments are when Bergeron always decides to be at his very best and he did it again on Saturday afternoon.

BRUINS 5, KINGS 4 (OT)

BLACK EYE: Kyle Clifford is supposed to be a physical player, a tough guy and somebody that makes himself a factor in games with his energy and his physicality. Well, he was nowhere to be found in a game that wasn’t really physical or intense on a Saturday afternoon matinee. Clifford didn’t even register a hit in his nearly 10 minutes of ice time, and really didn’t do much of anything else during his time on the ice. Granted nine goals were scored and this was more of an offensive showcase than anything else between the Kings and Bruins, but it’s total mail-in performances like today’s that have the Kings in their bad position in the standings.

TURNING POINT: The Bruins dominated the overtime with four shots to one for Los Angeles and decided they were going to take the extra point after looking both good and bad in the third period. The good was scoring three goals to get back into the game, but the bad was then blowing a two-goal lead that segued into overtime. There the Bruins had Tuukka Rask make one huge save on Adrian Kempe after David Krejci turned the puck over turning the sequence into an LA breakaway. Then the Bruins came down on a 4-on-3 advantage and fed Patrice Bergeron as the trailer for the game-winning top corner sniper shot. They did a lot of good things in overtime after some real up-and-down moments through the first 60 minutes.

HONORABLE MENTION: Charlie McAvoy has had some ups and downs this season amid injuries and inconsistency, but he showed on Saturday afternoon why he’s still a talent that needs to be harnessed. McAvoy was in the middle of all kinds of good offensive things for the Bruins while scoring their first goal of the game and setting up another one in the third period, and also avoided any big defensive hiccups as well while on the ice. McAvoy finished with a goal, two points and a plus-2 in 23:35 of ice time, had seven shot attempts and three hits and generally played like he wants to be the future No. 1 defenseman for the Bruins.

BY THE NUMBERS: 24 – the number of career shorthanded goals for Brad Marchand after today’s tally, which gives him the most in the NHL among players that have entered the league since the 2009-10 season.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “I don’t think our guys got down. Obviously, we don’t want to give up a lead, but it didn’t completely cripple us, so to speak. We kept playing and eventually got the two points.” –Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy on blowing a two-goal lead in the third period, but eventually winning the game in overtime. 

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