Craig Smith has been everything the Boston Bruins hoped he would be.
And more.
Smith has found his footing quickly with the Bruins, immediately becoming an impact winger in the first season of his three-year deal with Boston. He had a reputation around the NHL for loving to shoot and being a marksman, and that translated perfectly to Boston after he spent the first nine years of his NHL career with the Nashville Predators.
The 31-year-old is in the midst of his best stretch of the season, posting at least a point in seven of his last eight games, a stretch in which he has four goals and seven assists.
He’s done most of that work on the new-look second line with David Krejci and Taylor Hall, but he was having an impact long before that.
“We’ve noticed that Craig Smith has played well on any line he’s on,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned in passing following Tuesday’s morning skate.
Indeed, he has.
The goal with Smith was to have him play on the third line with Charlie Coyle early on, but injuries and ineffectiveness from other players had him jumping all over the place. He saw time on the second and third lines, but also with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron on the top unit.
Wherever he was put, he found a way to contribute, and thus far this season he has 10 goals and 17 assists in 42 games.
His next shot to keep racking up points will come Tuesday, when the Bruins face the Sabres in Buffalo. Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on NESN+.
