Krejci holds the line
Adapts to wingers in flux
The amount of turnover on either side of David Krejci the past couple of seasons has been well-documented. With Jake DeBrusk to his left, the centerman has some new-found consistency, but the uncertainty on the right has been a virtual constant.
Ryan Donato appears to have that spot locked up for the moment, but Danton Heinen started the opener as the right winger on the second line, and it’s not set in stone he won’t get back there.
After not going to China with DeBrusk or Donato, Krejci has had to put in a little extra work to build that chemistry.
It’s nothing new for the Czech forward.
“You just go out there and try your best,” he said. “There’s lots of guys who can play on that spot. You just make the person comfortable, talk a lot, communicate, get on the same page as quickly as we can and it starts with practices. We have lots of good players here.”
For Krejci, it’s also always been about getting in games. He played a full 82 for the first time in his career two seasons ago but made only 64 appearances last year. He posted 44 points in those games, 27 of them assists, but staying on the ice and building that chemistry is a luxury he mostly hasn’t had.
With DeBrusk slated to be on his left for the season if all goes as planned, the opportunity to build that connection is there.
“We didn’t get to play much together (in the preseason) but at the same time, we know each other, we know what to expect from each other,” said Krejci. “We feed off each other well. We need to get a couple more with our right side and get on the same page, keep working hard and get our chances.”
In the Bruins’ 4-0 win over Buffalo, Krejci assisted on David Pastrnak’s third-period goal, but still hasn’t completely clicked with his linemates.
What Krejci has created with DeBrusk was slowly built as well. Krejci did miss time, but assisted on just four of DeBrusk’s 16 goals in the latter’s rookie campaign. However, he had a helper on four of his six playoff tallies.
When the connection was there, Krejci and DeBrusk showed the potential to become a dangerous duo.
That third spot on the line has remained in flux, but with Donato there for now, there’s plenty of opportunity for an electric trio.
“There’s no doubt we have guys who can score,” said Krejci. “We just have to stick to the game plan and trust the system. It was a little bit of a wake-up call for us, the first game. We responded well.”
Though they didn’t click on all cylinders vs. the Sabres, the unit’s veteran is optimistic about the future.
“It’s always about the next
game and how you’re regrouping,” said Krejci. “How you get ready. If you have a good, bad game, whatever, it’s always about the next game. We regroup well as a team, and it’s what this team is all about, we have the character and are trying to build off of what we had last year.”
‘It’s always about the next game and how you’re regrouping. How you get ready. If you have a good, bad game, whatever, it’s always about the next game. We regroup well as a team, and it’s what this team is all about.’
— DAVID KREJCI