By: Tom Calautti | Follow me on Twitter/X @TCalauttis
If I told you the Boston Bruins would have one of the best lines in hockey at the beginning of this season, you probably wouldn’t believe me. If I told you that line didn’t have David Pastrnak on it, you’d be even more shocked. As unlikely as it sounds, the Black and Gold have one of the highest scoring trios in the NHL, and it’s comprised of Pavel Zacha, Casey Mittlestadt, and Viktor Arvidsson.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, the Boston Bruins had very few certainties on their forward lines. Sure, Pastrnak would anchor the first line, Sean Kuraly and Mark Kastelic would fill roles as checking forwards, and Morgan Geekie had a solidified top-six role, but outside of that, there weren’t many guarantees.
Well, 68 games into the season and in a battle for a playoff spot, the Bruins still find themselves with some questions up front. But one trio that has continued to answer the call is Mittelstadt, Zacha, and Arvidsson.
This line has combined to score 33 goals across 47 games this season. That number ranks them third in the NHL behind only Colorado’s Lehkonen-Mackinnon-Necas trio and Winnipeg’s Connor-Scheifel-Vilardi. They have been, without hyperbole, the third-best-scoring line in the entire league.
When we change the parameters a bit, the stats provide an even more complete picture of just how dominant Boston’s second line has been. Of the 98 lines that have skated at least 200 minutes together, the Zacha line ranks 16th in goals percentage (67.3 percent), 12th in goals for per 60 (4.29), and 34th in goals against per 60 (2.08). The fact that they’re able to pull their weight defensively and produce at that clip speaks volumes about the chemistry of the trio.
When you break down the stats of the three skaters on an individual level, it’s clear that these forwards are having some of the best seasons of their careers. Zacha registered his career high 22nd goal in last night’s overtime loss and is on pace to break the 60-point plateau. Arvidsson has 18-21-39 and is already having his best campaign in three seasons. And Mittelstadt has 13-21-34 and is on track to top 40 points for the third time in his career.
To put it plainly, this line has been absolutely dynamite for the Bruins. And when you factor in how vital they’ve been to the team’s recent play, it makes their achievements even more impressive.
Boston has been mediocre since the Olympic break, going 5-3-3 in its first 11 games. During those games, the Mittelstadt, Zacha, Arvidsson trio has combined for 12-17-29, for more than any other threesome head coach Marco Sturm has trotted out. You could make a strong argument that the Bruins would be out of the wild-card race had it not been for the play of their second line.
But it’s not just their play of late that makes them so valuable to the Bruins; it’s how impactful they’ve been all season. In games where at least one of Zacha, Mittelstadt, or Arvidsson has registered a goal, Boston is 27-8-6. Combine that with the fact that Sturm has used this trio as a matchup grouping to play against other teams’ top forwards, and their performance this year is nothing short of fantastic.
The fight to earn a playoff spot will be grueling, and the Bruins need more out of their star players. But if they can keep getting this level of play from their second line, they’ll be in the fight for as long as possible.
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