November 18, 2013; Raleigh, NC, USA; Boston Bruins forward David Krejci (46) takes shot against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Center. The Boston Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
The Bruins had a very rough road trip as the went across Canada last week. The Bruins began accumulating a serious amount of injuries, and were forced to battle the flu as well. In the end, the Boston Bruins pulled off an impressive 3-1 record. That record is all the more impressive when you factor in the sheer number of AHL replacement players that were thrown into the mix.
The Bruins impressed in a 5-2 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, squeaked by the Calgary Flames 2-1, and put up a solid effort in a 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers. On the counterpoint, the Bruins were blasted out of Vancouver in a 6-2 rout by the Canucks. The Bruins are currently second in the East being one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, and are three points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens in the Atlantic. The team got a solid day’s rest under their belt, and now they need to get ready to welcome the very classy Flames to the TD Garden.
So, let’s take a look at the top three performers for the Bruins last week.
Third Star: Jarome Iginla. That’s right Iggy, one more victory lap for you. Iginla scored three times last week. He ended up with a +3 for the week, twelve shots on goal, and has proven beyond a doubt that he’s completely integrated into the Bruins top line. His two goals against Edmonton guaranteed the win, and he proved he had no problem stepping up and battling. He dislocated his finger in the match against Ryan Kesler and came back later in the game. He almost got into a second fight later in the game.
Second Star: Reilly Smith. Reilly Smith has turned out to be the pleasant surprise for the Bruins in the Loui Eriksson – Tyler Seguin deal. His performance last week for Boston was no different. Smith earned four points for the Black and Gold in the last seven days, and was the only member of the Bruins to score in the Vancouver disaster. Reilly Smith has cemented his place into the organization with his solid work, and his ability to have switched from the Dallas Stars playbook over to the Bruins system.
Smith finished with three goals and an assist. His goal against Calgary turned out to be the game winning goal. He put up a -1 in the plus/minus, mostly due to Vancouver. He put eight shots on goal, and continues to be a star for us in Boston.
First Star: David Krejci. Krejci has been everywhere for the Bruins, and the five points he put up in the last seven days just shows why he’s our leading scorer. While he only had one goal (a power play goal against Calgary), he aided his line and the Bruins offense with four assists. He put up eleven shots on goal, and has shown why he has earned that ‘A’ on his chest. His got twenty seven points for thirty three games. He’s the closest Bruin we got for a one-for-one scoring record and he’s been amazing for us all year.