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Torey Krug is typically the tiny defender of the Bruins defenseman's body who accumulates points, and in the second game of the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, he collected three assists.
Half-defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, however, stole the show from Krug in Boston's 6-2 win, scoring two goals in an NHL game for the first time in his career. The Bruins are now leading the series 2-0 to Carolina for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Krug liked to watch his less-announced teammate partying.
"Yes, it was fun to watch," Krug said. "You know I've been one of Grizz's biggest fans since coming into the league and we laugh about it all the time now that we have two or three guys under the age of five.[foot]-10 winning games in the National Hockey League and three defensemen under six feet [with 5-11 Connor Clifton]we are wreaking havoc and doing the job.
Krug and Grzelcyk, both aged 5 to 9, can joke now because they and the Bruins have two wins in the Stanley Cup final. The lack of size on the left side of the Bruins behind the Zdeno Chara (6-9) was, however, not a joke at the same time last year, when the Bruins were put on the table. away by the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games to the second. round of the playoffs. Even as recently as the start of Boston's second-round series with Columbus, I doubted that Boston could face heavier teams with Krug and Grzelcyk in their defense corps.
General Manager Don Sweeney was also clearly concerned that he had invested $ 2.75 million over five years in John Moore, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound freestyle player, as a free agent unrestricted last summer.
Now, the Bruins have their hands on their NHL semifinals and Moore is a thoughtful choice, relegated to eighth place in the Boston Depth Map with injured Kevan Miller.
Krug and Grzelcyk, on the other hand, prove that there is no reason to worry about their size because of their reservoir of natural talent, hard work and wit. Evan against Columbus in the second round, and against a team of Hurricanes who has his share of weight, Grzelcyk and Krug have not been exploited.
The Hurricanes have clearly cleared the grid in the first game and believe they can face the defenseman of the size of the pint of the Bruins, Warren Foegele, the striker of the ball soon after the first round of the game. Krug still played 21:23 in a two-way game.
It was Grzelcyk's turn to win Match 2 in the opening game when Micheal Ferland knocked him down near Boston Bank. Ferland did not discourage Grzelcyk, he only made it stronger.
"Well, that was great. I mean, I think it lifts our bench when we are well trained … scoring a goal, no matter what it was, two changes later, so that definitely gives us a boost, "said L & R. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy. "I'm not surprised, he's a tough kid."
Krug and Grzelcyk's relationship dates back to the Bruins' development camp in 2012. Krug had just made his NHL debut that spring, after signing with Boston as a college free agent, and Grzelcyk was selected in June. They got closer to each other and Krug, four years old at the head of Grzelcyk, took the Grzelcyk at Boston University. They stayed in touch while Krug's professional career progressed and Grzelcyk was enrolled in the BU.
Krug, who debuted in the NHL in 2013, got the kind of offensive performance – four goals and two assists in 15 games – during the Bruins race in the Stanley Cup final, which announced the type of career that's going on. He was going to have and inspired a Grzelcyk.
"Watching it in the playoffs has inspired me," Grzelcyk told WEEI.com. "I was only a freshman at the BU and it was still a little new. I think in the future, there are a lot of little defenders, but not really in a moment. And he had somehow that impact that was very motivating for me.
Now, Krug's defensive game should also inspire Grzelcyk and all the smaller defenders. As part of the defensive pair with Brandon Carlo, who usually regroups a five-man unit with Patrice Bergeron's forward line, Krug helped smash Carolina's toughest offensive threat, Sebastian Aho, and his linemates in two games. of this series. Aho had a shot on goal in the second match.
"I think we have limited their chances of rushing to strange men and I think this has been a strength not only of our defensive couple and this line, but of our team in general," Krug said. "If we can crush this line in the neutral zone and really limit their chances, it will not allow them to take the impulse and, in the defensive zone, it will only reduce time and space.
This performance comes just after Krug and Carlo shut Columbus sniper Artemi Panarin in the second half of Boston's six-game win in the second round. Would it be possible for Krug to become a "defenseman at a standstill" rather than a mere offensive defender? Maybe the NHL game has changed enough so that speed and intelligence can outweigh the size and size, and it has opened the door for the Bruins to win a title with two 5-9 in their defense body.
We still have two weeks to discover, but until now, Krug and Grzelcyk prove that people are wrong and that they lead the small revolution of defenders.
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