David Krejci is incredibly beneficial to this Bruins team.
The Boston center amassed a goal and an assist in its 2-1 Game 5 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night. The victory bounced Carolina from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Krejci opened the scoring in the second period on the power play on a rebound when he found himself directly in front of Petr Mrazek.
The veteran historically has played his best hockey in the playoffs, and this year is no different. Krejci already has three goals in five assists through the Bruins' first five games.
And Bruce Cassidy knows the importance of the 34-year-old.
"Well I've learned that he's a big-time player," he told reporters on Zoom during his postgame press conference. "I've seen it in the playoffs now every year I've been here. Don't over analyze maybe some regular season games at times if he's not put in key situations. I know that we've used him last minute a lot since I've been here with Bergy and (Brad Marchand) on the right wing and again he always rises up in those occasions. Game three is a great example of that, the play he made on the wall to flip it to March, a composure play, there's still 35 seconds left in the game and he gets the puck out under duress and playing the wing.
"So I've learned that about him. He's a real competitor, good team guy, well liked in the room, quiet, I think a good hockey mind. You can always talk to him about the game and get good responses and good dialogue and a guy that loves the game, he just doesn't show it maybe like some other people would because he is kind of more of a composed guy that way, but certainly one of the more fiercer competitors in terms of inner drive that I've been around here."
Yes, yes he is.
The Bruins now wait to see who their next opponent will be, the Montreal Canadiens or Tampa Bay Lightning.
