It wasn't always pretty, and it wasn't always pretty hockey, but in an era where the Boston Bruins dominated for the better part of two decades, there was one line that stands out as one of the favorites over that period. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak might take the top spot, and David Krejci, Milan Lucic, and Nathan Horton are also candidates, but the fourth line in the early 2010s will always hold a special place in fans' hearts.
The "Merlot Line" as they were affectionately called thanks to the color of the jerseys they wore in practice was a high-energy, tough, borderline wreckless line that put fear in opponents during the Bruins' run to two Stanley Cup Finals in the early 2010s. Shawn Thornton, Greg Campbell, and Dan Paille never lit up any scoresheets or had much of an offensive impact, but they made the TD Garden shake just as much as any of the scoring lines.
The greatest memories are some of the times that games got out of hand and the trio doled out some justice along with enforcer defensemen like Adam McQuaid and Kevan Miller, but there were also times where they were more than just fighters. The brawls against the Dallas Stars and the Montreal Canadiens are probably the moments that stand out most for the fans.
Campbell and Paille were also big parts of a Bruins penalty kill that dominated during those days. While the powerplay was stagnant sometimes, the penalty kill held up their end of the bargain in the special teams' battle. Patrice Bergeron anchored one line, often for the first minute of the kill, but Campbell and Paille would often do well in clean-up duty for the second half.
And while it didn't happen often, the Merlot Line managed to chip in on the scoresheet on occasion, mostly when the team needed it most. It was always a fun moment when the trio contributed in any way, but some of their clutch goals stand out as great memories.
There's no sports town like Boston. While some cities wouldn't even know the names of their fourth liners, the fans at TD Garden embraced this trio and turned them into heroes who still get mentioned 10 years after leaving.