Bruins Locker Room: Marchand Believes In Krejci

The Boston Bruins will be without their top pivot both tonight and tomorrow when they visit the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators. Patrice Bergeron, who already missed two games with a lower-body injury, will miss both games on this brief two-game road trip leading into Thanksgiving.

Without Bergeron in the lineup, the Bruins will once again turn to David Krejci to anchor the top line. He skated between Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak for the last two games Bergeron missed and registered three assists. Marchand firmly believes in his longtime teammate to keep the good times rolling.

“He’s such a good player,” Marchand said of Krejci. “He sees the ice so well and he’s so good and poised with the puck that if you put some guys with him that are comfortable and can make plays and are good around the net, he’s going to make a ton of plays. I think the big thing for ‘Pasta’ [Pastrnak] and I, is we just know we have to get open and he’s going to find us.

But he’s a point-a-game guy and he’s shown his whole career that if he’s put in that position, he’s going to produce that way. He’s different than ‘Bergy’ [Bergeron] but he’s still a very, very, good player. I have so much respect for him and playing with him, I even respect him more because I do see how good he is when we’re on the ice together.”

Krejci, of course, was one of the heroes for the Bruins on Saturday. He scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime in the Bruins comeback victory over the Wild. Marchand also has the benefit of producing with Krejci as his center. Bergeron missed a chunk of games last season with an injury and was replaced by the Czech center. Marchand finished the season with 100 points, the best total of his career. Krejci played a role in that production.