Boston Bruins: Three players who need a strong weekend
By jc
Charlie Coyle
When everybody’s healthy, Charlie Coyle is an important player for the Bruins. He can dominate third-line matchups to provide the Bruins with some necessary secondary scoring.
With David Krejci‘s injury, Coyle becomes even more important for the Bruins. Now, he must step up and be a solid second-line center.
Coyle certainly hasn’t been bad this year. There are times when he’s used his strength and skating to generate quality chances for him and his teammates.
That said, the Bruins still wait for Coyle to show up on the scoresheet. He has zero goals so far, and he only has two assists. Also, Coyle is a -3.
The Bruins desperately need Coyle to be someone who can lead the second line in Krejci’s absence. Boston struggled with secondary scoring this year; Coyle can change that.
Based on the practice lines, expect Coyle to start the game against St. Louis with Danton Heinen on the right and Anders Bjork on the left. This is his best opportunity to pick up his game.
Heinen and Bjork both have more offensive upside than someone like Brett Ritchie. They can also play at a quicker pace, something that fits well with Coyle. Together, Coyle, Bjork, and Heinen appear to have a lot of potential.
Coyle won’t have any excuses this weekend with those linemates. He needs to generate some offense and prove to Boston that he deserves that extension.