I am just going to come out and say it; David Krejci is a scoring powerhouse.
Still only 27 years old, the Czech Republic born lower line center has proven himself in nearly every period of each one of the 4 games this first round series with Toronto has seen, proving time and time again the fact that, whatever you do in the regular season, so long as your team makes the playoffs, it's what you do in that postseason tournament that really brings in the praise.
Nonetheless, while the night ended with Krejci's jubilant face accented by a stick in the air and a crowd of Bruins surrounding him, it did not begin that way. Not in the slightest.
With Joffrey Lupul kicking off the scoring less than 2 and half minutes into the game Boston was instantaneously flushed with doubt meaning that even while going on to out-shoot the Leafs 15 to 8, they would in fact allow things to get worse before they got better. Yet by 19:39 of the 2nd period things would finally get better. After falling behind 2-0 on a Cody Franson goal, a strong power move by winger Milan Luchic saw Boston open up multiple passing lanes and successfully utilize the man advantage awarded to them a minute and 12 seconds earlier. Opting not to put to puck on net, Luchic spun around the goal crease coming up the right side boards right as center Patrice Bergeron fought for position in front of Toronto net minder James Reimer. Now with just 42 seconds remaining on the power play, Luchic dumped the pass off to the blue line where captain Zedeno Chara forcefully hammered the puck towards the net and in turn the waiting stick of mighty Bergeron. 41 seconds left on the power play, the shot, saved by Reimer and spun towards the top of the hash marks where Bergeron picked up the rebound and smacked it into the top corner of the net.
With the lead cut to 1, Boston surged scoring twice before the conclusion of the 2nd period to take the lead on the second goal before relinquishing that advantage less than 1 minute after gaining it. 38 minutes into the game, 6 goals had been scored and with neither goalie playing good hockey fans watched these two teams take the ice for the 3rd period assuredly expecting to see a flood of goals; they were wrong. It would take 33 more minutes for the game to be decided yet after being deprived of a goal for over a period and a half, David Krejci delivered once again thus bringing me and every other Bruins fan watching last night's game to our feet.
"It happened" Krejci said following his game winning goal and well, he didn't get that part wrong.
With 7 minutes and 3 seconds to go in the first overtime, Zedeno Chara poked a loose puck out into the left defensive corner of the ice. Chara was eventually able to work the pass over to teammate and imposing winger Nathen Horton. Continuing the play, Horton took a hit to make a play sliding the pass to Krejci before going down in an anguished heap. Luchic to his left, the 2 on 1 developing before him, and with Krejci rotating towards the boards he gave up on the pass to Luchic smacking the puck between the legs of a Toronto D-man, beating James Reimer, winning the game and taking a decisive 3 to 1 lead in the series.
Boo ya!!! :)
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