Herzlich Willkommen » Bowl appearances by a

Patrice Bergeron started earning acclaim for his defensive game four seasons ago when he was a legitimate Selke Trophy candidate for the first time. It has taken longer for Bergeron to be appreciated as one of the best all-around players in the NHL. Maybe it started during the Boston Bruins 2011 Stanley Cup run or last years trip to the final, but after playing a major role in Team Canadas gold-medal performance at the Sochi Olympics, the 28-year-old is surely considered among hockeys elite centres. "I think what hes done is he opened a lot of peoples eyes," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "I know at his first Olympics he didnt have, whether it was the opportunity, to do what he did. The last one I think people realized how good he is." Statistically, Bergeron had just two assists in six games, but the Quebec City native shifted from a fourth-line centre role to right-wing alongside Sidney Crosby and never missed a beat. His nearly flawless play wasnt a revelation as much as it underscored his growth from the 2010 Games in Vancouver, where he was the 13th forward. In that tournament, as defenceman Chris Pronger told CBC Sports recently, Bergeron had a smaller role that was "probably a little unfair to him." "Patrice would sit on the bench for long periods of time and then wed get a penalty and turn to him and say, OK, go out and kill it," Pronger told CBC. "Thats a pretty tough, but important, job." Its also an important job to play with Crosby, whose unique talent level and menatal acuity are often difficult to match. Bergeron said during the Olympics that the challenge is to be at his best when on Crosbys wing. "Its about trying to find him when hes open but also its getting open for yourself, not just trying to feed him," Bergeron said of Crosby. "You give him the puck in your zone and he does his thing." Bergeron said playing with not just Crosby but everyone on that deep, talented Team Canada made him better. "I think it helped me with the confidence being there, and the pace and the level of the game down there, it definitely helped me coming back here," Bergeron said last week in Detroit before the Bruins finished off the Red Wings to set up a showdown with the Montreal Canadiens that begins Thursday. Sochi gave Bergeron an international showcase to show his stuff, but he has been a key cog for the Bruins for a number of years. He has played 70-plus games in eight of nine full NHL seasons since entering the league in 2003 and had 20 points in 23 games when Boston won the Cup in 2011. This season, though, he was downright dominant at times. With 62 points in 80 games, a league-best plus-38 rating and a 58.6 per cent success rate in the faceoff circle, Bergeron was the Bruins most important forward as they won the Presidents Trophy. "I didnt think a guy thats already played eight or nine years can get better each and every year, but he is," winger Brad Marchand said in Toronto late in the regular season. "Hes the reason why weve won this many games this year and why we won the Cup. Hes a phenomenal player, a great leader, and every night hes on the ice hes a guy you want to follow." At one time Bergeron was the player doing the following. Even though he was taught defensive responsibility while growing up in hockey, Bergeron looked to Ted Donato and others who were winning faceoffs and playing in their own end. Now a veteran on the verge of beginning his US$52-million, eight-year contract signed last summer, Bergeron is now in the position of instilling those principles in younger teammates. "I mean its how I play so Im always trying to talk about that, talk about making sure we come back on the backcheck and we do the right thing defensively to create some offence," Bergeron said. Bergeron doesnt just help Bruins players. Red Wings centre Riley Sheahan, who was a key piece of their run to the playoffs, said he studies Bergerons game to improve his own. Even players at other positions appreciate what Bergeron brings to the ice. Detroit defenceman Brendan Smith has noticed Bergerons game even more now that brother Reilly is his teammate in Boston. "He reminds me of (Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg) because hes so good defensively, hes so good offensively," Smith said. "Hes above the play. He makes good decisions. Hes a second quick. Hes strong on the puck. He makes good reads. You go through the list about a player like Bergeron." Brendan Smith said Reilly has picked up plenty of tidbits from Bergeron, and according to Julien hes far from the only one who can say that. "Anybody that plays with him and sees his work ethic doesnt have a choice but to follow this guy," Julien said. "That just makes those players better. If we see a player that has skill and some potential, we know playing with Bergie that the other parts of his game will improve. That certainly is something weve always looked at." Forget about younger players. Even as Bergeron is a well-established pro, hes trying to tweak elements of his game that arent quite perfect. "Youre always trying to work on things," Bergeron said. "Coaches are doing a great job of showing me some videos with my stick in the right position on the PK or whatnot. So I think you definitely improve every time you put some work into it." Rocky Colavito Jersey .7 million, one-year contract, a raise of $2.2 million. Wieters had asked for $8.75 million and the Orioles had offered $6. Wholesale Tigers Jerseys . Here is a look at all the moves through the first week of NHL Free Agency. The most significant deals will get the full Numbers Game column treatment, like these:Briere-for-Parenteau trade. https://www.cheaptigers.com/699z-jose-ig...sey-tigers.html. But sometimes the way you lose takes precedence over the final score. And how the Jets lost the 5-4 game to the New York Islanders on Thursday is what had Coach Claude Noel hot after the game. Jordan Zimmermann Jersey . Globo TV and other news outlets said early Monday that Scolari will not remain as coach after the national teams failure to win the World Cup at home. Mickey Cochrane Jersey .Lets go back to the Avs, who have become one of the funnest teams to watch in this years playoffs.Glendale, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - After Tom Brady added to an already illustrious legacy, Malcolm Butler established his by leaving the Seattle Seahawks, well, deflated. Bradys 3-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman put the New England Patriots ahead with 2:02 remaining, while Butlers goal-line interception with 20 seconds left preserved a 28-24 victory over the Seahawks in a Super Bowl XLIX that every bit lived up to its advance billing. Making a record sixth Super Bowl start for a quarterback, Brady threw two of his four touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to bring the Patriots back from a 24-14 deficit against the leagues most feared defense. New Englands own stop unit then came up with a game-saving play to sew up the AFC champions first NFL title in a decade. The Patriots had twice came up short, including a painstaking 17-14 defeat to the New York Giants on this same University of Phoenix field seven years ago, since besting the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX to conclude the 2004 season. For a moment, another heartbreaking setback appeared on the horizon. The defending world champion Seahawks moved down to the opposing 5-yard line in the final seconds on Jermaine Kearses miraculous 33-yard catch, which conjured up memories of the Giants David Tyrees unforgettable grab that helped send New England to defeat in Super Bowl XLII. Marshawn Lynch was stopped just short of the goal line on the ensuing play, but the Seahawks didnt give the ball to their All-Pro back on the next snap. Instead, Russell Wilson attempted a slant intended for Ricardo Lockette that Butler -- an undrafted rookie from Division II West Alabama -- jumped and hauled in to give Brady his fourth Super Bowl triumph, tying Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw for the most by a quarterback in league history. Brady also claimed his third career Super Bowl MVP, a feat previously accomplished only by Montana, after shaking off a pair of costly interceptions to complete a Super Bowl-record 37 passes for 328 yards on 50 attempts. Pats head coach Bill Belichick, who spent most of the two weeks leading up to the title game fielding questions about his teams use of under-inflated footballs in its rout of Indianapolis in the AFC Championship, reached a milestone as well by tying Pittsburgh Steelers legend Chuck Noll with his fourth Lombardi Trophy. Seattle, bidding to become the first repeat champion since the Patriots won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004, held New England to just 32 total yards during a dominant third quarter in which they put up 10 unanswered points to break a 14-14 tie at the half. Brady found his stride again in the final frame, however, directing a 9-play, 68-yard drive that was extended by two crucial 21-yard third-down connections with Edelman, who burned the Seahawks heralded secondary for 109 yards on nine catches on the night. The last of those completions put the ball on the Seattle 4-yard line and set up Bradys on-point bullet to Danny Amendola that cut the lead to 24-21 with 7:55 to play. After New Englands defense forced a quick three-and-out on the subsequent possession, Brady flawlessly led his team back down the field. The savvy veteran went 8-for-8 on the 10-play, 64-yard series, highlighted by hookups with Rob Gronkowski that went for 20 and 13 yards to send his team back in scoring range. A 7-yard pass to Brandon LaFell shortly afterward created a 1st-and-goal, and Edelman shook off press coverage from Tharold Simon to cradle in Bradys back- shoulder throw to send New England in front just before the two-minute warning. Simon was in the game as an injury replacement for nickelback Jeremy Lane, who picked off Brady at the goal line late in the first quarter to thwart the games first scoring chance but hurt his left wrist on the turnover. The Seahawks, coming off an unbeliveable comeback to down Green Bay in the NFC Championship, showed their mettle once more, though. Wilson hit Lynch out of the backfiield for a 31-yard gain and Kearse later came down with a deep ball deflected by Butler that first landed in the receivers lap before he snatched it out of the air with his back on the ground.dddddddddddd Wilson tested Butler on his next pass as well, but the backup corner got position on Lockette and snared the ball prior to dropping to the ground at the 2-yard line. The Seahawks had been 18-0 over the last three seasons when holding a lead of 10 or more points in the fourth quarter. Lanes pick kept a defensively dominated first quarter scoreless, though there was plenty of scoring from both sides during a wild second. Brady bounced back on New Englands next drive, hitting on 5-of-7 throws that included a a 3rd-and-9 connection with Edelman for 23 yards that brought New England to the Seattle 12. He later finished the nine-play, 65-yard sequence with an 11-yard dart to LaFell to give the Patriots the upper hand just over five minutes into the second quarter. Seattle. meanwhile, had mustered a mere 22 yards and one first down over its first three drives before its offense finally got into gear, with seldom-used wideout Chris Matthews leading the charge. Matthews didnt record a single reception while spending the majority of the regular season on the practice squad, but began a four-catch, 109-yard outburst with a leaping grab of Wilsons deep strike. Two plays after the 44- yard gain, Lynch fought his way across the goal line on a shotgun keeper to knot the score at 7-7 with 2:16 left in the half. Brady brought New England right back in scoring range, however, with three completions that included Shane Vereens 16-yard reception to the Seahawks 27 inside the final minute. He later delivered a pinpoint pass to Gronkowski, engaged in single coverage with linebacker K.J. Wright, that resulted in a 22- yard touchdown just 31 seconds prior to the intermission. Long runs by Robert Turbin and Wilson put the Seahawks immediately into New England territory on the ensuing possession, though, and Seattle called timeout with six seconds left following Lockettes 23-yard catch coupled with a face-mask penalty on the Pats. Head coach Pete Carroll opted to take one shot at the end zone, and the move paid off when Matthews won a jump ball in the end zone as Wilson quickly ripped off a well-placed throw. Matthews came down with a 44-yard catch on Seattles opening series of the second half, positioning Steven Hauschka for a go-ahead 27-yard field goal, and Bobby Wagner intercepted Bradys down-the-middle pass for Gronkowski to put the Seahawks at midfield with a chance to move further in front. That they did, with Wilson finishing a short 6-play jaunt by finding a wide- open Doug Baldwin from three yards out to extend the lead to 24-14 with under five minutes to go in the third quarter. Wilson, the first quarterback in league history to start two Super Bowls in his first three seasons, ended with 247 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-21 passing. Lynch accounted for 102 of the Seahawks 162 rushing yards on a 24- carry effort. Game Notes Brady also became the first quarterback with 50 career postseason touchdown passes with his second-quarter score to LaFell. The comeback was his ninth in the fourth quarter or overtime in postseason play ... Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin was ejected for his role in a scrum that involved several players while the Patriots were trying to run out the clock ... Belichick also tied Don Shula for the most Super Bowl appearances by a head coach (6) ... Matthews is the second player in Super Bowl history with a receiving touchdown without having caught a pass during the regular season, joining Dallas Percy Howard in Super Bowl X ... Wilson suffered his first loss in 11 career starts against quarterbacks who have won Super Bowls ... The Patriots havent scored in the first quarter in any of their six Super Bowls under Belichick ... The team that has scored first has now prevailed in 33 of the 49 Super Bowls. ' ' '