Fansided

Each NHL team’s biggest burning question in 2018

By Simon Vacca

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Boston Bruins left defenseman Torey Krug (47) celebrates his game tying goal with Boston Bruins right defenseman Kevan Miller (86) during Game 7 of the First Round for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 25, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 7-4. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 25: Boston Bruins left defenseman Torey Krug (47) celebrates his game tying goal with Boston Bruins right defenseman Kevan Miller (86) during Game 7 of the First Round for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs between the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 25, 2018, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 7-4. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Boston Bruins: Can the club’s top line do it all over again?

One of the most exciting issues to examine in considerations of the broader state of hockey is that of the question of top-end talent. And in 2017-18, the Boston Bruins’ first line was the rallying point of discussions of this nature.

Comprised of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, the Bruins’ go-to offensive unit was nothing short of incredible. In fact, the line was so dominant that it did not surrender an even strength goal until January 2 — a whopping 38 games, that is, into the regular season.

Simply put, the astuteness with which the Marchand-Bergeron-Pastrnak trio married defensive responsibility with offensive prowess was astonishing. For almost half of the team’s most recent campaign, the unit managed to not only command any and all 5-on-5 matchups, but they also demonstrated a recurring ability to dictate pairings on both ends of the ice.

The only issue, then, is the question of consistency. Can they do it all over again?

To praise the club’s top line is not to suggest that the team lacks depth. Jake DeBrusk had a campaign for the books, Danton Heinen tallied valuable points and the club’s blue line — propelled by the likes of Torey Krug, Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy, potentially a future Norris Trophy candidate — was in top form for much of the season.

Nevertheless, to argue against the notion that the Bruins’ golden trio was the driving force behind the team’s second-place finish in the Atlantic Division is to overlook the significance of clinical top-end talent at its finest. While the Bruins’ depth-ridden roster is indeed promising, more will be required of each individual player as the club looks to collectively fill the void left at center from the departure of Riley Nash. As such, it’s only reasonable to assume that Bruce Cassidy will demand just as much from his most important assets — with the hope that a dip in form is merely a worry of the speculative variety.

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