Smith's 2OT Winner Lifts Bruins to Series Lead

BOSTON- If there's anything that Craig Smith has displayed throughout his first year donning the Spoked-B, it's that he knows only one speed: full throttle. The winger rarely - if ever - takes a shift off, his motor always churning as he barrels toward every loose puck.
It was that relentless effort that propelled the Bruins on Wednesday night.
Just under six minutes into double overtime, Smith charged hard into the Washington zone, causing confusion behind the Capitals' net and allowing him to beat an indecisive Justin Schultz to the puck along the end wall, circle around the net, and tuck one past an unsuspecting Ilya Samsonov to send the Bruins to a 3-2 victory in Game 3 at TD Garden and a 2-1 series lead in this best-of-seven first-round matchup.

"He's a high-energy guy," said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. "He's always going to work and try to play the right way…good for him to get it on a puck. We have a plan in place to try to play behind their defense. When we get away from it, we've had a little bit of trouble. So, we'll keep sending that message.
"You don't expect to get those. But if you keep playing behind their defense and force them to break pucks out, you will get some breaks like that. He stayed on it. Good for him to have the recognition to stuff it."

Smith sensed a bit of confusion between Schultz and Samsonov as he circled back into the Washington end after a dump in from Kevan Miller. As he sped through the slot, Smith zeroed in on Schultz and made it a priority to at least get his stick on the puck.
In the end, Smith did far more than that as he picked Schultz's pocket and got to the front of the net just in time to beat a sliding Samsonov inside the right post to seal the victory at 5:48 of double overtime.
"I kind of circled back into the zone…I don't know if there was a miscommunication behind the net, kind of looked like it," Smith explained. "I just tried to jump on it, see if I could create a little bit of a turnover there and I think it was just enough time to get it in there. It was a great feeling…anytime you can end one like that - I love winning, but I hate waiting…felt great."
Smith has been a welcome addition for the Black & Gold, fitting in seamlessly both in the dressing room and on the ice. The 31-year-old, signed to a three-year deal in October, has been an asset no matter where Cassidy has slotted him into the lineup, finishing the regular season with 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 54 games.
Included in that total is a stretch of 23 points in 23 games from March 18 through May 1, during which he played with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, before shifting down to play with David Krejci and the newly acquired Taylor Hall at the trade deadline.
"Well, the natural thing was to put a left shot with some pace [Hall] on Krech's side, that was the first thing," Cassidy said of Boston's newly formed and potent second line. "And on the right side, Smitty had been playing really well with every line he was on. If you remember, he went up with Bergy and March and I thought did an excellent job with them when we dropped [David Pastrnak] down with Krech.
"He'd been doing a good job with [Charlie] Coyle [on the third line, but] he started heating up about halfway through the year. So, we just felt he was a good forecheck presence for them. I know Hall likes to attack…Krech likes to get the puck in the neutral zone and get pucks to areas. He's a centerman so he's not always going to be below the goal line anyways. So, he hounds pucks, Smitty; he'll shoot when it's on his tape so he can certainly finish plays.
"And we started to see with Bergy and March more of a playmaking ability out of Smitty than maybe when he first got here, so you put those things together and he's earned it. He was just, I thought, the best fit to go there and he hasn't missed a beat. It's made us a much better team, that line supporting the offence that the Bergeron line produces."

Immediately upon his arrival, Hall noticed the doggedness of Smith's game, as well as his character in the dressing room.
"I think he tilts the ice with his wall play in his end, his speed through the neutral zone and the ability to create turnovers in the offensive zone right away was something that caught my eye when we started playing together," said Hall. "That's one of my favorite things to do is create offense off of turnovers, off their breakouts, their D to Ds.
"Obviously that goal tonight is a classic example of him putting pressure on a guy with his speed and his physicality and making a play for a goal afterwards. Probably one of the most well-liked guys I've ever played with as a teammate. Just really happy for him tonight."
It was Smith who also set up what had been the most talked about goal of the evening prior to his double-overtime winner. With Boston trailing, 1-0, in the second period, Smith corralled a bouncing puck off a feed from Miller and dished a backhand, no-look pass to Hall, who was cruising through the slot.
Hall took the feed, spun around, and roofed a wrister by Samsonov to the tie the game, 1-1, with 10:43 left in the middle frame just 56 seconds after Washington had opened the scoring.
"Our line, we haven't played together for four or five years like our first line," said Hall. "But we can create turnovers and put pressure on other teams just by tilting the ice and playing in their end and constantly being on them. And eventually, it's really hard to break out pucks in this league. I think Smitty's one of the best at it, just creating those turnovers."

Hall, who has two goals in as many games, credited Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa for preaching some patience during a chat at Wednesday's morning skate, a tip that he kept in mind as he contemplated what to do with so much space in front of the Washington net.
"Our goalie coach Bob Essensa skated by me this morning at morning skate and made a comment on a shot I had last game that I probably could have pulled it around him instead of just shooting five-hole quick," said Hall. "That was kind of on my mind as the day went on. There's times in games that you just want to get it on net quickly, you want to surprise the goalies.
"But there's also times that if you can make a play around him, then that's what you can do as well. Started to get some confidence goal-scoring wise since I've gotten here and that's probably a good example of that."
Smith, meanwhile, is enjoying the opportunity with Krejci and Hall, who he called "two world-class players."
"I was thrilled," Smith said when asked his reaction when he found out back in April that he would be playing alongside them. "They create a lot of space for me out there, let me do my thing. They see the ice in a little different way. I haven't played with players like that in quite some time, so it's been great. A learning experience getting to play with some of the great players here."