While Torey Krug’s future with the Boston Bruins remains up in the air, now seems like a good time to remind everyone of what he brings to the team as evident by his performance from the 2019 NHL Playoffs.
The 28-year-old is known more for his offensive ability than his shutdown defense, but Torey Krug excelled at both ends of the ice for the Boston Bruins during the playoffs. The 2019 Playoffs served as a reminder of what Krug brings to the lineup.
Krug’s offensive ability was on full display throughout the playoffs, specifically on the power play. With 18 points during the playoffs, Krug ranked third among all Bruins skaters, but his 12 powerplay points had him tied for first on the team with Brad Marchand.
Krug was the backbone of the powerplay that converted on a league-best 32.4 percent throughout the playoffs. However, that offensive focus on the power play also caused a few too many shorthanded opportunities for opponents.
Krug also provided one of the biggest moments of the playoffs for the Bruins, although the focus wasn’t on scoring.
The criticism about Krug has always been his defensive game, but with Zdeno Chara getting closer to retirement Krug has become the best left-handed defenseman for the Bruins. Krug is a speedy, puck-moving defenseman, yet still has the tools to play physically.
While he is one of the shorter players in the league at 5-foot-9, we’ve seen that the trend is towards speed and skill and Krug fits that build perfectly.
When looking at ice time leaders for the Bruins, Krug is second on the team averaging 22:21 minutes per game, behind only Charlie McAvoy who played 24:30 minutes per game. While Krug is thought of as mostly an offensive-minded player, he showed throughout the playoffs that he is capable of handling himself in the defensive end too.
While Krug was a big reason why the Bruins powerplay was so dominant, his performance on the powerplay also drew some criticism. The biggest knock on him was the turnovers at the blue line, too often resulting in excellent scoring opportunities for opponents.
Throughout his career, Krug has played in the Stanley Cup Final twice, coming up short both times. Yet both times, in 2013 and 2019, Krug has been a key player for the Bruins throughout their playoff runs.
If Boston hopes to get achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup, Torey Krug will likely be an important piece of the puzzle.