Boston Bruins: How the team can benefit from recent lineup changes

Recently, Boston Bruins‘ head coach Bruce Cassidy decided to make some intriguing changes to the B’s lineup. These changes include moving star right wing David Pastrnak down to the second line and struggling winger Jake DeBrusk up to the first line.

DeBrusk has been bouncing up and down the lineup this season. To start the season, he was slotted at the second line left wing. Then he was placed at first line right wing, where he looked better but was forced out of the lineup with a lower-body injury. Since returning from injury, JD has been playing at third line left wing.

Pastrnak, on the other hand, has been red-hot since returning from injury late last month. However, with the Black and Gold struggling at 5-on-5, Cassidy feels as though splitting him up from Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand will benefit the team, and I tend to agree.

The recent changes to the Boston Bruins’ lineup create balance.

The changes that Cassidy made to the lineup balance out the B’s lineup quite well. Having Pasta on the first line overloaded Boston’s top line and left the rest of the lineup quite thin.

I think Pastrnak on the second line with a struggling 5-on-5 Nick Ritchie and David Krejci could have a much greater impact than if he were to stay on the first line. This move finally gives Krejci a legit goal-scoring right wing and can help out Ritchie because of how much Pasta shoots the puck along with his playmaking ability.

Craig Smith shoots the puck around the same amount as Pastrnak, but he doesn’t possess the same level of skill, creativity, and accuracy as Pasta.

This move should greatly help out DeBrusk, as well. Playing with two elite playmakers should finally lead to some goals for JD. But, even if DeBrusk isn’t playing that great, Bergeron and Marchand are more than capable of scoring and creating chances by themselves. If this was any other line and DeBrusk was playing poorly, it would be a big issue for that line.

Aside from the two top lines, these moves also benefit the bottom two lines. This move reunites the dynamic duo of Charlie Coyle and Craig Smith, as well as reuniting Trent Frederic with Coyle and Smith. These three played extremely well together earlier in the season.

Furthermore, this move sends Anders Bjork down to the fourth line with Sean Kuraly and Chris Wagner. Bjork was playing quite well at third line right wing, but he also played well at fourth line left wing with Kuraly and Wagner earlier in the season.

Overall, these changes balance out the Bruins’ lineup — from top to bottom and at left wing and right wing. I really think the B’s will benefit in the ways I stated from these moves, but of course I could be wrong.