Bruce Cassidy kept his word when he hinted at mixing up the lines for Game 3.
And it paid dividends.
The Boston Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Saturday to take a 2-1 series lead. Third-liners Charlie Coyle and Sean Kuraly accounted for two of Boston’s goals.
The duo played alongside Jack Studnicka for the first time in the series. And while the young forward didn’t light the lamp, he did take four shots on goal.
And his play all game impressed Coyle.
“Even going in, just talking to him early on, you can tell he’s got a quiet confidence in him for a young guy,” Coyle told reporters over Zoom during his postgame press conference. “And that’s huge, stepping into a playoff game as a guy of his nature. That says a lot, and he works. And that’s what we need from guys who are stepping in, filling certain roles. And he did that tonight. He was battling. The puck was on his stick a lot of times in the offensive zone, making things happen. That’s what we need from him. He’s got a lot of energy and he has those young legs and he was a big factor for us tonight. So, hats off to him for sure.”
It’s unclear whether Studnicka will play in Game 4 on Monday, but he certainly earned praise from his teammates.
