There’s no telling how long it will last, but nearly three weeks into the regular season the Boston Bruins still boast the leading scorer in the NHL.
That’s right: David Krejci shares the NHL lead with 12 points (5 goals, 7 assists) in seven games, tied with the prolific Dallas scoring duo of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, each of whom has posted 12 points in eight games.
Some of it is clearly the B’s power play proficiency, as exactly half of Krejci’s 12 points have arrived on the man advantage. And some of it involves the tweaks to Claude Julien’s system that have opened things up offensively for the Black and Gold. It’s actually a little jarring seeing a Bruin atop the NHL’s offensive statistical categories given that Boston’s players have had trouble cracking the NHL’s top-30 in points in the last five plus seasons under Julien.
One might assume a playmaking creator like Krejci would be enamored with his early statistical position above his offensive peers, but the 29-year-old would rather lead the NHL in playoff scoring – as he’s done twice in his career – while leading the Black and Gold deep into the postseason. Regular season accomplishments and individual accolades are nice, of course, but it’s about getting the team on track for a seasoned veteran in Krejci.
“Points are one thing, but I’m just trying to go out there and do my best. Sometimes the puck goes into the net, so it’s a good feeling. But I’m happy that we’ve got something good going from [the win over the Islanders],” said Krejci, who is still looking to really click with linemates Matt Beleskey and David Pastrnak during five-on-five play. “We’ve been good in three out of the last four games, so we need to build on that.
“It’s not my goal to be on top [of the NHL lead in points]. I don’t even want to be the leading scorer, to be honest. I just want to win games with my team. It’s always fun to come back next day at practice, it’s a good atmosphere and everybody is happy. That makes the job so much easier. As long as we keep winning that’s all that matters. It’s just numbers, and it’s just stats. Too many people just look at the stats. At the end of the day, if we win the game…if we win the Cup…who cares?”
Krejci’s comments could probably read one way if he was in his customary spot in the No. 30-50 range for the league lead in points as in past years. But it’s an impressive sentiment from a red-hot offensive player at the top of his game right now. If Krejci is more about the wins than the points then that should set the tone for everybody else on the Bruins as they try to find their footing in the season’s first month.