When the Bruins return to action on Saturday for their first game in over two weeks, it appears they'll have some new line combinations.
At Friday's practice, coach Bruce Cassidy dropped David Pastrnak down to the second line with Taylor Hall and Erik Haula. Craig Smith was up on the top line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron. Charlie Coyle returned from COVID protocol, but slotted in on the third line with Jake DeBrusk and Nick Foligno instead of his usual second-line center spot.
Splitting up the "Perfection Line" to try to create a more balanced offensive attack has been a topic of discussion for a while. Hall looked good playing with Bergeron and Pastrnak while Marchand was suspended a few weeks ago, showing some jump that hasn't been there often enough this season.
When Marchand returned, Hall went back to the second line and went quiet again. He and Coyle still haven't found the chemistry the Bruins hoped they would.
So now Cassidy is hoping that reuniting Hall and Pastrnak will help jumpstart both of them. Haula lands in a dream spot between them, with his skating perhaps being a better complement than Coyle's slower, puck-protection game.
Smith has played on the top line before and has done well there. Coyle, meanwhile, moves back to a more natural third-line role.
Speaking with the media via Zoom on Friday, Cassidy explained his thinking behind the moves.
"We decided to take a look at this, knowing that there's some pieces that can slide back fairly easily," Cassidy said. "Smith and Pastrnak is one we've done in the past. Haula's been playing center all this week. … All these moving parts kind of can go back to where they were if need be. Some of it is just about getting some guys going.
"I don't want to call this the second half, but a bit of a reset. There's some players there we moved around, and hopefully it helps their game to be with maybe a different duo or whatnot. We'll see how it plays out, knowing that we can always go back to what we had before. Like everyone else, we're trying to build scoring throughout the lineup. Maybe this will get some guys jump-started."
Cassidy noted that Hall and Pastrnak's speed and play off the rush should complement each other well, but he's also tasking them with making sure they recover pucks and generate second and third chances through the cycle game as well.
"They both have high-end speed. They can make plays at high-end speed. So they're going to be able to keep up with one another," Cassidy said. "Both very good off the rush. Pasta's built his cycle game. He's had to playing with Bergy and Marsh. … Taylor, that's still a work in progress. He has to learn to play in tight areas and off the shot, etc. That's where I guess those guys will have to make sure they bear down and not just be a one-and-done line.
"…Hall and Coyle didn't work out as well as we'd like. Doesn't mean we're going to abandon it for good. It's still early in the season, but by the same token, we need to try a few other things along the way here. The Coyle-DeBrusk partnership at times over the years has been good, so we're looking at that as well. Charlie's been really good for us, so maybe back in his natural third line will give us even more balance. We don't know until we get playing, but that's a little bit of what we're thinking."
