Is it fair to judge fellow pivots against someone like Patrice Bergeron? Eh, probably not.
A defensive-minded forward like Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson has been dodging comparisons to No. 37 since the moment he inked his entry-level contract with the B’s — but sound, two-way play is far from the only defining characteristic when it comes to Bergeron.
Sure, he might have four Selke Trophies in his Hall of Fame resume, but the Bruins center has also been the engine that makes arguably the top forward line in the league hum in the offensive zone.
Boston’s usual top trio of Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak may not be as impervious to the opposition at least season (after all, that line logged over 200 minutes of TOI together before relinquishing a single five-on-five goal).
But the offensive production (13 five-on-five goals in 19 games played, 3.88 goals for per 60 minutes) and favorable possession stats (56.46 Corsi For Percentage) have all remained whenever 63-37-88 has been called on this season.
Sure, Bergeron’s offensive production has surged thanks to Marchand’s evolution from pugnacious, two-way agitator to perennial 30-goal scorer (and still agitator) — as well as Pastrnak’s emergence as one of the most dynamic young wingers in the NHL.
But Bergeron’s style of play drives the breakneck pace at which that line plays, both when he has the puck on his stick and when his 200-foot prowess allows his linemates to leak out of their spots in order to snag a loose puck or get their feet moving for an effective counter rush.
But with Bergeron sidelined due to a rib/clavicle injury for close to a month (and no set timetable established for his return, although he has resumed skating) Bruce Cassidy and his staff have had to sort through the B’s options to keep that top line rolling.
Forsbacka Karlsson earned a look for a few games, then fellow youngster Colby Cave. To be expected, both struggled to generate much both for themselves and their two talented wingers — combining for one goal and three goals against in 5v5 play over the span of 73 minutes.
So what about David Krejci?
Boston’s de-facto No. 1 center when he had talent like Nathan Horton, Milan Lucic and Jarome Iginla in tow, Krejci (1.86 primary points per 60 min) may not be as productive as Bergeron (2.53 primary points / 60) since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, but there’s no doubting what the Czech pivot can do when he has time and space in the offensive zone.
Remember this?
While he has developed a nice rapport over the last year with
Jake DeBrusk
on Boston’s second line, there’s no doubting that Krejci’s overall offensive numbers have dipped a bit without some more established scorers on the wing — as evidenced this year when he’s seen players like
Joakim Nordstrom
join the revolving door to his right.
Still, even with his playmaking ability, Krejci’s style when he has control of the puck does differ quite a bit from Bergeron — with the 32-year-old center opting to slow down the pace of the game in the offensive zone while charting out a developing play, often before others on the ice can even see it begin.
So why exactly then, has a new-look top line managed to pick up right where it left off — or dare I say, look even look more imposing — with a slower, more methodical man in the middle?
Finding that happy medium where Krejci is able to ramp up the pace on rushes and entries — but also get the option to hit the breaks when given the space — has gone a long way.
It might be a small sample size, but the new Marchand-Krejci-Pastrnak line has been absolutely devastating as of late — highlighted by a three-goal, nine-point salvo in the span of 4:18 during
In 69 minutes of TOI together, the new Krejci line has outscored the competition, 6-0, during 5v5 play, while averaging an absurd 5.17 goals per 60 minutes.
Krejci may not have lit the lamp against Arizona, but he helped drive his new line with three helpers over 19:44 of ice time and a 72 percent success rate at faceoffs.
He may not be quite as dynamic as Bergeron, but Krejci looked pretty effective on all three goals Tuesday, with Boston scoring in under four seconds upon entering the Coyotes' zone during both of Marchand’s tallies.
“Did you see me out there? Flying out there tonight,” Pastrnak said with a laugh. "No, I mean, to be honest, I think we played pretty fast. We got back hard and make them turn the puck over, and then we didn’t slow down much and just went north and it worked tonight.”
Boston’s top line was strictly not a run-and-gun unit on Tuesday, with a conservative Coyotes club often giving Krejci the space in his office near the blue line to search for scoring chances.
“In the pre-scout we saw that maybe Arizona didn’t defend the blue line as well as some of the other teams we’ve faced,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know if the numbers necessarily back up all that stuff, and those are the games David always excels, when he’s allowed to find some time in the space. He slows the game down when he’s allowed to see the game quicker than everyone else, can make those plays when it looks like they’re closing off.”
In the offensive zone, Krejci doesn’t pepper the goalie at nearly the same rate as Bergeron — with Bergeron still holding an edge in shots on goal, 63-47, despite playing in 12 fewer games.
“He’s pass-first player, pass-second player, -third, and then he shoots,” Pastrnak said of his new center.
Even with his “sneaky good shot,” as Pastrnak put it, Krejci is most comfortable creating for his teammates — and it’s not like Marchand and Pastrnak have any objections, even if it slows things down a bit.
“Bergy and Marchy like to play fast, and Krech likes to slow it down sometimes. … Both of it works, you know, (and) some nights it works better if you play fast and some nights it works better if you play slower,” Pastrnak said. “So it’s just two star players and it’s been fun tonight.”
The new Krejci line may not have the 200-foot dependability that the Bergeron line possessed, with Krejci and Co. posting an attempts allowed rate per 60 minutes of 56.91 — a little over two attempts less than their attempts for rate (58.64 per 60) and much higher than the Bergeron line’s CA/60 of 49.25.
The onus will be on Krejci to take on more defensive responsibilities against tough competition, but Cassidy was impressed with how he fared on Tuesday.
“He’s going to enjoy the game. I’ve noticed in the rest of his game he’s digging in,” Cassidy said of Krejci. “He knows he has to be a good defensive center for those guys. They’re creative wingers that will leak out of their spots from time to time to anticipate a play. That’s when you have to have a centerman, and that’s when Bergy’s so good at putting out those fires.
“That’s the part I’m enjoying, as a guy that gets down to the nuts and bolts, is the defensive part of it. I think he’s doing a nice job of not abandoning that part of the game and just trying to trade chances.”
With Bergeron’s return still likely a few weeks away, it doesn’t look like the Marchand-Krejci-Pastrnak line is going away any time soon. And even when Bergeron does get back into the fold, it’s going to make for an interesting conundrum for Cassidy if this current trio continues to eviscerate opposing defenses.
