Fourth line has deep impact on B’s

When the Bruins hit the skids and narrowly missed the playoffs in 2015 and 2016, lack of organizational depth was a big part of the problem.

When varsity players went down with injuries, the B’s could not fill their spots adequately.

Now that once problematic organizational depth is currently one of the strengths of this Bruins franchise.

You can see it in Providence, where the P-Bruins are atop the AHL Atlantic Division and sailing along at a .703 clip while deploying several players — both veterans and young prospects — who could be helping NHL lineups.

In Boston, you see it on the Bruins’ fourth line, which has the size and strength to keep top lines in check and manhandle some opposing defense pairings.

The Bruins’ fourth line saw its hard work pay off in New York on Tuesday, when the unit’s net-crashing style produced the Tim Schaller knockout blow off of Sean Kuraly’s steal and then the empty-netter was provided by Noel Acciari against the Islanders.

These three forwards all differ slightly, but they share a common denominator, according to coach Bruce Cassidy.

“Noel is body-checker, straight-line, will get to the net, shot blocker, wins pucks on the walls,” Cassidy said. “Kuraly has straightline speed. He’s really good at closing in the defensive zone and will turn over pucks with the forecheck because he’s so quick and he’s willing to get in there and he will go into the net with the puck. Timmy, best shot of them all, probably the most skilled, yet still plays in a straight line and can complement those guys. It’s not going to get messed because he wants to make an extra play and he gets to the net well, too. He has some polish in tight.

“At the end of the day,” he continued, “I think they all recognize they’re going to score goals on second chances and getting to the net as opposed to maybe line rushes, so they’ve done a good job of saying, ‘Hey, let’s get it deep every time and make sure we’re first on it.’

“At times they’ll have a line rush and they’ll make their plays . . . . And hopefully they start finishing off some chances. They’ve created some 2-on-1s with their speed with Sean. They had a couple the other night. But they like the grind, the muck, whatever. Pick your adjective. And they’re comfortable with it.

“And they’re big — 6-2, 6-2 and Noel is not as tall but they’re all over 200 pounds. They’re a load to handle. You get some of those smaller defensemen in the league now and it’s a tough matchup for them.”

Schaller’s goal against the Islanders was one that is becoming a patent for the trio, with Kuraly streaking down the wing and firing the puck to produce a rebound. Acciari had a similar chance earlier in the game that he just missed on before Schaller put away his chance.

“It’s great when we’re able to contribute on the scoreboard,” said Kuraly. “We’re not always able to contribute there, but when we can it feels good. And we know that it’s not always going to be on the scoreboard for us. A lot of it is just going to be playing the game the right way.”

The last time the Bruins had a fourth line with as much of an identity was when they had the old Merlot line of Gregory Campbell centering Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille. That line had a different personality than the current line. Thornton was not only the team’s take-on-all-comers brawler — back in a time when there were more of those guys in the league — he was also a vocal leader, as was Campbell. Paille, meanwhile, had the speed of the first-round pick that he used to create an offensive threat.

It will take time for the three younger forwards to develop into vocal leaders at this level.

They’ve also become reliable enough to take some tough defensive shifts away from the Bruins’ top line, which will help preserve Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Against the Islanders, Kuraly played 11:59, while Bergeron was on the ice for only 14:22.

“They bring a ton of energy every game,” said Marchand. “They’re very consistent, and they’re really hot lately . ... It gives us a huge boost knowing they can play against every single line and they’re great every night.”