Kelly speaks softly and carries a big stick

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BOSTON -- Chris Kelly is a modest guy.

He knows how good he is and what kind of value he has as a member of the Boston Bruins. But he acted as if he was as shocked as anybody else when he scored the overtime game-winner in Game 1 to give the Bruins a 1-0 victory over the Washington Capitals at TD Garden Thursday night.

I think I was probably the most surprised guy in the building when the shot went in," he said. "Like I said, I think it might have gone off the defensemans stick a little bit and changed up. Goalies are so good now that I think that the days of going down the wing and beating a goalie with a shot or a long pass are gone. I was pleasantly surprised to see it go in.
Kellys slapshotfrom the left faceoff circledid seem to take off after it ticked off Dennis Widemans stick, but Kelly neglects to say that he nailed the shot as well.

Its the humble way Kelly goes about everything he does, even though he has lots to brag about. He scored 20 goals this season for the first time, has centered the hottest line on the Bruins over the last month of the season, and now has -- once again -- risen to the occasion in the first round of the playoffs.

For our coaching staff, he was, without a doubt, our unsung hero this year for what hes accomplished -- you know, scoring 20 or some goals, something hed never done before, and, you know, how hes handled the players that have been with him this year," said coach Claude Julioen. "He hasnt always had the same wingers all the time, and still, that lines always been good. We talk about Patrice Bergeron being a good two-way player, I think Kellys the same way.

Hes producing this year more than ever, and hes so reliable defensively. So it was nice to see. We talked about that line being able to hopefully get some secondary scoring, like our third line did last year, and so far theyre off to a good start.

Last year Kelly wore a cage after taking a puck in the face while piling up offensive numbers against the Montreal Canadiens with Michael Ryder and Rich Peverley. This year he's without the cage, but hes still producing even though he's now skating with Benoit Pouliot and Brian Rolston.

Like on the game-winning goal.
I saw Chris take the long pass, and saw he had a step on the defenseman, and I had a good feeling, said Tim Thomas of Kelly's goal. I had a good feeling that it was going to go in. I had a good feeling about the guy who had the puck. I could tell he had something today.
Earlier in the third period, when he cut across the net, he pretty much came closest to score out of anybody on the team tonight before he got that opportunity in overtime. And also hed been winging a few past me in practice the last couple of days, and I could tell, his shots going right now. Hes humble. He doesnt think so. But Ive seen it.

Of course the Bruins believe in him.Why wouldnt they? After all, they're 19-0-0 when he scores a goal this season.
But Kelly, of course, deflects the praise.
I think Ive had a great opportunity to play with some great players since Ive been here," he said. "Obviously Michael Ryder last year, and Rich Peverley are both great offensive players. Theyve shown that this year and in the past and obviously playing with Benny Pouliot and Brian, theyre great offensive players, too, that have proven that in the past. Ive been really fortunate to play with some really good players and I try to play the game the exact same way every night.

Some nights those bounces go in and some nights they dont. But I think Ive learned over the years you try to be as consistent as you can in every game.

Kelly was throwing verbal bouquets at his linemates over the last two years as the reason for his great success, but the bottom line is this: Kelly is the one constant on the third line, which has become a certified offensive threat for a Bruins team thirsting for secondary scoring.

He is the perfect complementary player on a championship team, and he proved that once again on Thursday night in Game 1.

The goal was perfectly set up an unlikely quintet of players out on the ice during overtime. First Greg Zanon had played a Marcus Johansson rush to the net perfectly, and allowed Thomas a perfect vantage point to kick out a save when the Capitals forward squeezed off a shot.

Joe Corvo picked up the rebound and flipped the puck up the boards to Rolston. Rolston backhanded the puck to Pouliot rushing out of the zone, and the third-line winger fired up to an open Kelly rushing up the left wing.

Kelly did the rest by busting his tail into the offensive zone and then hammering the puck straight past Braden Holtby.A goalie cant stop what he cant see, and Holtby admitted to reporters after the game that he never saw the shot, which connected off Widemans stick and zipped past Holtbys glove hand for the game-winner.
Now that Nathan Horton is on the shelf for the entirety of the playoffs, Kelly has stepped up into that typecast role as the overtime game-winning hero for one night at least.

Wed love to have had Nathan Horton out on the ice to get that OT goal for us, but why not have Chris Kelly step up and be the hero? said Brad Marchand. Well take the win any way we can get it.

The Bruins take the playoff win and Chris Kelly plays the role of hero? Thats a formula that even the humble pie third-line center could get used to.

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