Center depth for the Boston Bruins will continue to be tested in their opening-round matchup against the Florida Panthers, as Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe reports that Bruins’ center David Krejci will miss Game 4 and will not be expected back for Game 5 either. This will be the team’s second straight game without either Patrice Bergeron or Krejci in the lineup.
In the point-scoring category, Krejci and Bergeron were two of Boston’s top centers this season. Combining for 114 points in 148 games, these two veteran leaders sparked the Bruins’ historic run to the President’s Trophy. Their defensive attributes are noteworthy as well, as they collectively put together a Defensive Point Share of 4.8.
When discussing the absence of both Bergeron and Krejci, anyone would be remiss if Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle were not brought up in the conversation. So far in this series, Zacha has two assists in the first three games and Coyle has scored one goal. Both centers have averaged over 16 minutes a night, showing the rest of the league how deep the Bruins really are.
With a 2-1 lead in the series heading into Game 4, the Bruins will look to closeout the Panthers over the next couple of games. This would be the best scenario for Boston, moving on to the second round early and allowing their two veterans to recover before their next series.
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