Patrice Bergeron's return to the Bruins' lineup against Buffalo on Thursday is likely and welcome.
But it also means that David Krejci will take the ice at TD Garden with another new line combination, as Charlie Coyle will shift back to right wing and skate on the opposite side of Krejci from Jake DeBrusk.
The past two games, Coyle played center in Bergeron's absence. Before that, Krejci and Coyle were a pair on the second line with either Danton Heinen or Anders Bjork on left wing.
The DeBrusk-Krejci-Coyle combination has played just two minutes together at 5-on-5 this season, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, but Krejci and Coyle as a duo have played 51:58 together and the Bruins have outscored opponents 5-0 (with a 56-45 Corsi For edge) in that time.
"Yeah obviously it was pretty good, you know," Krejci said about playing with Coyle against Toronto and Florida last week. "He holds on to the puck in the neutral zone and lets me get my speed. In Toronto a couple times he found me with the speed getting into the zone and then we do our thing. He's strong down low, he protects the puck well. So like I said, I felt like we had a strong couple of games together. So kind of build on those games and go from there."
Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy thinks the experiment with Coyle on the wing can work if Coyle doesn't change his game.
"Listen for me, Charlie, just keep playing the same way. Be assertive with the puck, your decisions attack, don't all of a sudden defer because you're with an experienced center, and play your game," Cassidy said.
Babcock ousted
The shock over the news of Mike Babcock's firing in Toronto reverberated throughout the NHL on Wednesday. Bergeron played for Babcock on the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team and the coach always had high praise for the Bruins center, even when Bergeron was beating his teams in Detroit and Toronto.
Bergeron had kind words for Babcock on Wednesday.
"Yeah, I mean obviously a great coach that I have lots of respect for," Bergeron said. "I think he's done it all I guess in his career as a coach. And you know, like I've said, I've learned from all my coaches, but I've learned from him personally, and obviously I know he'll be back on his feet pretty quickly. … I think he's a very good coach and you know sometimes – obviously you don't know the circumstances, so I'm not going to comment on that – but for him, and personally, I only have good things to say about him."
Injury updates
Bergeron's return comes at the same time as Brett Ritchie's departure from the lineup with a "flair up" of an old injury, according to Cassidy. …
Torey Krug (lower body) remains out but could practice Friday. …
David Backes (upper body) skated after the team's morning skate. …
Karson Kuhlman (fractured tibia) was re-examined four weeks after his original diagnosis. Cassidy said it "wasn't great news" and for the foreseeable future the forward will remain in his cast.
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