BOSTON - Torey Krug said all the things you'd expect him to say after the Bruins' 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings Thursday night.
It was a huge win...
It was important to come out early...
It was nice that the power play came through...
And he absolutely meant everything he said.
But there was one elephant in the dressing room that finally got the monkey of its back.
Krug's goal-scoring drought ended after 54 games when on a Bruins power play in the second period he ripped a slap shot past Detroit goalie Jimmy Howard to give the Bruins a 3-0 lead.
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That had Krug feeling good on a personal level after the game, though he was quick to note it's not about him.
"Yeah it does [feel good]," Krug said. "I haven't thought about it too much but obviously it was a big moment and a big goal in this game so it feels good, but there's bigger things right now than a guy breaking his scoring slump."
Krug received a pass from Loui Eriksson and skated in just outside of the left face-off circle before firing one up high past Howard's stick.
"It was great," Brad Marchand said. "I mean you know when you have guy like that stepping up in big games like tonight it’s great and it’s always nice when you have the D contributing in big games like tonight."
Krug also made a great pass on Marchand's goal in the first period, taking a rebound off his own blocked shot and then sliding the puck from the left boards to Marchand, who one-timed it in from inside the right face-off circle. In the third, Krug flipped a shot on net that Lee Stempniak put home off a rebound to make it 4-1.
It was an overall strong game from Krug who has taken his fair share of criticism on a defensive unit considered to be the weak link of the team.
On Thursday, they weren't, as the Red Wings could only get a measly 15 shots on net.
"Yeah, he’s been contributing in other ways, and it’s not always about goals," Patrice Bergeron said. "The amount of plays that he opens up with his passing, his vision, makes a big difference."