Kalman: Lack of Scoring Hasn't Stopped Krug From Achieving His Goals, Keeping Bruins In Contention
WILMINGTON (CBS) -- You know what might help the Bruins break out of their current scoring slump and end their five-game losing streak?
How about a goal or two from defenseman Torey Krug?
Krug, who had 12 goals last season and 14 the prior year, has three goals this season and hasn't scored in 49 games. No one is more frustrated about Krug going more than half a season without a goal than the 24-year-old himself.
"It does [frustrate me] and we're losing games right now. I know that there's a lot of shots where I can change the game and I haven't been able to do that," Krug said after an off-ice workout Friday at Ristuccia Arena. "In years past I've been able to change a game with a big goal. Your team counts on players like that and I want to be one of those guys that they can count on. Eventually here, I'm trying my best, it's not for lack of trying, not for lack of shooting."
Shooting has definitely not been a problem for Krug, who's third on the team with 216 shots attempted. His unblocked shot attempts are on par with his totals from the past couple of years and he has created 103 individual scoring chances (according to war-on-ice.com) compared to 78 last season and 86 in 2013-14. His shooting percentage is down from 5.9 last season to 1.4 this season.
The bottom line is Krug has just lacked luck this season. His 33 assists, including 18 even strength and 15 on the power play, are career highs. Krug's season, which still has seven games to go (and the Bruins hope there might be some playoff games after this stretch), has actually been a rousing success if you judge him not as some sort of defenseman sniper who's supposed to be challenging 20 goals but as a developing defenseman whose game at both ends of the rink has come a long way and helped keep a talent- and experience-challenged Bruins team contend for a playoff spot.
"I think my third year in the NHL, it's where I want to be," Krug said. "I want to be known as an elite guy in this league. I think [Chicago's] Duncan Keith is a perfect example, it took him some time to learn the ropes in this league and try to make himself special playing against better players. So it's definitely a step in the right direction so far. But we have a lot of work left to do."
Krug's career-best 21:27 of ice time is second on the team to Zdeno Chara. And if you don't believe he's handling playing in his own end better this season, there are numbers to back that up. Although his Corsi For percentage has dropped from seasons past, he's still at a strong 50.1 percent. He's playing in tougher situations (his offensive zone starts are down to 52.1 percent) and for a longer amount of time. Meanwhile his goals against and shots against per 60 minutes are about the same as they were when he was a third-pair defenseman. And he improves the possession play of usual partner Adam McQuaid, plus Kevan Miller and Dennis Seidenberg, when he plays with them.
It was obviously worth the bet Krug placed on himself last spring when he re-signed with Boston for one year at $3.4 million. He'll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.
"I'm a top-four guy, playing second most on the team. I bring something else to the table that no one else in our D corps brings to the team. I try to be special in that regard," Krug said. "It's a step in the right direction. It's all progression. I'm far from done in my career. I want to be a guy that they throw out in all situations. I've been in the situations this year, last minute of the game with a lead, last minute of a game and we're down a goal, I've played some shorthanded this year. I'm always going to be on myself. If a contract is one year, it doesn't matter to me. I'm a guy that's confident in my ability and just trying to take a step forward."
So much of this season has been about getting NHL experience for the Bruins who are getting their feet wet in the NHL. Ryan Spooner, David Pastrnak, Joe Morrow, Colin Miller and others have all come along at different paces. Krug, who turns 25 next month, can still be considered a young player with room to improve. He's one of the rare players who backed up his talk about getting better every year with actual improvement. He never rested on his laurels or became satisfied with being an offensive third-pair defenseman.
With the Bruins desperate to turn their final seven games into a referendum that gets them back into the playoffs, Krug doesn't have to change much to contribute all he can to the effort. If he keeps up the way he's played most of the season, sooner or later one of his numerous shots will find the back of the net. Maybe he'll even score the goal that clinches a postseason berth.
Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.
