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Even the Maple Leafs 'center, Auston Matthews, could not help but praise Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, the Bruins' top players, between first and second second game of the first round of the Eastern Conference last week.
Although the Maple Leafs kept that line at bay in Game 1 to 5, Matthews ranked Bergeron's line in the "No. 1 line in the league "this year.
The Maple Leaf star echoed what all members of the organization and all Bruins fans already believed. Now, if this line could stick to its hype, they could well stay together for the return of the Bruins back in this top-7 series.
Bergeron's line was again completely closed and limited to seven shots on goal in Boston's 3-2 defeat in the third game in Toronto on Monday. The Bruins are now following the series 2-1 and the fourth game will be held Wednesday in Toronto.
Marchand's goal in Game 2 is the only 5-to-5 mark of his trio in this series. And unless something changes quickly, coach Bruce Cassidy will have no choice but to break his line of choice.
Toronto coach Mike Babcock had the wings of Mitch Tavner, Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman. The two defensemen, Jake Muzzin and Nikita Zaitsev, spent the night at the front row of Boston. The right wing still played more than 70% of its 5 against 5 with Bergeron and Marchand.
"I thought we did a good job against them, and they're also an offensive line," Cassidy told Toronto media. "Tavares has 47 goals, Marner is a 100-point guy, whoever he is, and Hyman is contributing to that, so we have to make sure we do not take them off the scoresheet.
"I do not know if you're always in a hurry to escape from a jagged fight, we have to trust our other players deep to score, we got it in the second game. evening we have a good goal of[DavidKrejci>maissinousestimonsquec'estvraimentunobstacleànotresuccèsalorsnousallonsnousensortiretbriserlaligne"[DavidKrejci>butifwefeelthatit'sreallyanimpedimentofushavingsuccessthenwe'regoingtogetawayfromitandbreakuptheline"[DavidKrejci>maissinousestimonsquec’estvraimentunobstacleànotresuccèsalorsnousallonsnousensortiretbriserlaligne”[DavidKrejci>butifwefeelthatit’sreallyanimpedimentofushavingsuccessthenwe’regoingtogetawayfromitandbreakuptheline”
Pastrnak entered this series after owning the Maple Leafs over his career with 32 points in 22 regular season playoff games combined. He scored no goal in three games and scored only one shot on goal in the last two periods of the third game. With time running out, Pastrnak did not have a choice, but Marner blocked Boston the last two attempts of the sniper leading to the final horn. Obviously, Pastrnak did not have time to do much more in this situation, but these attempts were a microcosm of how he and his whole line played all night long.
They stopped playing with the synergy that allowed them to succeed in the regular season. They pass when they have to shoot, when they have to pass and never really try to play sets. The Maple Leafs are scouring the job, but the Bergeron line must show restraint, not only to get better scoring chances, but also to take possession of the ball, as Bergeron (with his wingers also to blame) has actually lost 13 clashes and only won 12.
– Patrice Bergeron reacts after the defeat of B in the third match: "We can be better … 5 against 5, we must find ways to create more." pic.twitter.com/JnS9s6Bapw
– Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 16, 2019
If Cassidy, the master of line adjustments in the regular season, decides to break his first line, the solution is easy enough, even if it is not guaranteed. Pastrnak is on the right of David Krejci, Danton Heinen jumps on the front row and Karson Kuhlman is in the last position.
Even if Cassidy did not appear to be in a lineup before the fourth game, he will have to make some sort of changes in one direction or the other. If the plan is to ensure that Bergeron's line continues to be identical to that of Tavares, Cassidy must find more offensive among the other nine forwards. Kuhlman contributed to Krejci's goal and was a big hit before, but a better finisher like Marcus Johansson (if he is in good health) could better fit in the back row. Heinen could also be an option for the second row, although his chemistry with Charlie Coyle seems to continue. Coyle was the Bruins best forward in this series, and it may be time to release him from his responsibilities, move him to the right of Krejci and collect a third line with the remaining fronts (Cassidy basically rolled three lines in the third period Monday anyway).
Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak are the Hanson Bros. of skills, no one does what they do best. They have a family attachment that makes them defensive against critics and share a stubbornness that never causes them to separate. It's time for stubbornness to turn to production before Cassidy has to change his line or the Maple Leafs oppose this series.
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