Jake DeBrusk was recently moved to play on the third line with Jesper Boqvist and Trent Frederic.
The Boston Bruins’ new third line is still working itself out, but it's shown potential in limited games nonetheless.
Jake DeBrusk, Jesper Boqvist and Trent Frederic were put together after Morgan Geekie was promoted to the second line with Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle – partially due to retooling the forward group after Justin Brazeau went down with an upper-body injury.
DeBrusk, who has been a pretty consistent fixture in the Bruins’ top six this season, is now skating with players he’s had little reps with as Boston coach Jim Montgomery continues to experiment with his options before playoffs.
“I think our first game was a little bit sloppy – we hadn’t played together at all,” DeBrusk said Monday. “Anything with chemistry takes a little bit of time. In saying that, obviously [Boqvist] getting that overtime winner hopefully helps our line out and gives us a little bit of confidence.”
DeBrusk got a front-row viewing of Boqvist’s overtime, game-winning goal in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers at TD Garden. While the Bruins have been led by top-six scoring contributions as of late, Boqvist’s tally was a nice reminder of the team’s depth and sentiment that anyone can step up and be a game changer.
Montgomery said he likes the new speed on the third line by putting DeBrusk with Boqvist at center. DeBrusk has 18 goals and 21 assists on the season, but hasn’t logged a point since March 23, and he said joining the rush with Boqvist can lead to more opportunities for him to shoot the puck – and, hopefully, score.
“It pushes the pace for me which I think is something that I have always had success with…I think that’s something that I’ve always wanted, is a fast centerman. Someone you can go on rushes with and things of that nature,” DeBrusk said.
DeBrusk was on a hot streak from March 4 to March 23, posting 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 10 games. However, consistency continues to be a problem for the forward, and is something his new linemate Frederic is dealing with as well.
Frederic matches DeBrusk with 39 points (18 goals, 21 assists) and has three points in the past 10 games, last scoring on March 26 against the Panthers. The 26-year-old solidified his identity as a player earlier in the year – gritty, hard-checking and a nose for the net – and he’s working to get back to that on a nightly basis.
“Freddy’s just got to be Freddy. He’s got to be a guy that’s heavy, that owns pucks below the goal line, and plays with pace and emotion,” Montgomery said.
DeBrusk, Frederic and Boqvist will have another 60 minutes to grow comfortable and productive as a unit as the Bruins host the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night at TD Garden.
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