Bergeron put behind Auston Matthews, Mark Scheifele and more.
Pretty much any reasonable hockey fan knows that Patrice Bergeron is one of the best centers in the game. He mixes his incredibly tough defensive zone play with a knack for the goal on offense. He has been a Selke Trophy finalist every season since 2011-12, and won the award four times. Last year he had 63 points in 64 games, and excluding the 2012-13 lockout season, hasn't had a season of less than 50 points since the 2008-09 campaign. Also, he leads the best line in hockey, with Brad Marchand to his left, and David Pastrnak to his right. But for everything Bergeron does with the puck, he does ten times that without it. His line is not just the best in hockey because they score the most, but also because they shut down everyone they play. McDavid, Crosby, you name them, Bergeron will silence them. But, to Bruins fans dismay, I give you NHL Network's Center rankings:
Auston Matthews at number four is a disgrace. I understand that he's a great goal scorer, but an elite center should not only score goals, but also create them. Matthews' 29 assists were 132nd in the league. That's behind guys like Josh Manson, Nick Schmaltz, and Colin Miller. Sure doesn't sound like a top four center to me. By the way, when Mathews' Maple Leafs faced off against Bergeron's Bruins in the first round of the playoffs last year, Mathews had two points in the series, compared to eight from Bergeron. That's a thinker. And Mark Scheifele is a fine player and all, and deserves to be in the top twenty, but seventh? really? NHL Network has got to get things straightened out, and realize that an all around player, is the most valuable.