An organization that has been around for over 100 years surely has some great lines in its history, but there are some that transcend the entire NHL for the Boston Bruins. The Kraut Line was one of the most recognizable trios of the Original Six era, while The Perfection Line took the league by storm in recent years.
While those bookends have shaped Bruins history and fans await the next great line in the organization's history, there were some other trios whose history still echoes around the franchise. Let's take a look at some of the greatest forward lines in Bruins history as we look back through the eras.
Milt Schmidt - Woody Dumart - Bobby Bauer (The Kraut Line)
Three Hall of Famers in Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, and Bobby Bauer comprised The Kraut Line and led the Bruins to two Stanley Cups in 1939 and 1941. The trio could do it all, with Schmidt as the playmaker and offensive driver, Dumart as the physical forechecker, and Bauer as the finisher. While their success came almost a century ago, the line did more than enough to earn their place amongst the franchise's best.
Wayne Cashman - Phil Esposito - Ken Hodge
Bobby Orr gets most of the credit, but the Bruins still don't win their Stanley Cups in 1970 and 1972 without the first line of Wayne Cashman, Phil Esposito, and Ken Hodge. Esposito is one of the most-feared scorers in NHL history, while Cashman and Hodge were the perfect mix of skill, size, and physicality who made life miserable for the opponents and dug the puck out for Espo to finish.
With some of the great players of the 70s, Cashman-Esposito-Hodge will go down as one of the best lines of the era and possibly the best line in Bruins history.
Glen Murray - Joe Thornton - Sergei Samsonov
The Bruins didn't have as much success as other eras with this first line, but it's one that fans look upon fondly in Joe Thornton's limited time with the organization. Glen Murray joined the Bruins with a career-high 29-goal season, and Thornton turned him into a two-time All-Star with a career-high 92 points. Murray's highest totals without him in the middle were just 62.
Sergei Samsonov was a speedy Russian point-getter with the Bruins, but couldn't find the same success anywhere else. Thornton might have been the straw that stirred the drink for both Murray and Samsonov in a less-than-impressive era for Boston, but they were a fun trio nonetheless.
Milan Lucic - David Krejci - Nathan Horton
The three-year run for the Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Nathan Horton line was one of the most impressive in Bruins history. Horton became one of the most clutch goalscorers of all-time for the franchise with his heroics in the 2011 Stanley Cup run and 2013 finals run, and Krejci and Lucic were more-than-capable of taking control of the game night in and night out.
Two second-round picks and a scorer they acquired for Dennis Wideman and a first-round pick became one of the most beloved trios in Bruins history thanks to a clutch three-year stretch that puts them in franchise lore forever.
Brad Marchand - Patrice Bergeron - David Pastrnak (The Perfection Line)
The Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak trio deserved more during their time together, but they were the linchpins to a near Stanley Cup in 2019 and would've gone on to even more success if the lack of depth in the lineup didn't cause their coaching staff to break them up to try and obtain more scoring throughout the lineup. However, when the team needed a goal, the reunion always came and the trio almost always delivered.
Nevertheless, from 2018 to 2021 the trio played over 1500 minutes together at five-on-five, owning a 59.6% Corsi and outscoring their opponents 103-64. Not to mention the dominance they showed on the powerplay over that stretch along with David Krejci and either Torey Krug or Charlie McAvoy. When fans think about that era of Bruins hockey, they'll always remember the Perfection Line.
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