Bruins coach Jim Montgomery hints at what first, second lines will look like originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Bruins will have to weather a few injuries to significant players early in the 2022-23 NHL season, but once the squad is fully healthy, the offense should be much-improved over 2021-22.
The return of veteran center David Krejci should play a huge role in any scoring uptick. After playing a year in front of family and friends in the Czech Republic, Krejci is back in Boston and gives the B's a legit No. 2 center -- a huge weakness of last season's roster. Krejci and Patrice Bergeron give the Bruins one of the finest 1-2 punches at center in the league.
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New Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery has plenty of options when constructing his top-six forward group, especially when the team is fully healthy.
Based on a recent interview with Stephen Conroy of the Boston Herald, it sounds like Montgomery will put Jake DeBrusk with Brad Marchand and Bergeron on the first line. He also intends to play David Pastrnak with David Krejci on the second line alongside Taylor Hall.
“I think with the development of Jake DeBrusk last year and how well he played with Bergy and (Brad Marchand), naturally you see the other line being a fit to give us a two-headed monster in our top two lines,” Montgomery told Conroy.
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"But we know Marchie’s not going to be there early on. So we’re going to have to do some balancing, because I do want two lines that other teams have to be aware of and fear. And I think when you have Bergy and Krejci as your top two centers, it gives you the ability no matter who your wingers are to have very dominant lines. But I think it’s natural, seeing how well (Pastrnak and Krejci) played together at the World Championships, to give that an opportunity. And we always know Pasta, Bergy and Marchy. If things aren’t working, we can put that back together and the magic comes back real well."
Why Taylor Hall benefits most from David Krejci's return to Bruins
DeBrusk struggled mightily in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, but he really found his game over the final few months and finished with 25 goals -- the second-highest total of his career. Playing on the first line alongside Marchand and Bergeron was definitely a factor in that turnaround for DeBrusk.
The Bruins used a Marchand-Bergeron-DeBrusk line in 61 games last season. Boston held a plus-128 edge in shots, a plus-103 advantage in scoring chances and outscored opponents 17-8 during the 280:52 of 5-on-5 ice time that line played, per Natural Stat Trick.
Even though Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak has proven to be one of the best trios in the league, it's vitally important that the B's maximize DeBrusk's production. So it makes perfect sense to keep DeBrusk on the top line and see if he can become a more consistent goal scorer with two future Hall of Famers next to him.
