Goal worth the wait for Krejci, mates

The NHL game rarely slows down anymore. Following the lockout of 2004-05, the game came back as the New NHL, with speed at its core, finesse giving way to flash and flashier.

So what was David Krejci doing out there? Long on skill and certainly not short on speed, the 22-year-old Czech center took control of a puck on the right wing after Florida defenseman Keith Ballard fell and lost possession in the Boston end early in the second period.

Acres of open ice stood between Krejci and Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun, and for sure Krejci would take off faster than a Lamborghini would race by a hybrid convention.

But, wait a minute . . . not . . . so . . . fast.

"I didn't skate away fast enough," said Krejci, who in a few moments' time, time that looked as though it momentarily stood still, would pot the goal that proved to be the backbreaker in Boston's 4-2 win over the Panthers at the Garden last night. "I thought at first it might be a two-on-one, but I didn't get the jump I wanted. I don't like to break in from the side, one-on-one, against the defenseman. So I decided to wait for Chuckie."

That was Chuck Kobasew, Krejci's winger, who picked up a gear just as Krejci downshifted near the Boston bench. As they skated in tandem, Krejci on the right and Kobasew through the slot, the towering Blake Wheeler hustled from behind to catch up with the rolling wave.

"I think [Krejci] heard us," said Wheeler, who was smacked near the boards just before the turnover, triggering a delayed penalty against Florida. "Honestly, I don't know how the play happened. I chipped it, and that's when I got hit with someone's stick [for the penalty], and then as I turned to catch up, [Krejci] was slowing down."

Former Harvard blue liner Noah Welch, initially faced with a one-on-one, now had the unenviable task of trying fend off a three-on-one break. No time to consult the old Crimson playbook, because with his Black-and-Gold band gathered 'round him, Krejci boosted his speed and readied his hands to trigger a dish left to Kobasew.

"Kind of a freaky play," said Wheeler. "[Krejci] made the right decision."

"Yeah, he turned a one-on-one into a three-on-one," said Kobasew. "Some guys are able to slow the game down like that. [Krejci] has done that a lot this year."

Kobasew, closing down the slot with the Krejci feed, snapped off a shot the 6-foot-4-inch Welch managed to interrupt.

"Hit his shoulder, and it just dropped dead there for Krejci," said Kobasew.

Cutting in from the right side, with Wheeler hard on his tail, Krejci swept in the dead puck for a 3-1 lead. The Garden crowd of 16,878 was jumping. For the 11th time in 13 games, the red-hot Black and Gold were well on their way to victory.

"That's David Krejci," said coach Claude Julien, duly impressed by his young center's ability to slow a play down, calmly assess options amid the chaos. "He can control a play so well, control the pace of it. I remember J.F. Sauve with the old Nordiques being able to do that, and John Chabot, who coaches with the Islanders, he was able to do that, too. [Marc Savard] has done it. David's a good player . . . and he continues to grow into the kind of player we thought he could be."

It was Krejci's fifth goal this season. Less than two minutes later, Savard added his eighth of the season, and the Bruins finished the night with their season scoring advantage standing at 66-47 through 20 games. They haven't been on the positive side of GF-GA since before the lockout, and now the goals are coming at a fever pitch, sometimes even when the tempo is taken down a notch.

"We are confident, but we can't sit back," noted Krejci. "It's good, because all four lines are getting on the scoreboard. But we are still learning how to be on top."

Learning, too, perhaps to slow down and enjoy the drive through uncharted country.