In his 999th game with the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at the Garden, David Kreci was where he’s been so often in his illustrious, sometimes under-the-radar career. He was in position to win the game.

In the final minutes of the B’s thrilling 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, with the score deadlocked at 3-3, Krejci stole John Tavares’ errant pass just outside the Toronto blue line, got it to Taylor Hall for the counter-attack and headed for where the goals are scored. Eventually, as Krejci battled two Leafs in front of the net, he provided the legal interference to allow Matt Grzelcyk’s game-winner to beat Matt Murray.

It is the kind of of clutch play that his teammates, new and old, have come to expect from him. In two of the B’s three runs to the Stanley Cup Finals in Krejci’s career, he has been the team’s leading scorer, including in 2011, when the B’s won their only Stanley Cup in the last 50 years, when he notched 12-11-23 points in 25 playoff games.

While Patrice Bergeron, his record five Selke Awards and his out-front leadership rightfully garner the lion’s share of attention, any post-season success the B’s have had in this era would not have been possible without Krejci.

“In those big moments, you look around and you can feel the pressure on the bench and in the stands, on the coaches and the players. And then you look at him and he’s just kind of hanging out,” said Brad Marchand. “It’s almost like he doesn’t feel any emotion whatsoever, good or bad. It definitely gives you a calming sense in those moments. Then especially when you see him take over, you feed off of that. So it’s been a lot of fun to watch.”

Compared to Marchand, Hall is a relative short-timer in Boston. But when he arrived here two years ago, Hall was paired with Krejci and it was something of a revelation to the one-time Hart Trophy winner.

“I honestly didn’t know too much about him as a player before I got here. I had some people in hockey tell me that he was a really smart player, a guy that hadn’t maybe had top-tier linemates in maybe a couple of years and he just needed someone to run with,” said Hall. “And I think the first game, I don’t think we scored on any goals. But shortly thereafter, we caught on fire a little bit, had a real good end to the season, scored a couple of goals in the playoffs and had a lot of fun together.

“He’s a great guy. He’s a guy that never panics on or off the ice. He’s very even-keeled and really fun to be around in that way. And on the ice, it speaks to his smarts and his poise on the ice that he’s been able to play 1,000 games and be able to maintain that play as he’s entering his 1,000th game.”

Krejci’s dry, straight-faced brand of humor is also legendary in the B’s dressing room. Marchand, whose own brand is a bit more, shall we say, aggressive, couldn’t pass up his chance at taking shots at Krejci when the subject of his 1,000th game came up.

“What? I thought he hit that two years ago! He’s got to be the oldest guy to ever do it, no?” cracked Marchand.

In his first year coaching the B’s, Jim Montgomery has quickly come to appreciate the unexpected laughs Krejci can provide.

“He is very funny. When we were in Anaheim, he scored that goal where he went and snapped it. I said ‘I didn’t know you had that.’ He said ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about me,’” said a chuckling Montgomery. “He’s quick-witted and what makes him so much fun to be around is how good a person he is. His teammates love him.”

The B’s will acknowledge Krejci’s 1,000th game on Monday when they take on the suddenly hot Flyers (winners of seven of their last eight), but will honor him in a ceremony at a later date when his family is able to make it over from his native Czechia.

And family, as we came to know, is very important to Krejci. Last season, he made the unusual career detour of going back to play for his hometown team HC Olomouc so his American-born children could experience what his upbringing was like.

But he always kept the door open for a return to Boston. Now he’s back, playing his slow-down game in an increasingly go-go league, and yet he’s producing as if it’s 2011. He’s got 11-20-31 points in 37 games, doing his part in what could be a historically good season for the B’s.

“I think it’s been a really meaningful season,” said Marchand. “His decision to leave last year was completely family-based and completely understandable on why he did it. Every day is a gift with your family and for him to be able to take his kids over there and understand where he grew up and be able to spend that time with his parents, his family and friends and to play in front of him, I completely understand why he did that. It must have been very special for him. To have the opportunity to come back, have another run and be a part of a group like this, you can just see every day how much he’s enjoying it and how grateful he is to be back. Not every player has that chance to leave and come back and be a part of the league, especially at his age.”

Marchand then added one last shot for good measure: “Even being able to walk at his age is impressive.”