Numbers Line Producing

(Photo: M. Anthony Nesmith/Icon Sportswire)

Usually there is a lot of talk about the Boston Bruins top line, as there should be. However, it was their third line that was making all the plays and putting the pucks in the back of the net Saturday night. The Bruins played host to the Arizona Coyotes, who came into Boston riding a four-game winning streak.

Third line right winger, Craig Smith, didn’t care about their winning streak, though he certainly was aware of it. Instead, he put the Bruins on the scoreboard 2:33 into the first period with the help of fourth liners Tomas Nosek and Nick Foligno as the third and fourth lines were slowly changing out. The fighting for the puck beforehand showed that the Bruins weren’t just going to give up a bouncing puck, and that tenaciousness paid off.

Eight minutes later, Smith had his second goal of the game and the period, giving Boston a nice two-goal lead early in the game. This one came with helpers from his line mates Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle. Despite being caved in along the boards back in the Bruins end while Frederic carried the puck into the offensive zone and shot a good cross-ice pass to Coyle, Smith managed to get back on his feet and into the zone to receive Coyle’s pass. While Smith’s first attempt was saved by the Coyotes’ Karel Vejmelka, the goaltender coughed up a rebound that Smith put home.

The “Numbers Line” has been having success in recent games. Smith came into Saturday’s game with five goals and one assist to give him six points in three of his last four games—which began with a hat trick on March 3, 2022, in Las Vegas. He now has seven goals and one assist for eight points in four of his last five games. Coyle had a goal in the Bruins home win over the Blackhawks on Thursday night. Frederic notched a marker in Monday’s home game against the Los Angeles Kings. One or both of the other line mates have figured into most of those goals in the last few games, showing the chemistry is coming.

“You know, I think we’re still a work progress. I think we’re all three working hard trying to get in the right areas. I’m trying to shoot the puck more. Like that’s been an emphasis when we get in the zone. Charlie [Coyle] and Trent [Frederic], they are so good at protecting the puck. We can create stuff off of that and having them move their feet I think we can find lanes and get in spots where we can get pucks in the net,” said Smith.

A disturbing trend continues to dog the Bruins—the giving up of goals with seconds remaining in a period or the game. And the game against Arizona was no different. Clayton Keller’s slap shot off of Phil Kessel’s pass got past Jeremy Swayman with under a second remaining in the second period. It was so close that the play had to be reviewed. Of course, this gave the Coyotes some life and they came out and tied things up just 2:15 into the third when former Bruin Nick Ritchie’s snap shot quieted the crowd at TD Garden.

The clock showed under five minutes remaining in the third with things still knotted when, from below Swayman’s goal line, Charlie McAvoy got the puck up the boards to Frederic, who managed to get it to Coyle. Coyle took off like a shot, hounded by the Coyotes back checkers who were doing their best to give him no options. Coyle had Smith coming into the zone, and he knew it, but he also knew that his choices were limited. He elected to put a backhand shot on Vejmelka in the hopes that Smith might pot the rebound. Smith wasn’t needed in this instance as Coyle’s shot hit the back of the twine and gave the Bruins the lead with 3:21 remaining in regulation.

So, what has made this line start to click?

“I think just consistently playing together that always helps and you get to know your teammates, your line mates’ tendencies and you learn more about them and their roots and how they play and where they like to go. So that helps kind of like on that first goal, I guess that second goal that [Smith] had when I turned up and he likes to find that soft spot and be in there.

“And a lot of talking. You get comfortable with each other and talk more and then you can read off each other a little more. And then you get rewarded a little bit and you start to gain confidence and make plays.

“We’re always positive with each other. We don’t harp on each other. We are always there to support each other, whether it’s on the ice or off the ice talking. And we’re always looking to improve and that’s what you need. So, everyone’s doing their job and you do that consistently. Do it the right way then good things are gonna happen for you,” said Coyle.

There are still things to work on, but right now the Bruins third line—the Numbers Line—is keeping those in black and gold in a pretty good spot.