Sochi experience sparked Bruins' Bergeron

Boston.com indicates helping Canada win another gold medal at the Olympics provided a little extra kick for Bruins center Patrice Bergeron in what might be his best NHL campaign to date.

‘‘It’s the best I've seen him, period,’’ Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said. ‘‘He started maybe as the 13th forward over there in Sochi, and everyone saw what he can do, and he was basically on the top line at the end.

‘‘It helped his pace. It helped his tempo, and you know you see him shoot the puck better this year. He’s had a terrific year. And, of course, the whole two-way component of his game is so good. It’s always good. It’s not by accident you hear his name in the Hart Trophy conversation. That doesn’t surprise me at all.’’

Bergeron agrees that the experience was a benefit.

‘‘I think it helped. Even last time it helped me in 2010,’’ he said. ‘‘I think it always helps you when you play with such great players and on a big stage like that.

‘‘I think you just learn and you get better and you improve and I think the same thing with this year. I got back and I felt like the speed of the game was so fast over there that it helped me coming back here and helped me with my confidence with the way that things went down there.’’

Source: Boston.com