David Krejci reached a milestone only seven other Bruins have ever reached Thursday night: 700 career points with the team.
He also reached 701 and 702, recording three assists in the Bruins' 4-1 win over the Sabres. It offers the latest opportunity to reflect on his place in team history and his importance over the last 15 years, in what could be his final season in Boston.
Krejci is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, something he has never been before. While it's possible he and the Bruins work something out before then, there is no certainty here, and it's worth nothing that generally when the Bruins let players get to free agency, they don't end up bringing them back. This is also a team that was willing to move on from Zdeno Chara this past offseason.
That's all for later, though. For now, the reflection.
The list of other Bruins with 700 points with the team is a who's who of some of the greatest legends in franchise history: Ray Bourque, John Bucyk, Phil Esposito, Rick Middleton, Patrice Bergeron, Bobby Orr, Wayne Cashman, and now Krejci.
Krejci has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career, even after the mid-2010s shift that saw Bergeron become the team's clear No. 1 center with the best wings on the roster and Krejci the clear No. 2 with a never-ending revolving door of wings.
He has topped 50 points eight times, including tying a career-high with 73 just two years ago when his wings were a 22-year-old Jake DeBrusk and generally either David Backes or Danton Heinen. He has averaged at least 0.66 points per game every year since 2008-09.
And of course, you can't talk about Krejci without talking about the playoffs. He led the NHL in postseason points in 2011 to help lead the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in 39 years. Led the league again two years later when Boston returned to the Stanley Cup Final. Twelve points in 13 playoff games just last summer at the age of 34.
His 115 career playoff points are the 10th-most among active players and the second-most in Bruins history, behind only Bourque.
Krejci's past is remarkable. His future in uncertain. So what about the present? His offensive numbers had been down this season, but Thursday's three-point performance suddenly gets him right back above that 0.66 points per game floor we mentioned, with 16 points in 24 games.
And that's still with just one goal on the season on a paltry 2.8% shooting percentage. That number is going to change -- he has a career mark of 12.3% and has been over 10% each of the last nine years. He didn't completely forget how to shoot. Getting anything resembling consistent wing play (paging Don Sweeney) could only help, too.
Oh, Krejci also happens to be having a remarkable defensive season, maybe the best of his career. With him on the ice, the Bruins are giving up just 0.79 goals against per 60 minutes, according to Evolving-Hockey. That is the best mark on the team and the fourth-best in the entire NHL among 541 players who have played at least 200 minutes this season. And it's not just a product of good luck -- his 1.48 expected goals against per 60 are also tied for fourth.
There is always going to be a Patrice Bergeron Selke Trophy push, and recently there has been one for Brad Marchand as well, but perhaps it's time to start putting Krejci in that conversation too. (Shoutout to Ryan Lambert for already doing so.)
That's kind of the nature of Krejci's career, though -- loved and respected by many, but often a little bit overshadowed and underappreciated.
Not by his teammates and coaches, though. There are two things you hear from pretty much all of them if you ask them about Krejci: He's one of the smartest players they've ever played with, and one of the most creative.
As evidence, here is new teammate and new linemate Craig Smith Thursday night:
"It's been incredible," Smith said of playing with Krejci recently. "…Krech, he's a great player. He's able to slow it down. He's one of the smartest players I've played with, as far as talking on the bench and little plays he sees out there that guys in the past that I've played with haven't been able to see. It's been impressive."
And what was Krejci's reaction to his latest career milestone? Exactly what we've come to expect over his outstanding career: humble and succinct.
"There's more important things right now in life," he said when asked during NESN's postgame show. "We're just happy that we get to play hockey."
