To say that Torey Krug has had a rough first month would be an understatement.

First came the jaw injury Krug suffered during the Bruins’ first home preseason game back in September. It just so happened to be Krug’s first contest since suffering a lower-body injury late in the 2016-17 regular season that ultimately put him on the sideline for the Bruins’ first-round series with the Senators.

Krug returned in Game 2 of the regular season against the Avalanche. Without a full training camp, though, the former Michigan State Spartan needed to play catch up. That, along with playing with a jaw protector up until the B’s 2-1 win over Vegas on Thursday night, contributed to his early-season struggles.

“Yeah, it’s a big part of it,” said Krug, who has improved his plus/minus rating from minus-10 to minus-7 since the beginning of the week. “Physically, I missed training camp, a lot of exhibition games. On the mental side of things, you get pretty frustrated because you know how well you can play, but you’re just not playing up to your potential and the stars aren’t lining up for you. It’s a grind both mentally and physically.”

The plus/minus statistic isn’t the most reliable stat line when talking about a player’s production. In Krug’s case, the minus-10 rating during his first eight games of 2017-18 was a good indicator of just how much he was slumping.

Against the Sabres and Kings, Krug’s struggles were at their worst. From his blown coverages against Buffalo that led to a relinquished 4-1 lead to a first-period turnover and his icing of the puck in overtime that led to LA’s surreal win over the B’s, Krug was finding ways to help the opposition and not finding ways to help his fellow teammates.

That’s changed over the last two games. Krug’s decision making in the offensive, defensive and neutral zones has improved. His offense has picked up – three points in that span – in a timely manner as seen by his goal against the Blue Jackets and a pair of assists versus the Golden Knights.

Without Krug’s production, the Bruins may not be carrying a six-game point streak into Saturday’s game against Alex Ovechkin and the highly skilled Capitals. This will mark Krug’s second game without his jaw protector installed in his helmet.

“Yeah, listen, I think it hinders a person – especially a guy that plays a finesse game. You’re not used to having that on there. It’s a reminder that you’re protecting an injury,” Cassidy said about Krug’s injury and his recovery both physically and mentally. “You know, there’s enough going on the ice that you don’t need those reminders. So probably in the back of his mind, ‘okay, I’m healed, I’m even more prepared to play.’

“His game has been coming around anyway. For the most part, it’s been solid,” the Bruins bench boss added. “There have been a couple of burps here and there that we weren’t able to get out from under in terms of just tough luck, to a certain extent. We didn’t get a save or we didn’t get a clear after or whatever. So I think for the most part he’s been managing the puck well, making his plays, starting to feel like Torey again. Tonight was good, we need his offense, especially now since we’re a little bit depleted. So if he can add some secondary scoring like he generally does then we will be that much better.”

Krug’s recent performances have added to the Bruins’ theme of bouncing back – both team and individual wise – after setbacks. With a lengthy injury list that includes the likes of David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, David Backes, Anton Khudobin and fellow defensive partner Adam McQuaid (just to name a few), both Krug and the Bruins hope the upward trajectory continues.

“That’s the hope. I just want to feel good out there. Breaking pucks out, feel comfortable with my game,” Krug said. “Those little streaks, they’ll come when you feel good about your game.”