Second line remains a work in progress
Boston really needs the first line to dominate because the second line remains a work in progress.
After David Krejci missed the first game of the season, he returned to his expected spot: center between Jake DeBrusk and Karson Kuhlman. The trio had a quiet game in Arizona, but that was par for the course for Boston.
The Krejci line, however, really struggled at the jump against Vegas. Krejci, DeBrusk, and Kuhlman failed to generate much offense against the Golden Knights. As a result, Bruce Cassidy decided to mix things up.
Brett Ritchie replaced Kuhlman on the right wing midway through the first period. Cassidy wanted to add some strength and size to the line. Ritchie looked okay, but he wasn’t too noticeable out there.
Then, later in the first, Krejci took some shifts with Charlie Coyle and Danton Heinen. Cassidy tried to get Krejci going with some new faces, but nothing came out of it.
Cassidy reunited Krejci and DeBrusk in the second, with Ritchie and Kuhlman each seeing chances on that right side. Eventually, Kuhlman settled in nicely on the third line with Coyle and Heinen, so Ritchie got more time with Krejci.
Krejci, DeBrusk, Ritchie, and Kuhlman each finished the game with zero points. They couldn’t generate much offense at all, regardless of how Cassidy juggled the lines.
It’s still too early in the season to worry about the second line. Krejci needs to ease into the season after his injury late in the preseason. Nonetheless, the Bruins hope to get answers soon, because the line remains a work in progress.