When the regular season began, the expectations were high for Charlie Coyle and Anders Bjork.
They were expected to be key parts of the Bruins third line, but have seen some time in the top six due to injuries. Over the last seven games, however, they have returned to the third line as Karson Kuhlman has excelled alongside David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk. The move has proved to be one of Head Coach Bruce Cassidy’s best as the duo has been hard to stop.
Through 47 games this season, Bjork has set career highs in goals and assists with 9, and points with 18. In his last three games, the Notre Dame product has three points, including two assists. Coming out of the bye week, Bjork, like the rest of his teammates, has looked rejuvenated, which is partly due to his new center.
Since being put together on Jan. 16, the two have dominated their opponents. Their line has been on the ice for an even-strength goal in five of those games and have landed 50 shots on net compared to their opponents 27. They also have more shots attempts than their opponents at 79-44 According to bruins_Stats.
Anders Bjork and the @NHLBruins are buzzin'. pic.twitter.com/Bjs1WPel2e
— NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2020
While those numbers are impressive, Coyle and Bjork have seen a boost offensively because of the scoring chances they have been able to create. Over the past seven games, they have recorded 35 scoring chances and only allowed 17 according to bruins_stats. In that span, the duo has combined for three goals and four assists.
Their recent performance has not only improved the Bruins offense but allowed Kuhlman to stay on the second line. It has also given head coach Bruce Cassidy the ability to keep his line combinations consistent, unlike earlier in the season. As a result, the Bruins have been one of the league’s best teams since their ten-day break.
In that span, the Bruins have won four straight games and outscored their opponents 14-3. A big reason for their success has been their ability to get offense from every line. It will be a key factor as they look to make a deep playoff run.
Quick ✋'s @CharlieCoyle_3 | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/o86rwjVGhJ
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 5, 2020
As the trade deadline draws closer the Bruins, are expected to be one of the league’s most active teams. Regardless of any moves, they make it appears they have found a formidable duo in Coyle and Bjork. If they can continue their recent play, then the Bruins third line could be hard to stop come playoff time.
The regular season is far from however it appears that Cassidy has found a productive duo to lead the Bruins bottom lines.
