Last season, the Bruins top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak was one of the best lines in hockey. As the season progressed the Bruins trio became more dominate. If they can all remain healthy next season then they will be the best line in hockey. What makes this line so special is how they are dominant offensively and in their own zone. In the playoffs, they did not slow down and proved to be a matchup nightmare.
Where The Bergeron Line Ranks
Last season Marchand missed 14 games and Bergeron missed 18. Pastrnak was the only one to play in all 82 games, but when this trio was full healthy they were special. The line appeared in 51 regular season games together scoring 27 goals. They were even more impressive defensively as the trio allowed only 16 goals. Even with Marchand and Bergeron missing 32 games combined, they still had the 14th most goals as a line. The trio didn’t allow an even strength goal until January. What makes that streak more impressive is that they played over 220 minutes together without allowing a goal.
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Playoff Dominance
In the playoffs this line did not slow down. In Boston’s five postseason wins, they scored 12 goals while combining for 41 points. For the Lighting to slow them down, the Bruins forced Tampa to play out of their comfort zone. That was not an easy task because of this line’s skills.
Pastrnak is a gifted goal scorer and becoming one of the most creative passers in the league. Marchand continues to improve his all around game and has a talent for getting in peoples’ heads. That leaves Bergeron, who may be arguably the best two way center in the league. They are so dangerous because they can each hurt opponents in different ways.
Photo Credit: Associated Press/ Winslow Townson
Their Competition
The Bruins top line will have competition next season. With the addition of Tavares, the already dangerous top line of Toronto becomes better. The Avalanche also have a impressive first line, with young star Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who had 84 points in his sophomore season. The Golden Knights top trio that included William Karlsson and Reilly Smith will be out to prove last year was no fluke. They were tied for the most goals at even strength. The Bruins top line gets the edge because of what they did in limited time.
Photo Credit: Joe McDonald
Final Thoughts
Next season, the expectations will be even higher. The Bruins will be carried by their top line which will begin the season healthy. Last year, they showed that their chemistry is something truely special. What makes them even scarier is that Pastrnak is only 22 years old and still getting better. If they can remain healthy, then the best line in hockey will undoubtedly reside in Boston.