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The Boston Bruins are off to a tough start. They have just four wins through ten games and a negative-7 goal differential. They’ve struggled at both ends of the ice so far, but their lack of offense has been particularly concerning, as they have been shut out twice in their last four games.
This should come as a surprise. Despite losing Jake DeBrusk last offseason, they added Elias Lindholm and are still loaded with offensive weapons like David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. With this in mind, it is no surprise that head coach Jim Montgomery chose to jumble up his line combinations in practice on Wednesday (Oct. 30). Below is how the forwards took the ice:
Bruins’ Fourth Liners Move Up
The Bruins’ fourth line has been a lonely bright spot of the season so far. Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, and Cole Koepke have six, six, and seven points, respectively. Koepke’s seven points are second to Pastrnak, whille Beecher and Kastelic’s six apiece are tied with Marchand for third on the team. Those three also lead the team in plus/minus, with a plus-7 or better. Nikita Zadorov is the only other player who is positive in that statistic. In all, each member of the fourth line has proven they deserve a shot at more playing time and that they can be meaningful contributors down the line.
It may not come as a huge surprise that Montgomery chose to disperse his top-performing bottom line. Beecher has been a fourth-line mainstay during his time in the NHL. He will now be getting his shot on the top line, playing alongside Pavel Zacha, who will be moving to the top-line center position from his spot on the top-line left wing, and Pastrnak. Kastelic, who had been centering that fourth line, was moved up to the second line to play on the right side next to the demoted Lindholm and Marchand. Koepke, finally, was moved to the right wing on the third line with Charlie Coyle and Max Jones.
Montgomery’s fourth line had played well together to this point in the season, and he is hoping that the confidence of those three players will permeate throughout the lineup. Kastelic and Beecher should be thrilled about their opportunity to play in the top six and potentially make an even bigger impact.
Lindholm Demoted
The other move that jumps off the page is Lindholm’s demotion to the second line. The Bruins handed Lindholm a seven-year deal carrying an average annual value of $7.75 million this past offseason. The Bruins were excited about the arrival of a center they believed could be a star alongside Pastrnak and Zacha. While it is highly unlikely that we have seen the last of that group playing together on the Bruins’ top line, this demotion should come as a disappointment. Lindholm started the season hot, putting up five points in his first three games with the black and gold, but he has since cooled off without a single point in the team’s last seven games.
Looking Ahead
The injection of fourth liners into the Bruins’ top nine should energize the team’s offensive output. That line has been strong on the forecheck the entire season and has played with an urgency that bodes well for them in their new roles. If the Bruins’ top six hopes to pick things up, however, they will need more out of Lindholm going forward. They’ll have the chance to test their new lines against the Carolina Hurricanes during a Halloween night matchup in Raleigh.
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