With the rest of the lineup becoming deeper as injured players return to the lineup, Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery is starting to rely on his three best forwards to drive the Bruins top line together.
BRIGHTON, Massachusetts – The Boston Bruins are almost back to their peak performance for the first time in a long time.
The following players participated fully in Bruins practice on Wednesday: Linus Ullmark (lower body), Matt Poitras (upper body), Brandon Carlo (upper body), and Derek Forbort (lower body). Just to be safe, Trent Frederic left practice early.
Because of this, it’s probable that everyone but Forbort will be available for Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, providing head coach Jim Montgomery with more lineup options than he’s had since the start of the campaign.
Montgomery stated on Wednesday, “It’s the steps they take, but it’s kind of vague.” “We need to see how they feel tomorrow; it’s not like they had a good practice today.”
Over the course of the next ten days, the Bruins will play six games, so there will undoubtedly be a lot of lineup switching near the bottom, but it appears as though the current top line will remain together for the foreseeable future.
The three of them—possibly Boston’s best three forwards this year—have only played together for a total of 37:27 minutes at 5-on-5 this season. Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Charlie Coyle have all spent a significant amount of time on opposing wings this season.
In Monday’s 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils, the three players combined for 9:46 of 5-on-5 play. Despite being outshot 8-5, they managed to score a goal and out-chase the opposition.
Although he is aware that it isn’t a polished product, Pastrnak claimed that the rapport Coyle has built with Marchand makes it simpler for him to jump in with the two of them on a line.
Pastrnak stated on Monday, “We communicate and we still have a lot to improve, but the last couple games it was good.” “He’s a phenomenal player,” He is quite skilled. He took on a significant role and has been a vital member of our team.