| 20 October 2011
Tonight's game brings changes to the home team. Earlier today defenseman Matt Bartkowski was sent back down to Providence after filling in as the 7th defenseman and the 6th when Adam McQuaid went down. With Steven Kampfer returning to the line up tonight and Adam McQuaid being close to returning, Bartkowski's return to Providence was not much of a surprise. The young puck mover has had sprints of high play but for the majority of his time on ice has shown the need for additional grooming in the AHL.
The bigger change that has gained attention this week though has been in the Bruins' offensive lines as Nathan Horton has be moved to Bergeron's right wing and Chris Kelly has been put between Milan Lucic and Tyler Seguin. This much more significant change seems to have caught many off guard. While many expected a change to come, this was a more significant change than many expected. In truth though, the move aligns with where many predicted the team to head this season.
Before the season began, many wondered when Tyler Seguin would have his breakout, expecting him to follow the exact same path to NHL stardom as Steven Stamkos. While experts were hesitant to buy in to the idea this early on, the start of the season has shown that what fans expect, Tyler expects of himself. The additional weight put on in the off season, the work with Gary Roberts and the desire to go for the cup again all have him taking off strong, playing a well rounded game and creating more chances some nights than the rest of the offense.
With Seguin looking closer to ready for NHL prime time, the question has thus been, where does he go? Do the Bruins play the 3 strong center game displayed in seasons past? Do they make the switch with Peverley and allow Bergeron to center the two young breakout wings (while reuniting Peverley and Kelly)? Or do they make a bigger move and attempt to recreate the style of Lucic-Savard-Kessel with the combination of Lucic-Krejci-Seguin?
This week's moves hint towards a strong possibility of the latter. By sliding Kelly in between Lucic and Seguin the Bruins have effectively made a placeholder who can bring additional speed to the mix and the defensive coverage that is needed to let the wingers focus on the other end of the ice. It also begins the experiment of Marchand-Bergeron-Horton a bit earlier and during a time where change is needed.
Horton should prove to be an effective wing on this line. His style of play, work on the boards and shot enhance what this line can do in the offensive zone. Three players who can go to the net, work the boards and play tough grind it out hockey while constantly threatening to score. If the line is able to catch on and Krejci's appearance between Lucic and Seguin comes sooner than later, the top two lines of the Bruins have the potential of being more effective than the top of the league even strength lines of last season. They also give the Bruins additional depth on the 3rd line and keep in tact the grinding fourth.
Watch for tonight to be a high energy game where the Bruins with their new lines show more focus and thought. This could be a breakout game especially against Toronto as Gustavsson is only appearing in his first game of the season. It is likely though to be one where mistakes show up and hopefully not in the defensive end as guys get used to playing with each other. If they can get past those mistakes and start a rhythm, it may be something they can carry into the weekend where they may see the return of David Krejci and the new lines going forward.
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