BOSTON — The Boston Bruins boast one of the best top lines in the NHL. But is the talent up front cause for concern about what makes up the rest of lineup behind them?
Entering Tuesday’s victory against the Ottawa Senators, the Bruins’ top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak averaged 3.17 goals per game. That’s an especially striking statistic when you consider that Pastrnak just snapped a scoreless streak in Saturday’s victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it took Bergeron until the eighth game of the season to find the back of the net (though he went on to score four times in that defeat of the Detroit Red Wings.)
On Tuesday, the top line was responsible for two of three Bruins goals, bookending the scoring in a three-goal third to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-2 win. According to Bruins Stats on Twitter, Boston exited the game with its top line combining for nearly half of its scoring.
Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak have scored 48% of Bruins goals and 45% of overall points, an increase from 36% during the 2020-21 season.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy acknowledged that he wants to see more from some other players at this point of the season.
“It’s 10 games in. We need some other guys to step up,” Cassidy said after the win. “I don’t know if we’re built that way like we have been in the past but we’re gonna have to bring some of it out, get it out of the players.”
Beyond the top line, Taylor Hall (seven points) and Charlie McAvoy (six points) are some of the Bruins’ other offensive options. But if the Bruins want to keep competing at this level through the season, they’ll have to find a way to spread the wealth to keep skaters fresh and opponents guessing.
