Boston Bruins: Can they stop the Colorado Avalanche’s top line?
By jc
How can the Boston Bruins handle the trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen?
The Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche meet Thursday night in Denver. This matchup features the two best lines in the NHL.
The Bruins stroll in with Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak. Marchand and Pastrnak are both elite scorers, and Bergeron is the top two-way center in the league. We know all about the success of Boston’s top line, so let’s focus on Colorado’s.
Like the Bruins, the Avalanche take their three best forwards and put them on the same line. Nathan MacKinnon centers Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen.
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MacKinnon, the first overall pick in 2013, exploded the last two years after an average start to his career. He had 99 points last year and 97 the year before. MacKinnon is a dynamic talent who somehow is faster with the puck than without.
Landeskog was a high draft choice like MacKinnon, but he’s not the offensive juggernaut. Instead, Landeskog is a defensibly-reliable wing who still can get 60 to 70 points.
Then there’s Rantanen, fresh off his new $55.5 million extension. Rantanen had 171 total points over the last two years. At 23, he’s set to put up a lot more points with the Avs.
Colorado’s trio not only led the team last year; it was the team. MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Rantanen combined to score 106 goals, 41% of the team’s total output. The three players also averaged more time on ice than any other forward.
This year should prove to be no different. Colorado did acquire Nazem Kadri over the summer for depth, but the Avs still rely heavily on that top line.
As such, if the Bruins want to beat the Avalanche, they need to figure out a way to stop the MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Rantanen line.
MacKinnon is the key to it all, so he needs to be the point of focus. The Bruins have to work hard to limit his space on the ice. They can’t let MacKinnon skate untouched through the neutral zone. If they do, watch out.
Also, the Bruins must avoid turnovers when MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Rantanen are on the ice. The Bruins defensemen need to start clean breakouts, and the forwards can’t cough up the puck while on the attack.
Bruce Cassidy’s best option is to match his top players with Colorado’s top players. Look for Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy to handle these duties. McAvoy will be a major factor given his skating ability.
The Bergeron line can be effective against MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Rantanen as well. The best thing Bergeron, Marchand, and Pastrnak can do is keep possession in the offensive zone. It’s nearly impossible for Colorado’s top stars to score from the defensive zone.
Boston’s top forwards played well in Vegas, so hopefully they can keep it up in Colorado.
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If the Boston Bruins best players can negate Colorado’s top players, they’ll be in good shape. Boston’s much more deeper than Colorado up front and on the backend. But, if the Bruins let the MacKinnon, Landeskog, and Rantanen run wild, it’ll be a long night.