Bruins’ Top Line Remains Stale, May Face Shake Up to Get Things Going in Right Direction

BOSTON — The Bruins top line of David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton broke out of the gates last season with historic numbers as the trio had a combined 22 points in the first six games of the 2010-11 season.

This year, although after a small sample of just three games, the line has struggled offensively, putting up two combined points — a goal out of Krejci and an assist from Lucic. Not the kind of numbers you want out of your team's top attackers.

"I think when your top line if supposed to be your top line it should try and be every night," head coach Claude Julien said. "So far, I don't think they're in sync, I don't think they're working hard enough as a group."

Lucic couldn't agree more.

"We have to support each other better," Lucic said after the team's second loss in tree games. "We just have to come up the ice together. And the reason why we were so successful last year, like I said, we supported each other throughout the ice and we made plays."

But this game appeared to be lost before it was even played, as Lucic wasn't happy with the team's attitude heading in.

"We took the game too lightly," Lucic explained. "We lost most of the battles, they were first on pucks. They wanted the puck more than us and that's why we weren't able to generate enough to get that goal."

While no one on the team has necessarily been tearing it up offensively, there's still a need for the team's top snipers to pick things up and carry the load. Lucic found himself on a two-on-one in tight by Avs keeper Semyon Varlamov more than once on Monday but was unable to finish — especially late in the game, already down a goal.

"We created some pretty good chances and [we] just have to find a way to bear down on them. The goalies are always going to battle [and] I have to do a better job of elevating the pick and making the most of opportunities I get," Lucic said when asked about this third-period two-on-one situation with Horton.

The team won't be hitting the panic button just yet, but the B's bench boss is growing concerned and has to put together a plan should the line not step things up.

"It's part of our job here to get those guys going and whether it's though breaking them up or whether it's through meetings, we've got to find a way to get those guys going," Julien explained. "Right now I don't think those three — either one of those three — has found his game yet."