Rebirth in Boston: Bruins Forward Seeks Redemption as Bruins Top Player

The Boston Bruins have struggled to meet expectations this season, both as a team and as individuals. But perhaps no player has fallen below their personal high-water mark more than Charlie Coyle.

After setting a career-high last season with 60 points, the forward is on pace for just 21 this year. His lack of production was so stark in fact, that Coyle was relegated to playing in the bottom of the lineup shortly after beginning the year in a top-six role.

It appears, though, that Coyle has a chance to climb out of the cellar, with Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco penciling him in as the right wing on the second line next to Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm.

“When you’re relied upon like that, playing a top-line role, you got to produce, you got to play well, and it’s a big responsibility,” Coyle said Saturday morning at TD Garde. “I love that. Playing with those guys, they’re really good players, and you just try to make the most of it.

Coyle had a trial run next to Marchand and Lindholm during Boston’s overtime win on Tuesday against the Flames in Calgary, where the trio had a 6-3 edge in scoring chances in 8:07 of ice time together, according to Natural Stat Trick.

At first, the experiment was merely due to matchups, but its initial success has Sacco wanting to test it again tonight against the Buffalo Sabres.

“It gives us a chance to see how three of our top players can play together,” said Sacco. “I want to see Charlie there. It gives him an opportunity to maybe generate some more offense with those guys.”

Coyle’s movement up the second line places Justin Brazeau on the third line, with Trent Frederic in the middle of him and the newly acquired Oliver Wahlstrom.

It also takes Coyle out of his natural position of center.

Skating on the wing isn’t a foreign concept for the 32-year-old, as he’s played there at various points throughout his 13 seasons in the NHL.

However, taking Coyle out of the middle of the ice also takes away some of his responsibilities on defense, i.e., the area of his game that hasn’t dropped off this season.

“When you’re the center, you’re down low all the time,” Coyle said. “You’re kind of everywhere, and you exert a lot of your energy down low. Wings, yeah, sometimes it switches, and you have to do that job, but, for the most part, you’re playing good defensively and have that extra gear in the offensive zone.”

Fortunately for the Bruins, the new-look second line can still carry its own weight in the defensive end. Marchand is as intelligent and responsible a player as there is, and Lindholm has been heralded in the past for his two-way game as a former candidate for the Selke Trophy.

But the trio aren’t being assembled for defense.

Marchand has remained one of Boston’s leading point producers all season, and Lindholm seems to finally have found his stride by scoring goals in each of the last two games.

Playing next to them, Coyle has one objective.

“Those guys are pretty good playmakers,” said Coyle. “They can both score. March can do it all, and Lindy, he’s a heck of a player. He’s pass first type of guy, so I go to be ready. Those guys can find you, so I just got to be ripping it.”