Boston Bruins: Charlie Coyle to lead newly-formed second line?
By Filip Canda
The Boston Bruins will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. The battle in the Atlantic Division starts for real. Does it start with one key component of the Bruins lineup missing? Is inserting Charlie Coyle on the second line an answer?
The Boston Bruins Head Coach Bruce Cassidy might shake up his lineup a little bit ahead of tonight´s highlighted game versus the Lightning. David Krejci, following his upper-body injury from the tilt against Anaheim on Monday, took just one part in practice on Wednesday. Krejci is highly doubtful for the game tonight. Is Charlie Coyle an answer?
On Wednesday, Cassidy has moved Charlie Coyle on the second line to play with Jake Debrusk as a left-winger and Brett Ritchie on the right-wing. The tandem of Coyle and Danton Heinen might be broken for the first time in the season.
Moving Coyle to the second line might pay some dividends. Undoubtedly, Coyle is the best centerman on the team right behind Krejci and Bergeron. DeBrusk´s offensive start to the campaign has been rather quiet, although he is getting his looks.
Coyle, on the other hand, sits on only one point so far this season. All Coyle, Heinen, and Ritchie, recorded their respective single points on the Opening Night in Dallas.
When Heinen and Coyle have been playing together on the ice (49:10 of the ice-time during even-strength), their CF% is 54.90. Heinen skating without Coyle at even-strength (22:43 of the ice-time) has CF% at 36.11. Heinen staying on the third line, centered by Par Lindholm, has now less probability of scoring goals.
Karson Kuhlman would be bumped to the third line. The fourth line of Sean Kuraly, Joakim Nordstrom, and Chris Wagner will stay intact. The newly-constructed second line of Coyle centering DeBrusk and Ritchie is interesting.
Might this experiment work? This same trio has played 9:28 of the ice-time at even-strength with CF% at 66.67. Let´s how that works on, apparently, a more influential representation on Thursday.
The Bruins need an offensive boost from their secondary scoring. Not every night David Pastrnak is going to steal the show with four tallies. Especially against the team as the Tampa Bay Lightning, that is going to be crucial.