The all-time player for the Boston Bruins has consistently recommended to the head coach that the team should add a key player to help them accomplish their goals.

The all-time player for the Boston Bruins has consistently recommended to the head coach that the team should add a key player to help them accomplish their goals.

After Patrice Bergeron wins the faceoff, Jake DeBrusk gets the puck for Torey Krug, who deftly deflects a textbook goal by waiting for Bergeron to set up and shooting at his stick.

This is the pinnacle of the Boston Bruins’ almost unstoppable power play.

When the Bruins go on a power play, it’s like poetry on ice, thanks to a blend of elite talent, meticulous planning and coaching, and flawless execution.

In a 7-2 thumping of the St. Louis Blues in Game 3, Boston scored precisely efficiently on all four of its power-play opportunities. This is the primary reason the Bruins lead the Stanley Cup Final 2-1 heading into Game 4 on Monday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 8 p.m. ET).

“It’s just the creativity and guys stepping into certain roles and certain spots, and we fill in for each other,” Krug stated. “When we’re on and we’re in sync, we’re a really dangerous unit.”
ExameningIn Game 4, Binnington and the Blues will bounce back for a better performance.
In the first three rounds, Toronto, Columbus, and Carolina had already figured that out. St. Louis needs to come up with a solution, or this series will end faster than Krug can advance the puck.

“We are not always fortunate.”
With a 35.9% conversion rate, Boston’s power play, which is the best in the playoffs, may become the first team to finish above 30% in the postseason since the New York Islanders, who won the title in 1981.

Bruce does a fantastic job of cueing us in to the fact that if this player does this, then we have this opportunity to score a goal.
Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug, head coach and mastermind of the power play Bruce Cassidy
Puck retrieving ace said, “We just have a lot of different abilities and talents out there,” stated Brad Marchand. We’ve been dating for a while, so we feel at ease talking to each other and attempting to find new things. We occasionally get lucky when Torey is back there creating the plays that he is creating.”

Luck has no bearing on this.

Power play guru Bruce Cassidy is as adept at identifying patterns and weaknesses as any NHL coach. He saw a weakness in the Blues’ penalty kill after the Bruins scored on two of their ten power plays in Games 1 and 2, made some changes, and Boston scored four power-play goals… on four shots.
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Bruce joined Hall of Famer Denis Potvin as the only defensemen to record at least four points in a Cup Final game. “Bruce does a great job of giving us cues that if this player does this, this is the option that we’re going to have and the opportunity that we’re going to have to score a goal,” said Krug.

“After two games and ten power plays, we were able to identify a few things. We’re attempting to exploit it right now without giving it away.”

WATCH | Game 3: Bruins defeat Blues:

Stanley Cup Wrap: Five years ago, Torey Krug led the Bruins to a Game 3 victory over the Blues.
Two minutes and two seconds
The Boston Bruins defeated the St. Louis Blues 7-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. Torey Krug had three assists and one goal.
Because it depends more on puck movement down low than on a blast from the point, Cassidy claimed that his power play functions differently than that of many other hockey teams.

Ryan O’Reilly of the Blues, who kills penalties, pointed out that the Bruins surprised them in Game 3 by using Krug more frequently at the point.

This is how they achieved it:

Bergeron’s tip was a set play that Cassidy designed after the players won a faceoff. They executed it perfectly.
After a point-to-point pass from Bergeron to Krug and an inexplicably wide-open David Pastrnak in front, came the backhand.
Following a give-and-go with Marchand, Krug found open ice and snapped the puck past goalie Jordan Binnington with a wrist shot.
Goalie Jake Allen had no chance of stopping Marcus Johansson’s one-timer against a worn-out Blues penalty kill after David Backes retrieved the puck and Johansson and Krug passed it back and forth like drills.
“We put the puck on net, and when you do that, good things happen,” Bergeron stated. “The four ways we scored were different. Instead of forcing plays, I believe we’re attempting to make the most of what’s in front of us.”

Boston blue-liner Torey Krug can launch rockets from the point when the Bruins have the man advantage, according to Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. (Getty Images/Jamie Squire)