“Watch online!” – David Krejci, a man of big games, doesn’t enjoy being the center of attention

What does the Lions have to prepare for on Tuesday? Based on the Czech World Cup on Monday, almost everything.

Scene from the first installment: Number 46 David Krejci gets the puck behind the Czech goal and looks up. He sees his pair of radars in the back blue David Pastrnakin (88). The 60-meter feed from the Sentter stage leaves to the US end board, which is softly taken over by the pier. Pastrnak protects the puck and plays for time for Krejci to get to his own end. 88 spins and throws a “blindfold” on the back of the puck, where 46 has skated behind everyone. No goal will be scored this time as Krejci climbs the post.

Journalist and commentator working on Czech television Tomas Jilek says that Pastrnak’s entry into the World Cup was like a gift from heaven to Krejc, who doesn’t enjoy being the front of the team. At the same time, it relaxed the tense atmosphere of the whole team.

– Pastrnak came and announced that we would otherwise win the world championship here, Jilek says.

88 who like funny clothes is a showman, 46 more like a thinker.

Jilek noticed this back in 2008 when he interviewed Krejc in his twenties for the first time at the World Championships in Canada.

– I was wondering then what would happen to this cooperation, because it was difficult to get anything out of him, Jilek begins.

Then a small grin lights up on the supplier’s face. Among other things, a Czech gambler walks into his mind Rostislav Olesz.

Experienced Czech players, the names of which Jilek mentions Jaromir Jagr, Martin Straka and Vaclav Prospalwas little interested in commenting on the 2006 Turin Olympics.

– Konkki was of the opinion that Olesz was suitable to talk to media jerks. The young boy saw how stressed he was. Later, after his long round of NHL, Olesz was one of the funniest and best interviewees.

According to the reporter, Krejc experienced a somewhat similar phenomenon in North America, although he is still not a big funeralist or Robert Reichelin equal leader. Reichel is known in the Czech Republic by the nickname Captain.

This season, Olesz and Krejci played side by side in the Czech league in Olomouc. Krejci, 36, made an exceptional decision after last season and left millions behind, even though they could still have done well in the bucks.

Krejci played almost a point per game on average in the NHL season 2020-21, but announced he would play for his home region of Olomouc.

– I want to play in front of my parents, brothers and other loved ones, Krejci explained.

After Monday’s U.S. game, the man wasn’t very eager to talk about it. Maybe many lost goals in the 1-0 victory were rotted. Or maybe the fact that a Finnish journalist asked for a couple of answers in English.

– I do not regret the return decision. I did it, but now I’m here, Krejci said.

Well, what was it like to play in front of family and friends?

– I have answered this question a million times. Look online, you will get the answer there.

Krejci gave his few comments in a quiet voice. The other glove also fetched in front of the mouth.

It was even easier to hear Tomas Hertliwhich stood right on the other side of the interview area.

Krejc’s decision to return to the Czech Republic aroused astonishment in North America, but in the man’s home country it was greatly appreciated. Krejci was the biggest star in Extraliga this season.

Olomouc was previously the ugly duckling in the series whose games didn’t interest the audience. With the arrival of Krejc, the stands were filled.

At home, Krejc was placed on Excessive Expectations, which he was completely unable to meet. Sure, he was the best scorer in his club in both the regular season and the playoffs wild card round, but Olomouc was left out of the semi-finals. Nor was the Olympics the kind of fireworks that the general public expected of him.

Maybe the spotlight hit him too much. However, if one examines Krejc’s statistics, the skill center has always been a man of big games. In the NHL regular season, his average score per match is 0.76 and in the playoffs it is 0.79. Such an equation is almost unusual at the top level.

– It’s really rare. He always seems to be able to afford to tighten up for the most important games, describes the captain of the Finnish World Cup team Valtteri Filppulawho played dozens of times against Krejc in the league league.

The Czech wizard played his first full NHL season in 2007-08 and most recently a year ago. During that 14-year period, only five players rallied for a more plush score in the playoffs. The five were Sidney Crosby, Yevgeny Malkin, Alexander Ovetshkin, Patrick Kane and Nikita Kutsherov.

Krejci won the playoffs twice (2011, 2013). No one was able to top three in his NHL time.

No wonder the Boston media held Bruins GM on several occasions in the spring From Don Sweeney, whether Krejci arrives to confirm the group. The Olomouc season ended on March 17 – suitably a few days before the NHL transfer limit.

Krejci did not warm up to the idea.

However, according to Czech media, he plans to return to the NHL next season. Jilek says the clip in Olomouc was a kind of break for the player between the two shows.

So what makes Krejc so good? Even Filppula has some difficulty explaining it.

“Krejc has a reputation as an all-around player and has no superior strengths, but no weaknesses,” says Filppula.

– He’s not the fastest guy on the ice, but always in the right place. The understanding of the game is absolutely top notch.

Let’s finish another scene briefly, from the game of Latvia: Pastrnak grabs the puck, leaves it to Krejc and skates behind the goal as the other men. Krejci waits a moment and doesn’t throw the puck behind the goal like the average player would. Instead, 46 feeds to the back post, where 88 has cut. All that is needed is to move the loaf to empty.

So at least something like this is promised when Finland and the Czech Republic meet on Tuesday night at 8.20 pm in Tampere.