For a while, Bruce Cassidy was looking to get more out of the Boston Bruins' second line.
In 2021, he's gotten it.
The Taylor Hall, David Krejci, Craig Smith combination has been a steady, 200-foot line that can wreak havoc in the offensive zone but also limit chances defensively.
Boston's Game 3 win over the New York Islanders was emblematic of that. That line contributed on the score sheet with Smith's first-period goal, and ultimately they out-chanced the Isles 15-0 when Hall was on the ice in Game 3.
Ironically, New York head coach Barry Trotz was complimentary of that unit before they undressed his team in Game 3.
"That Krejci-Hall line is dangerous as all get out too," Trotz said Thursday morning over Zoom. "The line that's been getting us the most is the Bergeron line, so we've been talking about them a little bit more. But ever since, I think since Taylor Hall, Smith and Krejci have been together, on some teams they would be a number one line."
Krejci is so comfortable with the puck on his stick, that oftentimes the game looks like it's going in slow motion because he's so deliberate with everything he does. But both Smith and Hall add a ton of speed to the unit, which makes for an exciting trio to watch.
And while it's exciting to watch, it's a bear to defend.
"They have a lot of poise, especially through the middle," Islanders forward Jordan Eberle, a former teammate of Hall's, said Friday afternoon over Zoom. "Krejci is a poised player, makes a lot of plays, and they obviously have the speed and work ethic on the outside. So definitely a line that we key on, they create a lot of their offense, as well, so you have to be able shut those guys down if you want to win."
New York's next chance to shut down Boston's top six will come in Game 4, which will be at 7:15 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC. NESN will carry a full hour of pregame and postgame coverage, plus intermission reports on NESN.com.
