Coyle right in middle of things
Charlie Coyle, the Bruins’ ex-No. 3 center extraordinaire, banged home the final goal in a 6-2 dismantling of the Flyers Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia and extended his scoring streak to eight games (4-8–12).
It’s the hottest hand Coyle has shown since joining the Black and Gold, making him a central figure in the club’s dazzling 122-3 (.794) turnaround since the Christmas break.
The Bruins and Canucks co-own the penthouse in the league’s overall standings. For those futurists with an eye on matchups in the postseason, that positions the 31-9-9 Bruins to take on the Red Wings in that first best-of-seven series. Many more games for the Bruins to play (33 to be exact) before that playoff equation is complete.
Coyle’s math, meanwhile, just keeps getting better.
“I see someone who wants to take over games and control games,” said coach Jim Montgomery, reflecting on Coyle’s play and production in recent weeks. “But also, there’s a difference in his attitude, you can just see the swagger and confidence that he has.”
The lead narrative around the Bruins going into this season was that Coyle and Pavel Zacha, promoted as the new top two centers on Causeway Street, would be challenged to replace the offense that went out the Garden door with the retirements of Patrice
Bergeron and David Krejci.
Bergeron and Krejci finished last year — the best regular-season run (65-12-5) in club history — with a combined 114 points. Star right winger David Pastrnak, with one or the other of those two his constant setup man, piled up a career-high 61 goals.
At the All-Star break, Coyle is piloting the top line (typically with wingers Brad Marchand and Jake DeBrusk) and Zacha is the No. 2 pivot (with James van Riemsdyk and Pastrnak). Coyle, a sizzling 8-13–21 in the 17 games since Christmas, has 42 points. Zacha has produced 10-20–30.
Coyle and Zacha, with their combined 72 points, are on pace to finish with 122 total, what would be a 8-point bump over their stellar predecessors.
Challenge presented, challenge surpassed, at least thus far.
Also, Pastrnak might not be tracking to repeat as a 60-goal scorer, but at 33-39–72, he is on pace to eclipse his career-best 113point haul of last season.
The 6-foot-3-inch Coyle has been the bigger surprise of the new 1-2 slot configuration. Never in his 12-season NHL career has he delivered at this offensive clip. He’s also never had the advantage of working shift to shift with such high-producing wingers.
“When you’re called upon to have more responsibility and kinda move up the depth chart — first line, second line, whatever — there is more responsibility to produce and you want to rise to that occasion,” Coyle said following Saturday’s win. “So when you see yourself in there, you say to yourself, ‘Hey, that’s where I belong, that’s where I am going to play, that’s where the team needs me tonight and I want to make sure I produce and play the right way like I know how.’ ”
Montgomery recently noted that he figured going into the season that Coyle would rise to the task.
“My only worry,” said Montgomery, “was who’d replace him in the three hole.”
Of late, Morgan Geekie has been productive in the No. 3 center role and most likely will remain there for a while. Rookie Matt Poitras opened there in October. Still with the varsity, the skilled Poitras was sidelined Saturday by injury and factors more these days as a fourth-liner.
Coyle should shatter the career highs he posted for goals (21) and points (56) during his days in Minnesota, where he often toggled back and forth between center and wing. Since coming to the Bruins, acquired in February 2019 for Ryan Donato, he has been used almost exclusively as a pivot, and most of the time in that third-line grinding role.
No. 3 centers do not have points as their raison d’etre. The main job often entails shutting down other clubs’ top lines, and/or providing energy shifts that help sustain momentum. Maybe help spark production higher in the order.
“I am playing with some good linemates, so you play the right way and hope you get rewarded for it,” noted Coyle, reflecting on this season’s broader role. “First you hope the team gets rewarded for it, that’s the main thing. But when you are contributing out there, and helping to finish off plays, making plays and finishing off opportunities . . . that’s a good feeling and that’s something I want to continue to improve on.”
Pastrnak a ‘game-breaker’
Pastrnak, who’ll be in Toronto for the AllStar Game with Montgomery and goalie Jeremy Swayman, potted both of his goals in the first period Saturday, helping to build a 4-0 lead by the intermission.
Flyers, crushed.
“He’s a game-breaker, right?” said Montgomery. “He gives us an advantage that in close games, he can win it.”
With 33 goals through 49 games, Pastrnak is on pace for 55 goals. The Czech wizard has rolled up a league-leading 94 since the start of last season, which after Saturday’s game gave him a healthy lead over Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (84), Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen (82), and Toronto’s Auston Matthews (80).
Trio of top producers
The Bruins’ leading three producers in the 17 games out of the Christmas break: Pastrnak, 13-15–28; Coyle, 8-13–21; Marchand, 11-8–19 . . . The Bruins, most of whom bolted Sunday to sunny (read: Caribbean) climates, won’t be back to work until their scheduled noon practice next Sunday at Boca Brighton. They don’t play again until Tuesday, Feb. 6, when the Flames visit, opening a seven-game homestand . . . Bruins defensemen are a combined 21-79–100 for the season. They’re still off the pace of last season’s 205-point total.