Thirteen years into his NHL career, the Boston Bruins still go as David Krejci goes in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The veteran center again came up big Monday night in the Bruins’ series-ending Game 6 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Krejci had a goal and an assist in Boston’s 4-0 win that has them in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2013.
Krejci’s two-point night gave him five for the series, and after being held pointless in the first two games of the first round, the 33-year-old now has 10 points in his last 11 games. Krejci, who led the NHL in playoff points during both of Boston’s most recent Stanley Cup Final runs, is now third among the B’s in playoff points and among the top 20 in the NHL.
If Boston continues its deep run, Krejci’s numbers only should get better, as his production usually coincides with the Bruins winning hockey games. Obviously, Krejci’s talent and playmaking ability make him a special player, but as head coach Bruce Cassidy explained, it’s Krejci’s mindset that also makes him effective when the games mean the most.
“I think it’s his composure,” Cassidy explained Monday night after Boston closed out the series. “Guys are playing at a higher pace out there so it’s a higher physicality so everything is ratcheted up, there’s noise all night. He’s got that ability to block that stuff out. It’s one of his unique gifts — he can slow the game down. At this time of the year, it’s even that much more important to stay within yourself, stay composed and make the plays in front of you. He’s just real good at it. It’s his gift to be able to do that. Even at a higher pace, it’s that much more valuable to be able to execute and settle pucks down and that’s his gift.”
Coincidentally, Krejci says his ability to raise his game in the playoffs is born from a desire to just do whatever it takes to help his team win.
“It is a little different, the game has changed a little bit, but this time (of the year), I just want to go out there and help the team whatever way it is to help the team to get a win,” Krejci told reporters after the game. “That’s pretty much what every guy wants to do here. We don’t need any heroes here, we just want to do it as a team.”
The Bruins are halfway to their ultimate goal, and a matchup with the upstart Carolina Hurricanes awaits. While the Bruins might not need any heroes, they could certainly use playoff Krejci hanging around a little while longer.
