Grade the Players: David Krejci’s playoff performances and consistency remain

Grade: B+

A veteran of 911 games in the spoked ‘B’, David Krejci’s time in Boston has been nothing short of remarkable.

A staple behind Patrice Bergeron in the middle of the Bruins’ top six, Krejci followed a decent regular season with another productive post-season in which he notched 12 points in 13 contests.

It was more of the same in 2019-20 for the Czech center, as hot-and-cold play from Jake DeBrusk and the ever-persistent struggle to find a right wing somewhat hindered Krejci’s point production.

It’s easy to look at Krejci’s point total and say he underperformed, but you have to cut him some slack due to the revolving door of right wings he saw on a nightly basis.

While Ondrej Kase’s game seems well-suited to warrant another shot on Krejci’s right side, the former Anaheim Duck’s shooting percentage curbed the second line’s results.

Krejci’s ability to slow the game down, get to open ice, and find open shooters, regardless of the size of the passing lane, continues to inspire awe.

Consistently a step ahead of the play mentally, Krejci’s comprehension of the game allows his to find teammates before the defense collapses onto that player.

Despite average possession numbers, Krejci was on the ice for 35 five-on-five goals, compared to 21 against during the regular season.

This, in part, can be attributed to his high offensive zone start percentage (64.61%), congruent his inflated offensive zone starts the previous two campaigns. In addition, despite a 50.92% high danger chances in for, Krejci was on ice for 21 high danger goals versus a mere nine against.

Krejci continues to produce points on the power play, as the extra time and space from the man advantage give the crafty veteran more room to make plays.

He can make pinpoint passes, evidenced by great feeds to Charlie Coyle (even strength, coming off of a power play opportunity) and David Pastrnak.

Krejci has been a staple on the Bruins’ second line and power play for years and remains a key reason for why the Bruins have been able to maintain their level of consistent success and playoff runs over the years.

You’d like to see a little more regular season production out of him, and have to hope that the points will come with a more consistent second line next season.

An unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this coming season, who knows how much longer Bruins fans will have the treat of watching the Czech center play in the black and gold?

One things for sure: many Bruins fans have undervalued Krejci for years, but those fans may feel his absence sooner rather than later.

Show Your Work

HockeyViz