Hey folks! New goddess here. ;-) Since I’m the resident Bruins “expert,” and we’re entering the Olympic break, I thought I’d begin with a post about what some have called the surprise member of the Canadian Olympic team, Boston center Patrice Bergeron.

Patrice’s selection was probably only a surprise to those who haven’t followed his career. He’s not a flashy stats guy. He’s not a monster checker. He is, however, one of the most well-rounded, versatile, intelligent players in the NHL. He plays on the PK and on the power play. He’s excellent in the faceoff circle. He’s the guy you want on the ice when you’ve got the goalie pulled and are trying to tie the game, or if you’ve got a one-goal lead you’re trying desperately to protect.

Patrice was picked 45th overall in the 2003 draft  and made the Bruins at age 18. He won a gold medal with the Canadian senior men’s team in 2004, and a gold medal with the juniors in 2005, the first player in history to have accomplished that feat. He skated on a line with Sidney Crosby at the junior tournament (and was named the tournament MVP), and speculation is that he’ll do the same in Vancouver.

Unfortunately Patrice’s biggest claim to fame is the horrific concussion he suffered in October 2007, when he was hit from behind by Philadelphia’s Randy Jones. What not many people outside of New England seem to realize is that Patrice came periously close to dying that day. His doctor said that any normal human being (and many hockey players) would have suffered a broken neck from that hit, but thankfully Patrice’s astounding level of fitness and strength spared him. 

Even so, the hit was devastating. Patrice missed the rest of the season with a Grade III concussion.  Many fans and media declared he’d never make it back, but not this fan. If there’s one thing that surpasses Patrice’s physical strength, it’s his heart and will. That’s what makes him a special hockey player (and a special human being), and I knew he’d be  back with a vengeance. 

After a long, difficult recovery (knocked off the rails a bit when he suffered another concussion in December), Patrice was back to normal by the time last spring’s playoffs rolled around, as Josh Gorges discovered:

Josh Gorges vs. Patrice Bergeron

That was the first fight of Patrice’s career, and as usual, he got it right the first time.

However, that’s not what makes Patrice Bergeron a superb hockey player. What makes him great is his vision, his hockey sense, his passing ability, and strength on his skates. Watch his move on Mike Richards:

Winter Classic goal

Even better, Patrice steals the puck from Maxim Lapierre and feeds Mark Recchi:

Recchi scores in OT

Two things to love about this goal: The strength and balance Patrice shows in taking the puck away, and the absolutely wonderful feed to Recchi. Patrice never looks at Recchi; he appears to be thinking shot all the way, then dishes off and hits Recchi’s blade perfectly.

That’s why Patrice Bergeron was the only player not invited to Canada’s summer tryout camp to be named to the Olympic roster. Despite the naysayers, I have no doubt he’ll be a key part of  Canada’s success.

Besides, it doesn’t hurt to have a pretty team, right?

Some additional notes on Patrice Bergeron:

 - When he was very little and just starting to skate, his parents signed him up for hockey lessons. On the first day, he sat down inside the net and watched. The coach asked him if he wanted to join in, and he said, “No, I’m good.” This went on for several sessions until one day he proclaimed himself ready and played. His mother, upon telling the story, said it was typical of Patrice. “He watches and studies and when he’s ready, he’s ready.”

- Bergeron is his mother’s maiden name. His father’s name is Cleary. After his fight against Gorges, teammate Shawn Thornton dubbed him “Patrick Cleary” and still refers to him by that name, especially when Patrice gets fiesty.

- Patrice is one of Boston’s busiest athletes when it comes to charity work. Among his many projects, he owns a suite at the Garden in which children from area hospitals or community groups are invited, and he meets with them after games.

- Patrice has been an alternate captain since his second year with the Bruins, and most Bruins fans have no doubt he’ll inherit the “C” when Zdeno Chara retires (the other “A” is rotated amongst the Bruins veterans).

Though I’m an American, I’ll actually be rooting for Canada in the Olympics, for one reason only: Patrice Bergeron. He makes me proud to be a Bruins fan.

Until next time!

Check out Goddess Sasha’s pictures from last night’s Avalanche/Red Wings game. Datsyuk and Zetterberg and Holmstrom … Oh my!

Check out new Philadelphia Flyers pictures from Goddess Kelles. Onward to the photos!

Check out Goddess Sasha’s pictures from the Avalanche-Stars pre-season game tonight.

War … What is it Good For? Absolutely nothing? Or maybe, among teammates it can serve as a wake up call?

Two members of the Vancouver Canucks fought each other in practice yesterday.

Losers of eight straight home games, the Canucks’ tension and frustration boiled over with a practice altercation involving defenceman Willie Mitchell and winger Mason Raymond.

Mitchell ran at Raymond during a drill and, when the speedy sophomore came back at the veteran in the corner, Mitchell punched Raymond in the head and cross-checked him hard on the shoulder.

The fracas drew several players and coaches, and tough defenceman Shane O’Brien skated to Raymond’s defence and challenged Mitchell to fight before tempers calmed.

– The Vancouver Sun, 01/29/2009, Canucks duke it out at practice

I can’t help but wonder if the Atlanta Thrashers could use some teammate-on-teammate butt kickings after the way they’ve been playing lately. They’ve shown little heart and determination (Kari Lehtonen’s outstanding play in Dallas being pretty much the one exception).

Speaking of the Atlanta-Dallas game, I was at the game and witnessed the bad and bobbled passes, lackadaisical play and general boredom of the Thrashers firsthand. Kari showed exactly what kind of goalie he can be when he is on — and when he is on, he is a wow-the-crowd, “who is this guy?!” kind of player. Unfortunately, you can’t win a game as a goalie unless the team in front of you scores.

Finally, there’s a “Top 10 Teammates Fighting Each Other” video that features three different sets of Canadiens players squaring off in practice (including one of my favorites, Richard Zednik). Take a look.

Could fighting help the Thrashers? Hmmm … I don’t know, but maybe it’s worth a shot. I kid … sort of.

… not just one of my favorite songs by Joe Satriani. No, no.

Actually, I came across some interesting candid shots taken at the All Star festivities by someone from Home Ice (XM Radio 204), including a nice shot of Ilya Kovalchuk (in a lovely, surprisingly conservative Mr. Rogers-style sweater) and some of Milan Hejduk (since we goddesses are Thrashers and Avalanche fans first). They also have several nice shots of former Atlanta Thrashers Marc Savard and Dany Heatley.

Last year this time, I was in Atlanta at the 2008 All Star Weekend. How quickly time does pass!

I’d go on about the great No Detroit Red Wings on the All Star Team controversy, but why? None of them even wanted to go to the game, so is it really worth the effort? Probably not.