Boston Bruins defenseman and former Spartan Torey Krug opens his arms to celebrate with Bruins center David Krejci during the Eastern Conference semifinals of 2013 NHL Playoffs against the New York Rangers. The Bruins won the series 4-1. Courtesy photo by Boston Bruins
The NHL playoffs kicked off last Wednesday and three former Spartan hockey players will look to help their team advance to the second round.
Goaltender Ryan Miller and forward Derek Grant, who play together on the Anaheim Ducks, and defenseman Torey Krug, who plays for the Boston Bruins, are former MSU players. Currently, the Ducks trail the San Jose Sharks 3-0 in the series while the Bruins lead the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1.
Miller is the back-up for the Anaheim Ducks making his seventh trip to the playoffs in his first season with the team. During his last season in a Spartan uniform, he put up a .950 save percentage and a 1.32 goals against average in his 31-5-4 record, which earned him the 2001 Hobey Baker Award given to the top college hockey player.
Grant has scored 24 points in the regular season with 12 goals and 12 assists and has yet to score a point in his first appearance in the postseason competition. The British Columbia native played under MSU for two seasons before he signed with the Ottawa Senators in 2011, where he recorded 20 goals and 43 assists.
In his third playoff appearance with the Boston Bruins, Krug has five assists after playing three games against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He went as far as the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013, but fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game Six of the series. The Livonia, Michigan native played alongside Grant during his three-season career. He captained two of those seasons and was ranked the No. 1 defesenman in the CCHA and fifth in the nation.
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