By: Ryan Jainchill | Follow me on Twitter / X @Jainchill_Ryan
After being shutout 2-0 at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers on home ice, Boston Bruins Head Coach Jim Montgomery has once again thrown the forward lines into a blender. The Bruins have started the season 4-5-1, their worst start under Montgomery, and tied for their lowest win total through ten games since a 4-3-3 start in the 2017-18 season.
With the team struggling to get good looks on goal and failing to string good offensive shifts together, it is no surprise that Montgomery has once again shaken up the lines. The “line blender” that Montgomery has revved up at times throughout his two-plus year Bruins tenure typically entails a few changes here and there, but nothing drastic. But today at practice, the Bruins bench boss turned on the hypothetical blender to its maximum level.
Beecher – Zacha – Pastrnak
Told you. Johnny Beecher, who has spent almost all his time in Boston playing fourth-line minutes, is getting the bump up alongside Pavel Zacha and David Pastrnak on the team’s top line. This combination is a product of not getting enough out of your top-six talent, and Montgomery recognized it and made changes.
Now, this isn’t to discredit Beecher. Instead, it’s to praise his substantial work in limited minutes. The second-year Bruin is tied for third on the team with six points, two of which are goals. Beecher’s primary attribute is his speed, which the Bruins’ top-six has been lacking this season. So maybe his skating will complement two of the team’s most dynamic offensive players.
Zacha, who has three points in 10 games, draws in at center between Beecher and Pastrnak after spending the first ten games on the wing. The Bruins need a player of his caliber to find his groove and produce more offensively, and finding himself back at center should do the trick. Montgomery is hoping that putting the two Czechia natives with a speedster like Beecher can finally allow them to reignite their connection and produce at even strength.
Marchand – Lindholm – Kastelic
This is another example of the line blender being turned to the max. The new second line features Elias Lindholm, who spent the first ten games on the top line, and Mark Kastelic, who spent the first ten games on the fourth line. Brad Marchand is the only holdover from the first stretch, and even he has fought the puck to start the year while recovering from three offseason surgeries.
Lindholm, who was brought in to play top-six center minutes, hasn’t gelled with Pastrnak, which is another reason Montgomery felt it was necessary to change the lines. Seeing him on the second line with Marchand isn’t much of a shock, as the Bruins are still trying to see what works. With how well the Bruins’ captain has played with two-way centers in his career, it’s easy to see why this is the way Montgomery is going.
But the real surprise is the emergence of Kastelic, who many felt was just a throw-in in the Linus Ullmark trade. He has recorded three goals and three assists in ten games, tying him for third on the team in points while playing fourth-line minutes. Kastelic’s strong play has earned him this promotion, but you have to wonder if this is partly due to his performance or the struggles of the players who have held that role. The consensus is that it might be both.
Jones – Coyle – Koepke
The new third line isn’t full of surprises. Charlie Coyle, who is coming off a career year that saw him record 60 points, has struggled to start the season. He has one point in ten games, with his only goal of the season coming in the power play. Getting him back on track is critical for the Bruins, as Montgomery and his staff know how dominant he can be when he has the puck below the opponents’ goal line. Maybe a shift into the bottom six will allow him to return to that style of play.
Coyle is flanked to his left by Max Jones, who has appeared in three games for the Bruins. He draws back into the lineup after finding himself on the ninth floor for seven games this season. On Coyle’s right is Cole Koepke, who has had a stellar start to the 2024-25 campaign. In ten games playing bottom-six minutes, Koepke has six points and has been a needed infusion of speed into the team. This new third line has a good mix of physicality, puck possession, and speed and should be a solid choice to go up against a team’s top line and hopefully work the below-the-goal line offense that those three thrive in.
Frederic – Poitras – Brazeau
The lone holdover from the last game, the trio of Trent Frederic, Matthew Poitras, and Justin Brazeau, is listed as the team’s fourth line. While that might change, as the trio certainly can play middle six minutes, their production needs a boost to earn that promotion.
Poitras has been held goalless to start the campaign, but it certainly hasn’t been for a lack of chances. Brazeau has goals in two of his last three games, with one coming at even strength in the team’s victory last Saturday over Toronto. Frederic has gone nine straight without a goal after scoring in the team’s opener.
According to Natural Stat Trick, this trio has a scoring chances for/against ratio of 10-3 in the 17:10 of ice time they have had together. While the positive ratio shows they mesh well together and have had the chances to find the back of the net, the finishing needs to be there. If this group can get going, it will benefit the team drastically and get the contributions required from the middle six that has been evading the Bruins.
A notable subtraction from the rushes at practice today was Morgan Geekie. After a breakout first season in Boston last year, he has only recorded one assist in the eight games he has played in. While he is not alone in his struggles this season, Montgomery was very clear about what the 26-year-old needs to do to get back to being an impactful player: “Play Better.”
It is also important to note that Tyler Johnson took reps alongside Lindholm and Marchand on that second line today at practice. With the team sending Riley Tufte to Providence, General Manager Don Sweeney has the cap flexibility to bring Johnson into the fold. With the former Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks forward still hanging around on a PTO and the team’s recent struggles, it makes sense to get a contract done now and add him to the forward core.
We will see if Montgomery’s use of the line blender can get the team out of their funk and begin to piece together solid performances and victories. The Bruins hit the road for their next two contests, taking on the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night and getting their rematch with the Flyers in a Saturday afternoon matinée.
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