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The Boston Bruins enter this postseason without franchise icon Patrice Bergeron and key contributor David Krejci. Still, the club boasts top-end talent in sniper David Pastrnak and captain Brad Marchand.
But the real story this season has been the emergence of Charlie Coyle as the Bruins' top-line center. He'll be expected to suit up with Marchand and Jake DeBrusk, giving Boston a talented and physical top line.
The second line looks equally tough and skilled, with Pavel Zacha centering Danton Heinen and Pastrnak. Pastrnak will be the go-to scorer for Boston, especially if the opposition can shut down the Coyle's line. Zacha is fast and defensively solid, while Heinen adds grit.
As for the third line, Morgan Geekie, coming off a solid regular season, will be flanked by James van Riemsdyk and Trent Frederic. Van Riemsdyk continues to be a strong net-front presence, while Frederic adds skills with toughness. Frederic can drop the gloves with the best of them if need be.
Jesper Boqvist is at the center, with Johnny Beecher and veteran Pat Maroon rounding out Boston's bottom six. Boqvist provides a solid defensive presence, while Beecher and Maroon deliver punch and can score occasionally.
Overall, Boston's forward group should make life difficult for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The mix of speed, talent and grit will make it challenging for Toronto to contain. The biggest question will be depth scoring, especially if the Leafs can contain Pastrnak, Coyle and Marchand.
Here is a look at the projected lines for the Boston Bruins:
Marchand – Coyle – DeBrusk
Heinen – Zacha – Pastrnak
Van Riemsdyk – Geekie – Frederic
Beecher – Boqvist – Maroon
Strength on the Boston Bruins blue line
The Boston Bruins' blue line looks strong, featuring three solid pairings.
The first pairing consists of Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy. McAvoy has emerged as the Bruins' top D-man. At the same time, Lindholm has been a solid defensive partner, allowing McAvoy to wheel and deal in the offensive zone.
The middle pair features Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk. Both players have shown their physical side while adding depth scoring on the back end. Boston will expect Carlo and Grzelcyk to keep the Leafs skilled forwards like Auston Matthews and William Nylander in check.
Kevin Shattenkirk and Andrew Peeke complete the Boston Bruin's blue line. This pairing could be a middle pairing on many other teams, showing the Bruins' defensive depth.
Under the net, coach Jim Montgomery may continue alternating goalies as he did during the regular season. While Linus Ullmark played better than Jeremy Swayman at times, Swayman might get the call in game one.
However, if Swayman falters, Montgomery could easily turn to Ullmark for game two. Ultimately, the Bruins' coach will favor the hot hand, especially if the Game 1 starter hits the ground running.
