While the Boston Bruins are as good as advertised, few foresaw one notable aspect of their hot start.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski identified the lack of secondary scoring as the biggest surprise in the opening month of the Bruins’ 2019-20 NHL season. Boston’s vaunted top-line trio of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak have fueled the Bruins’ early success, but the lack of production from the team’s secondary offensive lines has concerned head coach Bruce Cassidy, Bruins fans and neutral observers alike.
“… We know what the ‘Perfection Line’ does, which is carry this team when the rest of the lineup isn’t scoring,” Wyshynski wrote Tuesday. “Their backs must be tired already. Through nine games, no forward other than Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak or Brad Marchand has more than three points. The defense isn’t chipping in, either: Outside of Torey Krug’s seven points, no Bruins defenseman has more than two. Hurry back from injury, David Krejci.”
The missing punch from the depths of the Bruins’ attacking lines is perhaps the biggest reason why the team fell from No. 1 to 2 this week in ESPN’s latest NHL power rankings.
While Boston’s secondary offense undoubtedly will begin to churn one day, questions of “when?” and “who’ll do the honors?” will loom large heading into the second month of the season.
