Boston Bruins: What will the fourth line look like?
May 14, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Daniel Paille (20) and center Gregory Campbell (11) rest in front of the bench after the Montreal Canadiens scored a goal during the third period in game seven of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
For the last few seasons, the Boston Bruins relied on the grit and skill of the Merlot Line. They were respectfully regarded as one of the best fourth lines in hockey. They certainly were entertaining. Daniel Paille‘s speed, Gregory Campbell‘s tenacity, and Shawn Thornton‘s mouth, fist, and heart made for a combination that the fans enjoyed.
That line ended when Shawn Thornton was not re-signed at the end of the season. Gregory Campbell has yet to be cleared for practice, as he has been battling a minor mid-core injury. With two-thirds of a new line, what will the new fourth line look like?
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It seems for the moment that Daniel Paille will be staying on the fourth line. Paille has been a useful component on the Bruins’ special teams, especially the penalty kill. He’s been great with breakaways, but just hasn’t been able to finish the play by getting the puck in the net. While Paille’s speed is still amazing, the Bruins coaching staff feel that he’s not consistent enough to move up to the third line.
“He’s a really good player, and sometimes there is still some untapped potential in there. There’s offense, but there’s also how involved he is in the game. Whether he makes a difference with his forecheck and finishing his check vs. stick-checking, and gets there first when his feet are moving. That’s where a guy like him puts the defense on their heels, and we really need those guys.” Claude Julien on Daniel Paille
“With Dan it’s a matter of him bringing his ‘A’ game to us every night.” said head coach Claude Julien. “He’s such a good skater that he can make a difference in games. We’ve seen that before. The biggest thing for him is to build that consistency night in and night out, and somebody that’s relied upon to bring his ‘A’ game every night like the other guys.”
It appears the Bruins are building the fourth line around Paille’s speed though.
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The Bruins brought in Ryan Spooner to center the new line. It’s a good fit for him. Spooner shares Paille’s quickness. He’s also got a similar mind for hockey. They’re both careful players who don’t cause too many penalties. Spooner didn’t have any luck scoring goals for Boston while he played for them during the Bruins injury laden season last year, but he did his job. With so many slots available to the team this year, it’s a pretty safe bet that Spooner will end up with one of the them.
Simon Gagne has been tapped to fill in the other winger position on the line. (If this works, it’s one more reason to thank Patrice Bergeron.) Gagne is one of three players currently attending Boston Bruins training camp who were invited to tryout. It’s an interesting choice for Boston. Gagne hasn’t played in an NHL game since the 2012-13 season. Gagne, a two time All-Star has had ‘Bruins luck’ when it comes to injuries. He’s sustained concussions, neck injuries, groin inuries, and sat out last season because of them.
The Bruins chose Gagne because he’s a veteran presence. He still has excellent speed, and those three players create a faster, more skill based fourth line. While Gagne came on board only for a tryout, the chances of him making the team have been improving, and he’s obviously excited about the chance to be back in the NHL.
“I think we’ve started clicking,” said Gagne after the Black and Gold scrimmage. “We try to talk between each shift and in practice to try to find ourselves on the ice. [Paille] has been here for a while, so he knows the system that Claude likes to play, so we try to take advantage of that, me and Spooner. I thought we had a pretty good game, even though we lost the game 6-1 and we didn’t score a goal, but I thought that things went pretty good.”
They’ll be one of the lines that gets to see action tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, where they will be playing together on the third line.