Throughout this season the Boston Bruins have dealt with numerous injuries. As a result, head coach Bruce Cassidy has had to mix and match his lines.
Through all the turmoil, David Krejci has been the one constant. With the injury to David Pastrnak, he is now the only Bruin that has appeared in every game. His presence has been key, as Krejci is having one of the best seasons of his career. Krejci is not known for being a gamer, however, this year the veteran has been exactly that.
Other then Krejci, only two other Bruins have appeared in 50 plus games this season. Those two players are Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, both of whom have 60 plus points. Krejci has 47 on the season, centering a second line that at times has been a revolving door. Krejci will never lead this team in points, however, he has shown his value in many other ways.
When Patrice Bergeron went down with an injury earlier this season, Krejci was asked to step up. The veteran center did exactly that as the Bruins top line did not seem to miss a beat once he joined it. He jolted a Bruins offense that was struggling to score without one of its top players. His creativity was on full display and he performed well defensively. Like Krejci has done all season, he raised his game to the next level.
Throughout Krejci’s career, he has never been a high scoring threat. He has only scored over 20 goals three times in his career. This season the veteran center has been more aggressive offensively. His shooting percentage is 15.1, which is Krejci’s highest total since his third NHL season. The veteran center has also been particularly impressive on the power play. He already has 12 points on the man advantage after recording 13 all of last season and 14 the year before. Krejci has carried the Bruins offense at times when they needed most.
If Krejci can continue his strong season then the Bruins could be dangerous down the stretch. This team still needs another scorer but of late they have gotten contributions from everyone. Over the last few games, Danton Heinen and Jake DeBrusk have emerged from their sophomore slumps. It not only gives the Bruins a scoring boost but also makes Krejci more dangerous.
Over the past two seasons, Krejci has not been as effective. After recording 63 points during the 2015-2016 season he failed to reach 60 points the last two seasons. With 24 games left to play that streak should come to an end. In a season when the Bruins have dealt with adversity at almost every turn, Krejci has been a consistent bright spot.
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