BOSTON — David Krejci was shifted to a new role Saturday night, and the veteran center rose to the occasion.
With the Bruins currently ravaged by injuries — Jake DeBrusk the most recent — head coach Bruce Cassidy shuffled his lineup for the matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs, vaulting Krejci to the first line to center Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. Krejci shined in the role, logging a goal and an assist in Boston’s 6-3 win at TD Garden.
Not only did Krejci’s helper allow Torey Krug to score his first goal of the season, it also boosted the 13-year veteran up to 10th on the Bruins’ all-time scoring list, passing none other than team president Cam Neely.
Given the nature of the list realignment, Cassidy had mixed feelings about Krejci’s accomplishment.
Well, not really.
“I’m proud of him,” Cassidy said. “I feel bad for my boss, Cam. But that’s the way it goes, right? Records are made to be broken and people are made to be passed, so good for Krejci.
“I’m happy for Krejci. He’s been a great Bruin for a long time and hopefully he keeps right on trucking.”
The Bruins will need Krejci to continue to play at a high level while fellow veteran leaders Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara are sidelined. It remains to be seen how Cassidy will handle his lineup following Saturday, but the Marchand-Krejci-Pastrnak line certainly impressed against one of the better teams in the NHL.
