Nov 25, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug (47) celebrates his game winning goal during the overtime period of their 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Torey Krug was last season’s breakout star for the Boston Bruins. He entered the post season, just like Tyler Seguin did. He hadn’t had many starts, but with injuries and the need to mix things up for the team, Coach Claude Julien gave him his shot. Krug took that shot (well a lot more than one), and hasn’t looked back. His four goal performance during the Rangers series in last year’s playoffs showed him as a future star for the organization.
Torey Krug was expected to be part of the rotating defensemen group of Matt Bartkowski, Dougie Hamilton, and himself. Krug’s outstanding performance to date has kept him in the defensive pairings and for the most part, sidelining Bartkowski. Krug is overall fourth in points for the Black and Gold, and second overall in goals.
Krug has been getting on the radar of a lot of teams. He’s the same size (depending on who you talk to) as Brad Marchand, and the scrappy feistiness is there as well. Krug is nowhere near the instigator that Marchand is but Krug has no trouble backing up his play with a mitt in someone’s face if needed. That he’s playing a similar highly maneuverable style makes it hard for other teams to counter when he’s acting as the fourth forward for Boston.
Claude Julien has been rewarding the twenty two year old for his play. When the Bruins went back to their three forward one defensemen formation for overtime, it was the Marchand-Krug combination that sailed a shot past Fleury and giving the Bruins their first regular season win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in years.
There is talk that Krug has a shot of making the US Olympic team. I’d like to say he will, but realistically his chances are practically zero. With the NHL full of American talent, the odds of him getting on the roster aren’t good. It is nice when Dan Bylsma, coach of the Penguins and Team USA Hockey respect his skill set enough to give him at least a serious once-over for Sochi.