Through the first six games of the 2024-25 season, goals have been tough to come by for the Boston Bruins at times. Saturday night against the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City, offense was hard to find for the Black and Gold in a 2-1 overtime loss.
The best line for the Bruins, again, was their fourth line of John Beecher, Cole Koepke, and Mark Kastelic, while their top nine managed just five shots on the goal at 5-on-5 that simply cannot happen. That can't happen at any level of hockey if we're being honest.
The Bruins moved on from Jake DeBrusk in the offseason and while he was a streaky scorer during his time in Boston, he did the little things that created offense. Against Utah, head coach Jim Montgomery mixed his lines throughout the game and even made a switch before the game, moving Justin Brazeau up to the second line with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle.
That move didn't make a difference and Montgomery seems frustrated with things. Things don't seem to be working out with players in the lineup and it might be time for the Black and Gold to officially sign a veteran forward or give a prospect an opportunity to inject some life into their lineup.
Bruins should give Tyler Johnson or Fabian Lysell an opportunity
Two players that the Bruins have a chance to give an opportunity to are veteran Tyler Johnson, who was signed to a PTO ahead of training camp and is still hanging around Boston or call-up prospect Fabian Lysell from the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Johnson had a pretty good preseason and is a veteran who could become this season's version of Danton Heinen for the Bruins. Could he put up the same numbers as Heinen? Maybe, but signing him and giving him a shot is not a bad option.
Lysell scored his first goal of the season for Providence over the weekend against the Springfield Thunderbirds and it was a pretty one. Bringing up Lysell is a low-risk, high-reward move if it was to happen. If the Bruins coaching staff and management are worried about him turning the puck over and not playing hard at times, well, he would fit right in with their current group.
Good morning to Fabian Lysell, and Fabian Lysell only. @AHLBruins | #PROvsSPR pic.twitter.com/QAiArkick0
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) October 20, 2024
If there is one thing we have learned from Montgomery and really all coaches, as the year goes on, they like to send messages with healthy scratches or calling out player publicly in the media, but another way is to bring in a veteran or bring up a prospect and give them a chance to make a difference. Both Johnson and Lysell are good options that the Bruins have at their disposal right now.